It's not unusual to lose one or two days' sleep worrying about a spat with a spouse or a report due at work. Good things sometimes keep people awake, too, like an exciting sports event or anticipation of the start of a vacation. A job setback, illness, or death of a loved one can upset normal sleep habits for a while. But you don't have to be a scientist to recognize the effects of going without sleep. Anyone who has slept poorly for a few nights running knows that's the reason they are tired and irritable, and have trouble concentrating and staying alert.
Chronic insomnia can have more serious consequences.
The commission's report to Congress links sleep deprivation to increased psychosocial problems and illness and death, and to diminished productivity and performance. It names fatigue and drowsiness as contributors to accidents in hospitals, military operations, and the nuclear industry, and to major air, rail, road, and sea transportation disasters. So, while researchers want to learn more about sleep for many reasons, we plain folk who lie awake nights simply want to know how we can get more of it. People with chronic insomnia should see a doctor for treatment, which may include short-term use of prescription sleeping pills. Used appropriately, OTC and prescription sleep-aids also can help provide sounder sleep, the ASDA advises.