Why Is Sleep Important?

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Insomnia is a nonspecific symptom and not a diagnosis.

Clarifying the underlying causes of insomnia is essential for effective treatment.

Lifestyle habits that cause insomnia can worsen physical and mental health.

Sleep is essential for maintaining emotional and physical health. Insomnia often occurs as an indicator of an underlying problem. When it is not the result of a medical condition or related to lifestyle habits, insomnia can lead to significant medical problems.

Insomnia is a symptom, not a syndrome

A symptom is a subjective perception that a person notices regarding a specific bodily sensation or experience. Symptoms are often nonspecific and common examples include headaches, itchiness, fatigue, pain and nausea. Symptoms can serve as warning signs of an underlying disease, but are not a diagnosis in and of themselves. For example, headaches can be caused by migraines, caffeine withdrawal, alcohol hangovers, hormonal shifts or a bleed in the brain.

A syndrome refers to a condition in which multiple symptoms and objective findings exist together. For example, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can be diagnosed when multiple signs and symptoms related to gastrointestinal dysfunction occur together. Cushing syndrome occurs when certain bodily changes result from abnormally high levels of cortisol.

If a patient consulted with an orthopedic surgeon for knee pain the surgeon would not simply recommend surgery without an assessment of what was causing the problem. That is because knee pain is a........

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