According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, active duty military personnel have a high prevalence of sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, insomnia, and short sleep duration. Results also show that these sleep disorders lead to medical issues, such as depression, anxiety, and more.  With sleep research growing for active duty military personnel, many are getting the help they need through professional sleep clinics.

Insomnia is more than just occasional trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. In fact, most people experience sleep disturbance at some point in their lives. If you have chronic trouble (meaning more nights than not) falling or staying asleep, don’t feel refreshed in the morning, and especially if lack of sleep begins to impact your personal or professional life, it might be time to seek medical help.

Feeling sleepy? You’re not alone. According to the CDC, on any given day, as many as one in five adults suffers from an insufficient amount of sleep! Insomnia affects adolescents, adults and the elderly. And as we age, sleep can become even more elusive, so developing good sleep habits when you’re younger can pay off later in life.

Insomnia is one of the worst stress-induced conditions you can experience. Not being able to sleep after a hard-days-work can cause a plethora of issues. Is your job, family, or relationship related stuff causing you such stress that it affects your sleep?  Although insomnia is not caused only by stress, it is most often the main cause.

The traditional factors leading to insomnia can disturb any sleep pattern. Anxiety, depression, grief, tragedy. Peer pressure, worry, alcohol, caffeine. A number of issues interrupt a normal day. One that can go unnoticed is for individuals who are lonely. All of the traditional factors can enhance the reasons for insomnia grounded in a lonely life.

Sleep – it’s something that all humans need but one thing that many people don’t seem to get enough of. This can be for a variety of reasons – including poor sleep hygiene, party-hard lifestyles, or even mental and physical conditions – but the bottom line is the same: a lack of sleep is no good and should be remedied as soon as possible.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What is the best way to eliminate insomnia? For almost a year, I've had trouble getting much sleep. I've tried over-the-counter medications, but they aren't very effective.

Shift work is defined as schedules outside the typical 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. day. Roughly 15 percent of full-time U.S. employees work on shifts outside this traditional schedule. For many, shift work is part of the job as service occupations like healthcare professionals and protective services  are needed 365 days a year 24 hours a day. 

If you find yourself having difficulty going to sleep at night, waking in the middle of the night without being able to get back to sleep, or waking earlier than you had planned but still feeling tired throughout the day, chances are you might have insomnia.

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder with over half of the U.S. population having reported symptoms of acute insomnia at some point in their lives, and approximately 10-15% reporting symptoms of chronic insomnia.

While acute insomnia often goes away on its own, or can be cured by practicing better sleep hygiene, chronic insomnia can lead to a lot of serious problems down the road.

Here we focus on some of the long-term consequences of insomnia, and why you should take steps now to alleviate your sleep troubles.