Chronic Insomnia and the Stress System

Insomnia is not a state of sleep loss, but a disorder of hyperarousal present both during the night and the daytime, according to objective sleep measures, EEG activity, physiologic findings, HPA axis activity and inflammation markers.

Abstract

SynopsisIn insomnia, which is a very common sleep disorder, objective sleep measures, EEG activity, physiologic findings, HPA axis activity and inflammation markers suggest that it is not a state of sleep loss, but a disorder of hyperarousal present both during the night and the daytime. Several psychological and physiological factors contribute to the onset and perpetuation of insomnia, such as anxious-ruminative personality traits, stressful events, age-related sleep homeostasis weakening mechanisms, menopause and biologic - genetic diathesis of CNS hyperarousal. The therapeutic approach in insomnia should be multidimensional reducing the overall emotional and physiologic hyperarousal and its underlying factors present throughout the 24-h sleep/wake period.