This a project for a high school AP Psychology course. This is a fictionalized account of having a psychological ailment. For questions about this blog project or its content please email the teacher, Laura Astorian: laura.astorian@cobbk12.org

1. Insomnia
This a project for a high school AP Psychology course. This is a
fictionalized account of having a psychological ailment. For
questions about this blog project or its content please email the
teacher, Laura Astorian: laura.astorian@cobbk12.org

2. What is Insomnia?
Classified as the inability to get enough sleep despite adequate time.
Symptoms Include:
Delayed Sleep Onset
Early Morning Wake-Ups
Unrefreshing Sleep
Trouble Maintaining Sleep
Causes many problems in daytime functioning

3. Stages of Sleep
Stage I
Stage II
Stages I and II are light sleep
Stage III
Stage IV
Stages III and Stages are deep sleep

5. Classifications of Insomnia

6. Primary Insomnia
Also referred to as Idiopathic
This is diagnosed when a patient has no other cause of insomnia other than the fact they
cannot sleep
Also been known to be patient confusion and misconception around what is meant and
understood to be sleep

7. Secondary Insomnia
This is also more commonly referred to as Comorbid Insomnia
When insomnia is being caused by some other outside factor, illness, or disorder
including:
Drug Abuse
Psychiatric Disorders
Medical Problems
Other Sleep Disorders disruptive to sleep

8. Acute Insomnia
This is when a patient suffers from insomnia fewer than 3 times a week for less than a month
Typically stems from changes in the environment and a short illness the patient might have
had

9. Chronic Insomnia
This will be diagnosed when a patient suffers from symptoms more than 3 times a week for
a period longer than a month
When insomnia becomes a chronic problem, it is typically said to be comorbid insomnia

10. Causes of Insomnia
Often caused by depression or other psychiatric problems
Also caused by excess, lasting stress or racing thoughts at bedtime
Symptoms of insomnia also could be cause by other sleeping disorders such as:
Restless Leg Syndrome
Sleep Apnea
Somnolence

11. Treatment of Insomnia
Insomnia is not a disorder that can necessarily be “cured”
Symptoms treated in order to relieve patient of distress
Treated by two different methods
Non-Pharmacological Treatment
Pharmacological Treatment

13. Stimulus Control Therapy
Learn to associate the bedroom with sleep alone
Don’t go in the bedroom unless going to sleep
Do not go to bed unless tired
Leave the bedroom if haven’t fallen asleep in 15 minutes
Be completely relaxed when in bed
This method has been seen to be very effective if used for over a
prolonged period of time
Improved efficacy if sleep hygiene is also managed

14. My Experiences

15. I’m always very tired. It’s hard for me to do daily
tasks sometimes

16. I’ll always have these random mood swings. The
smallest thongs can bother me to the extreme.

17. Im always on edge. I don’t have a lot of patients for
anything or anyone

18. I hardly have any energy to do the things I like. It gets
harder for me to get out of bed and go to school or
work. I dont even care to see my friends or family
anymore

19. I hallucinate sometimes. I get creeped out by it a lot
because ill usually be alone when it happens. I
hallucinate bugs on me or something like that

20. Im constantly forgetting things. I have a hard time
remembering certain dates or plans I made that
week. I constantly forget the date, but thats not even
half of the things i forget……