Understanding the History of Insomnia

Many people like to blame their lack of sleep on environmental factors and products of the society such as stress. Contrary to this, insomnia cases have been reported for many years before and stress is not the only cause of insomnia. One of the resulting effects of lack of sleep in many cases reported over the years is irritability and mood swings.

To avoid these two symptoms, many people go to great lengths to come up with ceremonies and activities that will ensure they get to sleep well and stay asleep. One discovery that has been made throughout the years is that one routine may work for one person but it will not work for others. As a result, so many different treatment options have piled up in the many years.

Renowned author Charles Dickens, US founding father Genjamin Franklin and British politician Winston Churchill are great historians who have each indicated that the bed in which a person sleeps determines just how well they sleep.  Winston Churchill kept an extra bed in his room so he could move to it in case he could not fall asleep on one. 

Author Dickens had to ensure that he slept right in the middle of his bed and it had to be facing north for him to fall asleep.  If this was not done religiously, Charles just could not fall sleep.  Benjamin Franklin had problems sleeping on a bed the wrong temperature.  If it got warmer than he desired, he would simply get off the bed and let it cool then jump back to give it another shot. 

Understanding the history of insomnia lets people know that drugs were always an option even in the past.  Although it should only be used as a last resort, many people have abused sleeping pills and therefore destroyed their sleeping cycles. 

When this happens, the drugs will not work well and certain side effects will be reported such as hallucinations as was English writer Evelyn Waugh's case.  American model, actress and singer Marylin Monroe could not go to sleep without taking at least 20 sleeping pills to calm her nerves. 

French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte realized that he never got more than 3 hours of sleep a night and settled to that fact and lived his life comfortably.  These great historians had different ways of dealing with their insomnia cases, which lets us know that insomnia has been there for years and will be for many more.