Evaluation Of Insomnia

Question 0

Subjectivity of diagnosis of insomnia?

Answer 0

Our subjective feelings can differ radically from the objective measurements in a sleep laboratory.
The gap between perception and reality is evident in many insomniacs and many grossly underestimate how much sleep they actually get at night.
Many people has pseudo insomnia instead of true sleeplessness and many individuals have difficulty distinguishing sleep from waking. Making subjective reports unreliable.

Question 1

What did Dement 1999 say about insomnia?

Answer 1

So many different types with so many causes that it is impossible to make generalisations that will describe all cases of insomnia.

Question 2

Possible biological reason for faulty perception?

Answer 2

A fault in the mechanism that erases our memories during the transition from consciousness to sleep. A good retention would blur the distinction between the two states creating a false perception.
Experimental data shows insomniacs have better recall of information presented to them as they fall asleep.

Question 3

What are PPP factors?

Answer 3

May be useful to distinguish between predisposing (genetic vulnerability), precipitating (environmental, physical or psychological stressors) and perpetuating (factors which maintain insomnia when the original causes have disappeared) factors.
Diathesis- stress approach to insomnia is useful and involves nature-nurture.

Question 4

What does Dement say about primary insomnia?

Answer 4

Not a sleep disorder in its own right as it is always a symptom of something else