Insomnia: What It Is, What Causes It, and How It Is Treated
The most common sleep disorder — and the most misunderstood. Covers the hyperarousal model, CBT-I, and why sleeping pills are the last resort, not the first.
💤 Sleep Disorders
When sleep does not work the way it should — the science of what goes wrong, why, and what can be done about it.
The most common sleep disorder — and the most misunderstood. Covers the hyperarousal model, CBT-I, and why sleeping pills are the last resort, not the first.
An estimated 936 million people have OSA worldwide — most undiagnosed. Covers warning signs, cardiovascular risks, and how CPAP and alternatives work.
A neurological disorder rooted in dopamine and iron metabolism — not anxiety or restlessness. Covers diagnosis, secondary causes, and treatment options including augmentation risk.
A predictable REM-wake boundary event that generates genuinely terrifying hallucinations. Understanding the mechanism completely changes the experience.
Not simply "falling asleep suddenly." The autoimmune destruction of orexin neurons that regulate sleep-wake stability — including cataplexy, hallucinations, and current treatments.
Anxiety and insomnia reinforce each other through conditioned hyperarousal, bedtime worry, and the effort paradox. Understanding the cycle is the first step to breaking it.