Welcome back to the Whole View, episode 408. (0:27)
Stacy has a feeling she is not the only one struggling to get quality sleep right now.
So she is looking forward to covering this week's show topic on insomnia.
We dove previously into sleep with episode 399 when we talked about amber glasses.
Stacy has been using her BLUblox glasses five times a week, and the nights she sleeps well coincides with those nights when she is using them.
Speaking of, let's take a moment to thank this week's sponsor, BLUblox.
We have a code for the Whole View listeners to receive 15% off their order using this link and the code THEWHOLEVIEW.
Stacy also wants to point out that the prices you see online are Australian prices.
So by the time you do the conversion if you are American using US dollars, using the code provided, it makes a significant difference in the price.
Stacy feels that the science of quality sleep makes these glasses worth the investment if you are looking to biohack your sleep cycle.
 
Listener Question
This week we have a really awesome question from Caroline that Sarah felt was a great way to talk about sleep. (2:54)
Any long-time listener is probably pretty aware that sleep is really important.
However, Caroline's question gets to one of the bigger challenges surrounding the challenges with insomnia.
Caroline says, "First, I want to let you ladies know that I really appreciated last week’s podcast.
As a long time listener, I was really glad you both chose to speak out.
I know times are crazy right now, (Thank you for all your timely Covid-19 shows too) and this may not be a current topic of interest, but I would love an episode all about insomnia.
I know you ladies have spoken a lot about the importance of sleep on the podcast but what about those of us who actually suffer from insomnia? 
It’s been worse than ever this past week. Is there help for those of us who spend hours getting to sleep only to wake up a few hours later and not be able to get back to sleep?
Thank you again for all the work you both do."
This question is so timely!
For those who are just listening to this week's podcast, Caroline is referring to this podcast episode from last week.
 
What is Insomnia?
Sarah thinks that a lot of people suffer from insomnia without recognizing it as that term. (6:22)
Insomnia is a condition that is diagnosed purely based on symptoms.
There is short-term insomnia and chronic insomnia.
Chronic insomnia is something that lasts at least three months, in which you have symptoms at least three days a week.
In this scenario you would have one of the following symptoms: difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, waking up in the morning earlier than desired, having some kind of resistance to going to bed on an appropriate schedule, and difficulty falling asleep without a partner or caregiver.
Short-term insomnia is the same thing but lasts less than three months.
So again, showing any of those symptoms three times a week.
These symptoms at that frequency are very common.
There are predisposing factors that make you more likely to have insomnia.
For chronic insomnia, one of the biggest predisposing factors is chronic stress.
There are personality features associated with chronic insomnia.
Various conditions are linked to insomnia as a condition, such as mood and anxiety disorders.
Obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, chronic pain conditions, and alcohol and drug abuse are all other examples of health conditions that carry insomnia as a symptom.
External factors can also cause insomnia, such as having an undesirable sleep environment.
The predisposing symptoms for short-term insomnia are pretty much the same things.
Short-term insomnia can even be a presenting thing of other underlying conditions.
 
Symptoms
Insomnia is diagnosed with the symptoms of not being able to fall asleep and not being able to stay asleep. (10:30)
Not being able to sleep long enough is also part of the diagnosis equation.
There are other