Sleep, like eating, is the most basic life activity, and no one can be exempted from it. It is difficult for us to decide whether a person is getting enough sleep or not, because the number of hours of sleep needed in a day varies from person to person. Some people only sleep for three or four hours a day and that is enough, but some people must sleep for ten hours in order to feel a sense of fullness. The main function of sleep is to repair and restore the brain, and another part is to regulate and reorganize people’s emotional behavior and cognitive memory. With the busy and stressful life of modern people, they often suffer from sleep disorders, especially insomnia, which causes various physical and mental discomforts. Zhao Min, Department of Brain Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine In daily outpatient clinics, one-third of the patients have insomnia at the same time, and one-tenth of them have long-term insomnia. Insomnia is defined as difficulty in falling asleep, persistent sleep, or waking up the next morning without a sense of fullness and renewed energy. Simply put, insomnia is an unpleasant or poor quality sleep experience. Insomnia is a symptom, not a disease, like a fever or abdominal pain. It is a symptom of a disease, and the underlying cause must be identified and treated, not just the symptoms of insomnia. Currently in the United States have insomnia trouble, in a year about 35%, half of which will affect the function of daytime work. General insomnia can be slightly divided into two categories, one is difficult to fall asleep, the other is easy to be interrupted in the middle of sleep, in order to get up to go to the restroom is most common. Insomnia caused by staying up late for exams for two or three days is not really insomnia, because as long as you adjust your daily routine afterwards, you can return to normal. Common causes of insomnia include stress or medication. Stress can be caused by a busy work schedule, an irregular routine, or illness. Sometimes insomnia can be caused by chronic illness. Long-term insomnia can easily lead to depression, and in severe cases, may even lead to thoughts of suicide, so the effects of insomnia should not be taken lightly. Drugs such as steroids, thyroid supplements, decongestants in cold and flu medicines, and some antipsychotics can cause insomnia. Another common cause of insomnia is poor sleeping habits, such as doing inappropriate strenuous exercise before sleep, or long-term insomnia caused by drinking coffee, alcohol or smoking, or sleeping in a place where you watch TV, eat or read, which makes it difficult to fall asleep. It is very important to develop good sleep hygiene habits, and it is usually recommended to: 1. Simplify the sleeping place: i.e., do not do other things in bed, such as watching TV, eating or reading, etc., and adjust the environment of the room. 2. 2. Try not to do intense exercise one hour before sleep, and it is best to get up at the same time every day. 3. 3. Try not to eat caffeine-containing food or smoke nicotine cigarettes before going to bed, and avoid the habit of drinking alcohol due to insomnia, because alcohol often wakes up in the middle of the night and reduces the quality of sleep. 4. do not eat and drink before going to bed, but a small amount of snacks can help you sleep, 5. if you do not fall asleep within half an hour after going to bed, it is recommended that you get up and do something, such as drink some milk or eat snacks, or read some books, can help you sleep. 6. if the above methods are still not used, you should avoid eating caffeinated food or smoking nicotine cigarettes. 6. If the above methods are still ineffective, the use of medication can be considered. Generally speaking, Benzodiazepine is the most commonly used medication, while anxiolytics can be used if insomnia is caused by anxiety, and antidepressants such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) can be used if insomnia is caused by depression. Reuptake Inhibitor.) Insomnia most often has underlying causes, we should find out the causes and prescribe the right medication, not just using drugs, of course, a short period of time the help of drugs is also very important, the new generation of sleeping pills have few side effects, and will not have the problem of addiction. It is better to seek the assistance of a physician for insomnia, and never buy sleeping pills from a pharmacy alone. In addition, the fundamental solution is to adjust the routine of life and eliminate stress. If you have any problems, it is better to seek help from your family doctor.