Sleep is essential in our lives. While we sleep our bodies heal, rejuvenate and prepare for the next day. However, even though sleep is so vital, 40% of Americans struggle with a sleep disorder in one way or another. Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which a person is unable to fall asleep or is unable to sleep for long periods of time, making it impossible to get a full night's rest. Insomnia can be general, chronic or occasionally caused by stress. Mental, physical, and emotional stressors all contribute to a person's susceptibility to insomnia. or four nights” (Hales). Transient insomnia is caused by mental stress. Many things can cause mental stress. It can be related to work, school or home life. You may be mentally stressed even if you don't realize it. In 2002, a study was conducted on people diagnosed with insomnia. Within two months of retirement, 65% of those diagnosed were sleeping better than they had in years (Beck). This is because they no longer suffered from work-related mental stress. Teens often struggle with insomnia during their high school years. Too many tasks combined with procrastination and limited time can cause a lot of unwanted stress. If adolescents stay up late at night doing homework, they may suffer from learned, or habitual, insomnia (Hales). Their bodies get used to staying up late and ignoring signs of tiredness. When they have the opportunity to get a really good night's rest, their body will try to stay awake because it has fallen into that habit. It may take several months to retrain your body and resist stress. If you're feeling overwhelmed, slow down a bit and take things one day at a time. There is always time to accomplish everything you need. So take a breath, don't stress and get some rest. Works Cited Beck, Melinda. Wall Street Journal (online). New York, New York: February 20, 2010http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=4&did=1966620971&SrchMode=1&sid=11&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1283435375&clientId=3579Hales, Dianne. Get a good night's sleep. WorldBookOnline.com: Retrieved September 8, 2010 http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/media?id=sr195025&st=insomniaSchwartz, David. Family health. Edmonton: Winter 2009. vol. 25, Iss. 4; Page 15, 2 pages.http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=6&did=1920685591&SrchMode=1&sid=12&Fmt=4&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1283435523&clientId=3579