Insomnia

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has a comprehensive overview of insomnia covering all the major issues. Causes, risks, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment are addressed using bullet points and brief, succinct paragraphs of text. Use the table of contents on the left to navigate through this quality introduction.

FamilyDoctor.org , a Web site operated by the American Academy of Family Physicians, has an article called "Insomnia: How to Get a Good Night's Sleep" that offers an introduction to insomnia and advice on how to cure it. You'll find advice on improving your sleep habits, a discussion of the usefulness (or lack thereof) of sleeping pills, and tips for getting better sleep.

The National Women's Health Information Center has an insomnia section in FAQ format that covers what insomnia is, what causes it, and how it's diagnosed and treated. Perhaps the most interesting section for female readers is the one entitled, "Do women suffer from insomnia more than men?" The answer to this question is yes.

KidsHealth For Parents , created by the Nemours Foundation, has an article designed to help new parents understand the sleep habits of their children, covering babies, teenagers, and everyone in between. Although it doesn't deal directly with insomnia, it provides a solid understanding of how much sleep children should get at different ages, citing common obstacles at each level so you can better identify any problems.

KidsHealth TeenPage 's article on teen sleeping problems begins with a pretty lame anecdote about a fictional high-schooler named Garret, but paints an accurate picture of how the issues teens face can lead to difficulty sleeping. Insomnia is just one of the disorders listed. About midway down, there's a section on other disorders that may be interfering with sleep, such as restless leg syndrome or sleep apnea. Click on "good sleeping habits," in the last paragraph, for a link to another KidsHealth article that gives several suggestions for a good night's sleep.

The National Institute on Aging 's "AgePage" has sleeping disorder information for seniors. The overview of insomnia isn't much different than what you'd find on any of these other sites, but the sections on getting better sleep are customized for an older audience. Find links and contact information for other resources at the bottom of the page.