What is "psychophysiological insomnia"?

What is "psychophysiological insomnia"?

Gary Feldman (Medical Director, Stramski Disorders Center, Miller Children's Hospital ) gives expert video advice on: What are the most common sleep problems for teenagers? and more...

That is when you are lying in bed and you want to go to sleep. Your mind is racing and you think "oh my gosh I should be asleep by now. I can't fall asleep. I can't fall asleep." Eventually you become so activaly trying to fall asleep that you cannot. That is psychophysiological insomnia. Somebody once said "Sleep is like a dove" If you gently reach out your hand to it, it will alight, but if your reach out and grab it, it will fly away. In a sense, that is kind of what it is, so the teenager lies there in bed, lying there with their eyes wideopen, "they can't sleep, they can't sleep" so they become anxious that they can't sleep, and in doing so keep themselves awake. The next night they go to bed and say "I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep tonight." So, psychophysiological insomnia is just a cycle that repeats itself.