title: Exploration of the experience of living with chronic insomnia: A qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic insomnia is associated with consequential experience that may affect quality of life. Understanding such experience can be helpful in planning effective interventions for patients with chronic insomnia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study aimed to describe and illuminate the experience of living with chronic insomnia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted using a descriptive phenomenology approach. Participants were selected purposefully from patients with chronic insomnia who had been referred to the sleep disorders research center at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in Iran in 2014. Data were gathered through in-depth unstructured interviews and analyzed according to the Colaizzi method by means of Husserlian phenomenology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two main themes were found in this study, from which five sub themes were constructed: first, an upset mind, with the subthemes of insomnia as an unpleasant experience and insomnia as a worrying experience; and second, an unwanted new lifestyle with treatment seeking behavior, a boring new daily routine and being overshadowed by depressed mood as the subthemes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study identified the experience of living with chronic insomnia as a painful one with both mental and practical aspects. The experience also explains how mental engagement and practical outcomes of chronic insomnia may interfere with well-being and quality of life in sufferers. It is recommended that patients' experiences would be considered in assessment and treatment of chronic insomnia. Therefore, therapeutic interventions should pay attention to this area.
authors.affiliation: Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
authors.forename: Leeba
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rezaie
authors.affiliation: Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
authors.forename: Habibola
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khazaie
authors.affiliation: Oxford Brookes University, Faculty of Health and life Sciences, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Farzaneh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yazdani
keywords: Chronic insomnia; Experience; Iran; Phenomenology; Qualitative study