Table of ContentsSummaryCauses of InsomniaCharacteristics of InsomniaSummaryIn the film The Machinist, the character Trevor Reznik suffers from primary insomnia due to his guilt. In addition to his guilt, anxiety, stimulants, and irregular sleep patterns also contribute to his inability to sleep. His insomnia causes him an inability to sleep, hallucinations, delusions, inability to concentrate, and accident-prone behavior. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Insomnia is a recurring problem falling and staying asleep. There are two types of insomnia, primary insomnia associated with psychological factors and secondary insomnia associated with physiological factors. In the film The Machinist, the character Trevor Reznik suffers from primary insomnia due to his guilt. Trevor's insomnia weakens him as it causes him to have hallucinations, delusions, an inability to concentrate, and accident-prone behavior. Causes of InsomniaTrevor feels extremely guilty about an accident in which he hit and killed a young boy with his car and drove away afterward. Although he does not remember this accident, it is the source of his insomnia. Trevor is also anxious because of the guilt he feels over the hit-and-run. Anxiety and guilt can cause insomnia because “the quiet and inactivity of the night often leads to stressful thoughts or even fears that keep a person from sleeping” (“What Causes Insomnia, n.d.). Although Trevor's insomnia is primarily due to psychological factors, there are also physiological factors that contribute to Trevor's insomnia. Trevor often smokes cigarettes and drinks coffee. Caffeine in coffee and nicotine in cigarettes are stimulants that stimulate neuronal activity and speed up bodily functions. Although caffeine can temporarily increase alertness, too much caffeine causes insomnia and nicotine also causes insomnia with withdrawal symptoms similar to those of caffeine (Stewart, 2013). Trevor stays awake every night because he can't sleep. He spends his nights constantly cleaning. He also tries to sleep during the day, but without success. This is a disruption of one's circadian rhythm. Symptoms of irregular sleep-wake cycles include excessive daytime sleepiness and insomnia (Cataletto, 2015). Characteristics of InsomniaTrevor is unable to fall asleep and stay asleep although he is always tired. For example, in the film, when Trevor is seen falling asleep, he always wakes up abruptly. Since insomnia is a problem with falling asleep or staying asleep, people with insomnia have problems sleeping. People with insomnia experience symptoms of difficulty falling asleep, waking up often during the night and difficulty getting back to sleep, waking up too early in the morning, and feeling tired when waking up (“An Overview of Insomnia », nd).Ivan is a hallucination resulting from Trevor's lack of sleep. He also has delusions due to his lack of sleep, such as the belief that his co-workers wanted to harm him when there was almost an accident at the factory that could have seriously injured him. When sleep deprivation becomes severe enough, “the effects mimic those of psychosis,” including hallucinations and delusions (Coren, nd). Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized item now from »).”, 2014).