Chronic insomnia is a major public health problem. And too many people are using【C1】_____therapies, even while there are a few treatments that do work. Millions of Americans【C2】__awake at night counting sheep or have a stiff drink or【C3】__an pill, hoping it will make them sleepy.【C4】__experts agree all that self-medicating is a bad idea, and the causes of chronic insomnia remain【C5】_____.

Almost a third of adults have trouble sleeping, and about 10 percent have【C6】_____of daytime impairment that signal true insomnia. But【C7】__the complaints, scientists know surprisingly little about what causes chronic insomnia, its health consequences and how best to treat it, a panel of specialists【C8】__together by the National Institutes of Health concluded Wednesday. The panel called【C9】__a broad range of research into insomnia,【C10】__that if scientists understood its【C11】_____causes, they could develop better treatments.

Most, but not all, insomnia is thought to【C12】_____other health problems, from arthritis and depression to cardiovascular disease. The question often is whether the insomnia came first or was a result of the other diseases and how trouble sleeping in【C13】__complicates those other problems. Other diseases【C14】__, the risk of insomnia seems to increase with age and to be more【C15】__among women, especially after their 50s. Smoking, caffeine and numerous【C16】_____drugs also affect sleep.

The NIH is spending about $200 million this year on sleep-related research, some【C17】_____to specific disorders and others【C18】__the underlying scientific laws that control the nervous system of sleep. The agency was【C19】__the pane’s review before deciding what additional work should be【C20】_____at insomnia.

Some philosophers claim virtuous activity (e.g., cultivating self-control, courage, generosity) and self-actualization (being the best you can be) are what make life worth living. But how does meaningful activities affect other【C1】________, like happiness and mood?

In a study conducted【C2】_____Hooker and his co-workers, a total of 160 people (123 women) were selected as the research objects, who were randomly【C3】__to a self-monitoring or control group and【C4】__daily surveys for 28 days. Those in the self-monitoring group answered questions【C5】__physical activity, positive mood, and meaning salience(i.e., the frequency of thinking about purpose and meaning), while those in the control group did not answer these questions about their feeling or meaning salience. During eight random days, everyone was also asked to recall the previous day’s【C6】__. A key measure was the Meaningful Activities Checklist (rating the meaningfulness of 46 common activities, like eating, sleeping, and working), which was finished at the beginning of the study and during the 24-hour activity recall. The results showed【C7】_____in meaningful activities was associated with greater meaning salience, positive mood, life satisfaction, purpose in life, and vitality.

【C8】_____, to promote well-being, it might be helpful to【C9】__people to explore and participate in meaningful activities and【C10】__them into their daily lives. In other words, if spending time with loved ones, helping others, or taking a【C11】__on a subject of interest are important to you, then【C12】__the time to do them. Or do them more often. lt may also be【C13】__to try to discover meaning in【C14】__activities—even if these activities appear meaningless at first.【C15】__, consider the act of making dinner. From one perspective, it is a【C16】_____and tedious housework. But from another perspective, it is a meaningful and valuable way of caring for loved ones or oneself.

Similarly, daily activities could be【C17】_____as helpful in cultivating a variety of virtues: self-control, courage, generosity, self-confidence, friendliness, gratitude, patience, self-respect, humility, honesty, open-mindedness,【C18】__, persistence, or compassion. With practice and a conscious attempt to【C19】__com monly performed activities to valued virtues, one’s daily activities can become enriched with meaning and significance. This way, even when we cannot take part in meaningful activities of our choosing, we still【C20】_____ meaning in our lives.