Causes of Insomnia and How To Treat It
Insomnia is not an uncommon sleep problem. Approximately 40-50 percent of the population has experienced short and long term insomnia at one time or another. It can be quite inconvenient but knowing the causes of insomnia can help you in diagnosing if you have the condition or not.
Short term insomnia is also referred to as transient insomnia. Usually changes in our habits or the environment in which we live and work contribute to the development of transient insomnia. If you are experiencing this type of insomnia, work to eliminate external factors causing your sleeplessness.
Caffeine found in energy drinks, coffee, and cola are known to suppress fatigue while boosting alertness, decreasing the ability to fall and stay asleep.
Although alcohol may help you fall asleep, it can be a contributor to insomnia. It interrupts your sleep cycle causing you to wake prematurely and preventing you from a full night’s sleep.
Smoking contributes to insomnia. Smokers have a harder time falling asleep than non-smokers due to the levels of nicotine, which is a stimulant, in their bodies.
Unwanted lights or noise may be keeping you from falling asleep or staying asleep. Close your windows, blinds, and doors, and use an eye mask and/or a white noise machine for better sleep.
We all do our best to avoid it but stress can take a toll on our sleep patterns. Worrying about finances, family, and work contribute to incidents of insomnia. Find ways to deal with your stress through counseling or confiding in a friend. Your efforts will return your sleep patterns to normal.
Traveling interrupts your sleep patterns. Driving during the day or flying the “red eye” flight keeps us awake when we are usually sleeping. While on vacation concentrate on keeping sleep routines as close as possible to the way you sleep at home.
Long-term, or chronic insomnia, is caused by:
Fragmented breathing caused by sleep apnea causes frequent waking. Sleep apnea is dangerous and it is very important to see a doctor if sleep apnea is a problem.
Some causes are beyond our control. Conditions such as Restless Leg Syndrome cause the muscles in the legs to move all night as if they were being stimulated. Without treatment, insomnia results.
One symptom of depression is difficulty sleeping. Other emotional disorders have sleeplessness as a symptom. See a doctor to treat the underlying cause of the sleep problems.
There are ways to overcome insomnia naturally and these should always be tried before resorting to sleeping pills.
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