What is a cause of insomnia? Insomnia occurs when you have trouble falling or staying asleep through the night. Frequently, a number of different variables come together to affect sleep.
There can be physical causes or psychological causes. Insomnia can be caused by both of these factors, or a combination of the two.
The psychological causes of insomnia include anxiety, stress, or depression. Anxiety is a condition in which someone might feel a high level of tension or apprehension. This can lead to feeling worried, fearful and uncertain. Anxiety can be caused by anything that is happening in our lives. This can lead to insomnia as we are so overcome by these feelings that they are interfering with our sleep.
Stress can also be a major cause of insomnia. It's how we deal with the stress in our lives that will affect our ability to sleep. Too much stress, or an inability to cope with it, can be a huge factor in insomnia.
Depression can be a temporary event in our lives or it can be an on-going physical condition that is a result of a chemical imbalance. This can be another big cause of insomnia.
Besides psychological factors, there are also physical conditions that can cause insomnia. These include hormonal changes (usually in women) and different medical conditions.
Hormonal changes can really affect a person's ability to sleep well and cause insomnia. These hormonal changes are most often present in women as they are the ones who go through the most hormonal changes throughout their lives. Whether premenstrual syndrome, menstruation, pregnancy or menopause, women experiencing hormonal imbalances can suffer from insomnia. Melatonin is the hormone that controls sleep and this decreases as people age. A significant decrease of melatonin is also a cause of insomnia.
Medical conditions can also cause insomnia. Some of these include asthma, allergies, arthritis, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Whether the lack of sleep is because the body is not functioning as well as it could or because the person is very uncomfortable from their medical condition, these can also cause insomnia.
The medications used to treat these conditions can themselves be a cause of insomnia. In this case, changing medication may bring relief.
If you are suffering from insomnia night after night on a prolonged basis, speak with your doctor to find out what the problem might be. It may be something physical such that treatment prescribed by your doctor could help fix or it might be psychological and treatment might entail different therapies to eliminate the underlying cause of insomnia.
Help With Insomnia Tip #1
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder many people suffer from, but with a little effort, you can eliminate the most common factors for insomnia. Examine which variables contribute to your staying awake all night or cause you to wake up in the middle of the night. Work to change those factors and you'll sleep better for it. |
Help With Insomnia Tip #2
Lower the thermostat before you go to sleep. Numerous studies have shown that in a resting state, the body maintains a lower body temperature. Keeping your bedroom a few degrees cooler at night will promote more restful, sounder sleep. |
Help With Insomnia Tip #3
Try to sleep in complete darkness. Studies have shown that the greater the amount of light you are exposed to before sleeping, the earlier you will wake up. Sleeping with the lights on will disturb deep sleep and keep you from entering the most restful stages of the sleep cycle. |
Disclaimer: The content presented in this website is for information only and is no way intended to constitute or substitute for qualified professional medical guidance. All visitors are strongly recommended to consult with their health care provider for any questions or issues they may have. |
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