Causes Of Insomnia
A Quick Guide to the Causes of Insomnia
There can be a number of different causes of insomnia. The biggest difference is if the sleep problems are primary, which means they happen on their own, or secondary, which means they are associated with another illness or problem. Most cases of insomnia are secondary, indicating that the problems sleeping are symptoms of something else.
The 4 major causes of insomnia are health problems, stress, lifestyle issues and sleep environment. Physical and mental illnesses can frequently cause long-term or chronic insomnia. Stress and major life changes often lead to periods of insomnia that only last as long as the stressful situation persists.
There are a number of physical illnesses that can cause insomnia. Any health problem that involves pain will likely lead to trouble sleeping. This can sometimes be helped by taking pain relievers. If the problem is chronic, however, sleep could be affected for the long term. Other physical situations that are known to cause sleep problems include pregnancy and menopause, which are temporary, and obesity, which can be corrected.
Medications taken for both chronic and temporary sicknesses are also known causes of insomnia. Cold and allergy medicines have been found to cause sleeplessness, along with certain asthma treatments and high blood pressure medications.
Stress is a major cause of insomnia, especially short-term bouts of sleeplessness. This can be associated with any major life event, from making a big presentation at work or school to moving to a new city or a new home. Changing jobs, divorce and separation and the death of a loved one are also big contributors to sleep problems.
Sometimes simple lifestyle issues can be the culprit when sleep problems crop up. It is important to have a regular sleep schedule, and when this is disrupted insomnia can result. Both caffeine and nicotine are major sleep inhibitors. These substances are stimulants and can lead to problems falling asleep as well as make it difficult to stay asleep through the entire night.
Alcohol is another substance that can bring on insomnia. Many people think that alcohol helps with sleep because it is a depressant, but this is not true. Alcohol may seem to make it easier to fall asleep, but the reality is that it can cause waking during the night and may actually prevent a good night’s rest.
Lack of exercise and inability to relax are two more lifestyle issues that prevent people from sleeping. Exercise is a terrific way to help the body sleep better. Many times when a person cannot sleep, it is because their mind is working when it should be resting. Learning how to relax and shut off the mind is a great way to deal with insomnia and also works wonders on cutting down on stress.