Insomnia And Treatments

There aren’t many of us in the world who haven’t experienced times when they cannot sleep or haven’t suffered at one time or another with a poor night’s sleep, for whatever reason.  It is just another part of being human. But for some people it can develop into a sleep disorder that can become quite wearing and have detrimental effects on health. So how can we improve sleep habits and conditions and take the right steps to overcoming insomnia and getting back to good healthy living? The first place to start might be to understand what causes sleeplessness so that we know what it is that we might need to address.

What causes insomnia?

One of the worst things ever is to suffer from Insomnia or sleeplessness. Insomnia is a sleep disorder where you either do not sleep well, or have difficulty sleeping. Obviously, if you do not get enough sleep, it can lead to a host of health problems and make you quite lethargic and tired. If you suffer from insomnia for more than a few weeks, it is time to see your doctor and get treated.

So what causes insomnia? There can be many reasons why you suffer from insomnia – it could be just the one factor, or a combination of them.

These can be broadly divided into:

• Psychological causes

• Physical causes

• A temporary incident

Psychological causes

Let us look at the psychological causes of insomnia first. These include anxiety, stress and depression.

• Anxiety is one of the most common reasons. Anxiety makes you feel helpless, tense and nervous.

You may be anxious because someone made you feel that way at work. You could be worrying about someone or about your financial status. Or it could be a problem with a relationship. As a result, the anxiety does not let you sleep well.

• Stress is a major factor for insomnia. Depending on how you handle emotional and physical stress, this too could cause your insomnia. Stress can also result from how you respond to various life situations.

• Depression causes disturbances in your mood, making you feel sad and hopeless. Depression is known to cause sleeping disorders. The combination of insomnia and depression can be quite hard to deal with.

While psychological reasons can cause insomnia, a lack of sleep can in turn result in psychological problems. The two conditions can become a vicious cycle.

Physical Causes

• Hormonal: There are also physical causes for insomnia. In women, hormonal changes like PMS, periods, pregnancy and menopause can result in insomnia.

• Age related: When the levels of melatonin, the sleep control hormone decrease with age, sleeplessness is a common problem. This happens as we age.

• Medical Conditions: Apart from these, there are medical conditions like allergies, cardiac disease, hypertension, etc. that can cause insomnia. Even pain can keep you from sleeping well

• Genetics: In some families, insomnia seems to be a genetic issue, although there is no concrete proof to support this.

• Temporary Life Changes: It is also possible to suffer from temporary insomnia, which is triggered by certain events. If you have just experienced a major life change, where you lost a loved one or had an argument with someone, you could suffer from insomnia as a reaction. Insomnia can also hit you if you are jet lagged and traveled through different time zones. For those who suddenly changed their work timing to the night shift, adjusting to the new sleeping habits can be difficult. Think about whether you take any prescription medicines which could cause insomnia. You can also have trouble sleeping if you have more than your share of alcohol or coffee.

Insomnia is common in those who have recently moved house or cities, but this is temporary and more of an adjustment issue. The good news is that you can get professional help right away and tackle these causes for insomnia. There are doctors and sleep specialists who can help you cope

Paul Stevens is an insomnia suffer and author/publisher of The Cure For Insomnia. Get the latest in insomnia treatments and find your cure for insomnia at ==> http://www.thecureforinsomnia.net