One of the biggest concerns when it comes to our overall health is getting enough sleep. The problem is many of us just don’t because we suffer from a condition called insomnia. Most of us think of insomnia meaning that we are tossing and turning unable to sleep all night.
What many of us don’t know is that insomnia is a very broad term which covers a multitude of conditions. The causes of insomnia can range from health issues like being overweight and suffering from sleep apnea as a result, to psychological causes mainly caused by issues like stress.
If you are suffering from insomnia but don’t know what the underlying cause is, here is a list of potential causes.
Substances or Drugs
Many different drugs and medications can affect how we sleep and when we feel sleepy. The first substance that comes to most people’s minds is caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant which increases blood pressure and heart rate.
Taking a stimulant is going to wake you up, so if you are having a cup of coffee with dessert or having a cup of tea at the end of the night, you aren’t going to be able to fall asleep as quickly. Some medications act as stimulants as well, like ones that fall in the amphetamine category such as adderall.
You can also be dependent on a drug to get to sleep and without it your sleep patterns are disrupted. This is true for people who are alcoholics who can’t get to sleep without drinking or those dependant on prescription drugs like ambien.
Psychophysiological Insomnia
This is a fancy way of referring to someone who is so worried about getting enough sleep, they get anxious to the point where they can’t fall asleep. This is the person who goes to bed and worries about not being able to fall asleep.
This type of person starts turning the wheels at bedtime, engaging their thoughts about the future like what the plan is for the next day or how are they going to function on such little sleep.
This is a difficult yet common insomnia to treat because it is one that is psychological and is a learned habit. If this sounds like you, the best course of action is to seek a psychologist who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy. It is a rather simple therapy that involves one on one sessions with the goal of identifying and correcting thinking patterns.
General Insomnia
This is what we all think of when we think insomnia. Someone who either has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or wakes up too early. This tend to happen to many of us on the weekend, when we go to bed late but still wakeup early in the morning.
General insomnia is something that many of us have experienced from time to time and usually isn’t a regular occurrence. General insomnia usually occurs when we are a little bit too anxious, or if we stayed out late or did some other activity that made us deviate from our usual schedule.
Adjustment Insomnia
Have you started a new job, taken a new class or just ended a relationship? These are all common reasons why people experience adjustment insomnia. Adjustment insomnia occurs when something stressful in your life happens, and it can affect your sleeping habits which leads to more stress.
Adjustment insomnia is short term but the problem doesn’t go away until you get used to the situation you are in.
Medical Condition
Medical conditions like obesity can cause problems when it comes to sleep and insomnia. One common condition that arises as a result of being overweight is something called sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a condition where the person who is asleep periodically stops breathing. Loud snoring is a well known indicator of this, so if you have a partner who snores loudly all the time and complains about being tired and fatigued all the time, get them checked out for sleep apnea. Your doctor can diagnose this issue for you.
Supplements
There are some supplements that you can take which will help you fall asleep. This product helps you relax by using an herbal blend of ingredients which helps to reduce stress. Stress is one of the major causes behind insomnia.
