Health Care, Insomnia

Causes And Symptoms Of Insomnia

Insomnia Insomnia

[toc]Insomnia is a sleeping disorder affecting both men and women equally and affecting mostly the aged. Insomnia is a condition which steals away the energy and stamina required for working during day time of the person. Lack of sleep can severely affect the normal day to day functioning of an individual.

Sometimes insomnia may be the symptom of any underlying disease. The results are sleeplessness in the night, drowsiness during day time, tiredness, headaches, irritability, concentration problem etc. It commonly affects the adults i.e., as the person ages. It can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) insomnia. Chronic insomnia can lead to severe health problems.


Causes Of Insomnia

Certain Diseases And Medications

Chronic pain, PMS, Menopause, asthma, heart disease, and high blood pressure can be the leading factors for insomnia. Poor quality of sleep due to pain can also result in insomnia. Common sleep disorders such as restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea can also lead to insomnia. Certain medications can lead to insomnia, such as those taken for heart disease, asthma, antidepressants, birth control, cold and allergies, thyroid problem etc

Physical And Psychological Factors

Depression can lead to insomnia as it results in low level of tryptophan in the body. Old age is also another factor for insomnia as one gets older the body produces less of melatonin, a hormone that regulates the biological clock.

Anxiety , work related worries , dementia , relationship problems, death of closer ones can also be one of the leading factors that can affect the quality of sleep and give rise to insomnia. Chronic depression is a serious condition in which help has to be sought immediately.

Eating Habits

Avoid processed or refined foods as initially they are found to trigger energy but subsequently there is a decline of the same. Having large and spicy meals in the evening will make a person feel uncomfortable while lying down and also the body naturally becomes acidic during the night leading to heartburn and can keep a person awake in the night , eventually leading to insomnia.

Lifestyle Factors

Sleep Lifestyle Factor

Excessive alcohol can spoil the sleep pattern leading to headache and insomnia. Having coffee at bed time can also affect the sleep pattern as it contains caffeine which stimulates the brain and keeps the person awake. Avoid smoking before bed time as nicotine stimulates the central nervous system and will keep you awake.

If your mind is overactive before bedtime then it can also keep you awake. Sedentary lifestyle can also one of the factors of insomnia. See to it that your laptop, I pod is not in the bedroom as the blue wavelengths produced from the smart phones and gadgets suppress the production of melatonin thus affecting the sleep pattern.

Symptoms Of Insomnia

The symptoms of insomnia include trouble having sleep in the night, waking up too early in the morning, daytime fatigue, and sleeplessness in the night, drowsiness during day time, tiredness, headaches, irritability, concentration problem, increased errors and mistakes etc.

Photo Credit: http://www.thcsupport.com/blog/post/Suffering-from-Insomnia-Try-Marijuana-It-May-Help-You.aspx

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