6 Common Causes Of Insomnia

By: Donald Saunders Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Insomnia is an extremely common sleep disorder which is characterized by interruptions to sleep, shortened sleeping time, restlessness and on occasions by complete wakefulness.

Aside from being very annoying, insomnia can result in sufferers losing their energy and enthusiasm, developing memory and concentration difficulties and feeling lethargic and frustrated. In turn this can lead to a reduction in work productivity and to accidents which may well have serious consequences.

There are a host of different things that can cause insomnia but here look at just 6 which are commonly linked to this sleep disorder:

1. Our Environment. The environment plays an important part when it comes to you getting a sound night's sleep and such things as light, noise or extremes of hot and cold can lead to insomnia.

2. Substance Abuse. The most obvious form of substance abuse when talking about insomnia is coffee, together with other drinks which are high in caffeine. Smoking too might fall into this category as heavy or chain smokers consume more than sufficient quantities of nicotine to cause problems sleeping. However, what is perhaps less well known is that this list of substances is fairly long and even includes many herbal remedies which are taken for a range of different problems and which can cause insomnia as a side effect. Finally, we must not forget alcohol. Although alcohol can often induce tiredness initially once it is metabolized it too can keep you wide awake.

3. Disturbance To The Biological Clock. Each of us has our own body clock or circadian rhythm which is controlled in part by light and darkness and which regulates the body's sleep/wake cycle. If this clock is thrown out of balance by things like staying up all night studying in college, partying into the small hours or jetting off around the world on business or for pleasure, then you will suffer from sleeping difficulties while the clock slowly tries to re-adjust itself.

4. Activities Prior To Bedtime. There are a number of things which can lead to insomnia if they happen within a reasonably short time of going to bed. Two of the most common are taking vigorous exercise shortly before retiring or eating a large meal when you are just about to go to bed. Both of these activities stimulate the body's metabolism and thus keep you awake.

5. Health Problems. There are many different health problems which are known to induce insomnia such as diabetes, heart failure, hyperthyroidism, ulcers, and Parkinson's disease. Asthma is also increasingly being recognized as a cause of insomnia, as is heartburn, the need for frequent urination and chronic pain resulting from such things as arthritis and leg cramps. The list here is very long indeed and also includes other forms of sleep disorder such as sleep apnea and a range of psychiatric conditions.

6. Emotional Difficulties. Nearly everyone suffers from emotional difficulties at times and this can frequently show itself as anxiety or anger. We also often tend to keep our feelings to ourselves instead of seeking an answer for them and this commonly leads to insomnia.

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About The Author: Help-Me-To-Sleep.com provides information on a range of different sleep disorders and looks in detail at how to go about finding a natural insomnia treatment