Why do people get insomnia

Soothe into sleep. Dementia di-men-sha : A loss of brain function that can be caused by a variety of disorders affecting the brain. Symptoms include forgetfulness, impaired thinking and judgment, personality changes, agitation and loss of emotional control. Most types of dementia are irreversible. Restless legs syndrome RLS : A disorder that creates a strong urge to move your legs often because you notice strange or unpleasant sensations: creeping, crawling, pulling, itching, tingling, burning, aching and even electric shocks.

When you move your legs, it relieves the strange sensations. The unpleasant feelings are strongest when you are resting or inactive, and they can make it difficult to fall or stay asleep. Sleep apnea ap-ne-ah : A disorder in which your breathing repeatedly stops or becomes very shallow as you sleep. Your breathing may pause anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes.

This ongoing condition disrupts your sleep, making you tired during the day and increasing your risk for heart problems, diabetes, obesity and driving or work-related accidents.

Health Home Conditions and Diseases. Overview While the rest of the world is sleeping, some people remain wide-awake due to insomnia.

Prevention To help ensure that you can fall asleep when you want to—and stay asleep for the quality rest you need—make sleep a priority in your life. Be sure to follow these recommendations: Establish a presleep ritual before bed. In the evenings, avoid activities that can keep you awake, like drinking coffee, soda, or other caffeinated drinks; smoking; exercising; and eating heavy meals.

Give your brain time to unwind. If you need to pay bills or settle an argument, do it during the day, not at bedtime. Avoid light in the late evening. Shut off your electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Light keeps your brain primed for wakefulness. If you have sleepless nights, avoid: Napping during the day. Too much daytime sleep makes you less inclined to fall asleep at bedtime. Drinking alcohol before bed.

It may help you fall asleep at first, but it can keep you from sleeping well later in the night. Worrying about your sleep loss. Dwelling on your inability to fall asleep can make it worse. Be ready to discuss these issues and perhaps track them in a sleep diary : What time you go to bed and when you get up How long it takes you to fall asleep How deeply you think you sleep How much of your time in bed you actually spend asleep as opposed to getting up to use the bathroom or staring at the clock Your health care provider should ask about your daytime activities too: Do you smoke or drink coffee?

Trouble getting back to sleep when awakened. Unrefreshing sleep. Relying on sleeping pills or alcohol to fall asleep. Waking up too early in the morning. Daytime drowsiness, fatigue, or irritability. Difficulty concentrating during the day. Emotional issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression cause half of all insomnia cases. But your daytime habits, sleep routine, and physical health may also play a role.

Try to identify all possible causes of your insomnia. Once you figure out the root cause, you can tailor treatment accordingly. Are you under a lot of stress? Are you depressed? Do you feel emotionally flat or hopeless? Do you struggle with chronic feelings of anxiety or worry? Have you recently gone through a traumatic experience? Are you taking any medications that might be affecting your sleep?

Do you have any health problems that may be interfering with sleep? Is your bedroom quiet and comfortable? Do you try to go to bed and get up around the same time every day? Common psychological and medical causes of insomnia Sometimes, insomnia only lasts a few days and goes away on its own, especially when it is tied to an obviously temporary cause, such as stress over an upcoming presentation, a painful breakup, or jet lag.

Other times, insomnia is stubbornly persistent. Chronic insomnia is usually tied to an underlying mental or physical issue. Anxiety, stress, and depression are some of the most common causes of chronic insomnia. Having difficulty sleeping can also make anxiety, stress, and depression symptoms worse. Other common emotional and psychological causes include anger , worry, grief, bipolar disorder, and trauma. Treating these underlying problems is essential to resolving your insomnia. Medical problems or illness.

Chronic pain is also a common cause of insomnia. Many prescription drugs can interfere with sleep, including antidepressants , stimulants for ADHD, corticosteroids, thyroid hormone, high blood pressure medications, and some contraceptives. Common over-the-counter culprits include cold and flu medications that contain alcohol, pain relievers that contain caffeine Midol, Excedrin , diuretics, and slimming pills.

Sleep disorders. Insomnia is itself a sleep disorder, but it can also be a symptom of other sleep disorders , including sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and circadian rhythm disturbances tied to jet lag or late-night shift work. Habits that cause insomnia and disrupt sleep While treating underlying physical and mental issues is a good first step, it may not be enough to cure your insomnia. You also need to look at your daily habits. Or maybe you drink excessive amounts of coffee during the day, making it harder to fall asleep later.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Accessed Sept. Insomnia fact sheet. Sleep-wake disorders. Arlington, Va. Sleep disorders: The connection between sleep and mental health. National Alliance on Mental Health. Approach to the patient with sleep or wakefulness disorder. Merck Manual Professional Version. Natural Medicines. Sleep and aging. National Institute on Aging. Kliger B, et al. American Family Physician. Bonnet MH, et al.

Clinical features and diagnosis of insomnia. Bonnet MH, et al, Treatment of insomnia. Sometimes you'll be referred to a therapist for cognitive behavioural therapy CBT. This can help you change the thoughts and behaviours that keep you from sleeping.

You may be referred to a sleep clinic if you have symptoms of another sleep disorder such as sleep apnoea. GPs now rarely prescribe sleeping pills to treat insomnia.

Sleeping pills can have serious side effects and you can become dependent on them.