Insomnia Causes - Finding Out What is Preventing You From Sleeping

The causes of insomnia can vary a great deal from person-to-person so you may need to do some detective work to find out your own insomnia cause. After a few nights of hardly any sleep it is very tempting to rush to the pharmacy and buy a sleep aid or demand from your doctor something to help you sleep but this is not going to provide a long-term solution.

The best way to cure your insomnia is to find out what is causing it and deal with this. While you are doing this you may try some natural insomnia remedies but think of them as only temporary solutions until you have dealt with the root cause. We have put together this guide to help you to find your insomnia cause and to offer some practical solutions.

There are three major things that cause insomnia in most people, physical causes, psychological causes and temporary events. Let's look at all three and see how they can be dealt with.

Physical Causes

Problems that may cause pain include some medical conditions or injuries that have have been left untreated and these should all be dealt with promptly to deal with the pain that may be preventing you from sleeping. Women may suffer from insomnia at certain times of the menstrual cycle, or in pregnancy or before or during the menopause. Decreased production of melatonin in the body as we age can also lead to sleep problems of melatonin is essential for helping you to sleep.

Other medical conditions such as high blood pressure, arthritis, allergies etc. may also be a cause of your insomnia. Some prescribed medications can cause insomnia so if your sleep problems began with the start of a course of medication talk to your doctor about alternative treatments. Another cause can be sleep apnea which causes disturbances in sleep by preventing you from breathing properly. If you think any of these problems may be contributing to your insomnia then see your doctor who can help you to deal with them.

Psychological Causes

Stress is a major cause of insomnia as it causes the release of the hormones cortisol and epinephrine from the adrenal glands. These hormones then make extra energy available to the muscles and increase the blood supply, while withdrawing energy from other processes. Cortisol serves as a stimulant and is usually at its maximum first thing in the morning when it helps to wake you up. It is no wonder that over stimulation of cortisol will tend to keep you awake!

There are times in everyone's life when stress increases due to things that we have little or no control over, such as serious illness in the family, unemployment, financial worries or concerns in a relationship. All these things can lead to insomnia due to the anxiety that they cause. Depression can be caused by stress or caused by other illnesses and is also associated with poor sleep. Depression usually results in waking early in the morning and being unable to return to sleep. Meditation and relaxation techniques can be very helpful in dealing with stress and reducing anxiety and together with good sleep habits can go a long way to helping to cure your insomnia.

Temporary Events That Cause Insomnia

Well-known temporary events that caused insomnia include jet lag, which fortunately only lasts for a day or two, and changes in shift patterns which can be a major problem for some people. Other insomnia causes include a noisy environment, for instance noisy neighbors who insist on having their music as loud as possible, as well as other factors that providea poor environment for sleep. It is extremely difficult to deal with external noise that you have no control over and if you can't manage to negotiate a settlement with your neighbors you will have to deal with it in another way. You can try using ear plugs or using another, more pleasant noise, as a mask.

Other causes of insomnia include too much caffeine, nicotine or alcohol especially last thing at night. It is a good idea to cut these out of your diet altogether if you have sleep problems. Nicotine is a neurostimulant that will certainly keep you awake and alcohol, although it initially puts you to sleep, will cause you to wake up once the effects wear off and be unable to drop off to sleep again.

Conclusion

Once you have decided on a probable insomnia cause you can set about finding a solution. Consult your doctor if you think a medical condition may be the cause and make sure your sleep environment is conducive to healthy, deep sleep. In the long-term using medications or even natural herbal remedies does not provide a solution but only covers up the cause of the problem. You are much better finding out this cause and dealing with it if at all possible.

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