Insomnia
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, or cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep. You may still feel tired when you wake up. Insomnia can have a big affect not only on your energy level and mood but also your health, work performance and quality of life.
How much sleep is required every night varies from person to person, but most adults need seven to eight hours a night. At some point, many adults experience short-term (acute) insomnia, which lasts for days or weeks. It's usually the result of stress or a traumatic event. But some people have long-term (chronic) insomnia that lasts for a month or more. Insomnia may be the primary problem, or it may be associated with other medical conditions or medications.
What are Common Symptoms of Insomnia?
Insomnia symptoms may include:
Difficulty falling asleep at night
Waking up during the night
Waking up too early
Not feeling well-rested after a night's sleep
Daytime tiredness or sleepiness
Irritability, depression or anxiety
Difficulty paying attention, focusing on tasks or remembering
Increased errors or accidents
Ongoing worries about sleep
What Causes Insomnia?
Common causes of insomnia may include:
Stress. This could include concerns about work, school, health, finances or family. Stressful life events or traumas such as the death of a loved one can also keep us up at night, leading to insomnia.
Travel or work schedule. Your circadian rhythm acts as an internal clock, guiding your sleep-wake cycle, metabolism and body temperature. Disrupting your body's circadian rhythm can lead to insomnia - this could be caused by jet lag from traveling across multiple time zones, or working on a day/night shift schedule.
Poor sleep habits. This could include an irregular bedtime schedule, naps, stimulating activities before bed, an uncomfortable sleep environment, using your bed for work, or screen time before bed.
Eating too much late in the evening. Having a light snack before bedtime is OK, but eating too much may cause you to feel physically uncomfortable while lying down. Many people also experience heartburn, a backflow of acid and food from the stomach into the esophagus after eating, which may keep you awake. Coffee lovers, we see you! But stay away from caffeine after 2pm to be sure it won’t mess with your sleep.
Chronic Insomnia
Chronic insomnia may also be associated with medical conditions or the use of certain drugs. Treating the medical condition may help improve sleep, but the insomnia may persist after the medical condition improves.
Causes of chronic insomnia include:
Mental health disorders. Anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, may disrupt your sleep. Waking up too early in the morning or constantly throughout the night can be a sign of depression and other mental health disorders.
Medications. Many prescription drugs can interfere with sleep, including antidepressants and asthma or blood pressure medications. Many over-the-counter medications for pain, allergy, cold and weight loss often contain caffeine and other stimulants that can disrupt sleep.
Medical conditions. Examples of conditions linked with insomnia include chronic pain, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), overactive thyroid, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Sleep-related disorders. Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing periodically throughout the night, interrupting your sleep. Restless leg syndrome causes unpleasant sensations in your legs and an almost irresistible desire to move them, which may prevent you from falling asleep.
Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Coffee, tea, sugary drinks including soda and other caffeinated drinks are stimulants. Drinking them in the late afternoon or evening can keep you from falling asleep at night. Nicotine in tobacco products is another stimulant that can interfere with sleep. Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but it prevents deeper stages of sleep and often causes awakening in the middle of the night.