Insomnia Causes

Speaking about insomnia. There are many potential causes of insomnia, snoring, including sleep apnea, stress or depression, bladder or or another sleepless problems. People who are over 60 years old and women going through the menopause are more prone to insomnia, probably due to decreased levels of melatonin in the brain.

Bad or chronic insomnia is often linked to low serotonin levels caused by depression, anxiety, dietary deficiencies, chronic illness, prostate problems, menopause or being over the age of 60. Insomnia may be almost a nightly battle and you may also wake up in the middle of the night and early morning. People who suffer from chronic insomnia and fall into any of these categories, will need a little extra help.

Some causes of insomnia include restless legs syndrome (RLS), magnesium or iron deficiency, hormonal imbalance, shift work (sleepless problem treatment for shift night work) and excessive consumption of caffeine or other stimulants. Insomnia is also a side effect of some prescription anti-depressant medication. It is thought that more than 55% of all cases of insomnia are linked to psychological causes, including depression, anxiety and stress. Prescription sleeping medication can be addictive and can affect your ability to fall asleep naturally.

The biggest dangers in insomnia is known as the insomnia cycle. This occurs when a person has difficulty falling asleep one night and then becomes anxious about falling asleep the next night, which makes it more difficult to fall asleep. The more they cannot sleep, the more anxious about sleep they become – which keeps them from sleeping. To break the insomnia cycle, practice healthy sleep habits, such as only going to bed when you are tired, not lying in bed awake for more than 20 minutes and avoiding afternoon and evening caffeine. Good lifestyle behaviors also good as a treatment.

Most cases of insomnia are considered secondary, which means they are caused by something else. These causes include:

Poor sleep behaviors: These include drinking alcohol before bed, exercising before bed, drinking caffeine in the evening, poor exposure to sunlight and other behaviors that interfere with the body successfully achieving enough restful sleep.

Medication side effects: These are especially common with decongestants, some pain relievers and steroids.

Sleeping disorder: Restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea are just two common sleeping disorders.

Diseases and health conditions: Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, asthma, heart disease and many other health problems can cause trouble with sleep.