Insomnia causes and symptoms
Insomnia is the inability to sleep. If a person has insomnia, he or she may find it difficult to fall asleep. The condition can be short and even continue for long. Insomnia can be due to stress, irregular sleeping schedule, consumption of caffeine, tobacco, alcohol as well as illicit drugs. It can be cured easily by changing your own sleeping habits or by following the prescribed tablets given.
Insomnia causes and symptoms
If an individual is getting less sleep than normal or disturbed sleep or has sleepless nights, then he or she is suffering from insomnia. The signs and symptoms may include – trouble falling asleep, struggling to stay asleep, waking up early, tiredness, sleepiness, restlessness, anxiety, depression, trouble paying attention, and difficulty in staying focused.
Causes of insomnia
Stress is caused when your body faces physical or mental changes. It can also lead to emotional & mental symptoms like anxiety, restlessness, and depression.
Excess Worry
Continuous worries about work, projects, school assignments, health, finance & family make it very difficult for a person to fall asleep. Thinking continuously about the loss of a loved one, trauma, divorce, or loss of a job may also lead to insomnia.
Unhealthy sleeping habits
including irregular sleep schedules, and exposure to smartphones, TV, and electronic gadgets before sleeping can ruin your sleep.
Improper eating schedule – eating too heavy dinner before going to bed can also affect your sleep and may also cause heartburn. This makes it hard for a person to fall asleep.
Consuming excess caffeine – which is a natural psychoactive substance. It is used worldwide in caffeinated drinks or beverages. Caffeinated drinks act like stimulants making it hard for a person to fall asleep. Caffeine also reduces the amount of deep sleep you have on a regular basis. Medical conditions that are linked with insomnia include anxiety, depression, diabetes, thyroid, and heart disease.
How to Prevent Insomnia
Insomnia can be easily prevented by changing your sleeping patterns and having a good amount of sleep. In order to prevent insomnia, a person must – exercise to keep himself/herself active as it promotes good sleep. Prevent yourself from taking naps. Check your medicines if they affect your sleep, avoid taking beverages at night before sleeping, avoid having heavy dinner before sleep, make your bedroom dark and peaceful before sleeping, read until you feel sleepy, use a sleeping mask to cover your eyes put your concerns aside before sleeping. All these measures can help you fight insomnia. People with insomnia can have a banana as its peel contains tryptophan and the fruit is also a good source of magnesium both of these can help you get good sleep.
Bottom Line
About 1/3rd of adults experience insomnia it affects women more than men. It may affect studies in students if it is not taken seriously. People with insomnia can have a high risk of motor vehicle accidents. Insomnia can also be due to endocrine problems or hyperthyroidism, Alzheimer’s diseases or ADHD, PMS, menopause, asthma, sleep disorders or neurological disorders, and other complications. Therefore, seeing a specialist should be your top priority.
