Aren’t there nights, which feel longer than usual but you don’t have a blink of sleep in your eyes no matter how tired you are? This is common, but if it happens on repeat, you might have sleep trouble or commonly known as insomnia. It affects the mood as well as work performance. So, understanding what causes insomnia and how to tackle it is important.
Symptoms Of Insomnia
Here are the symptoms of insomnia:
1) Staying awake even when you’re tired
2) Sleepiness during the night
3) Waking up early, but unable to fall asleep again
4) Feeling fatigued even after getting 7 hours of sleep
5) Day fatigue or drowsiness
6) Mood swings
People find it difficult to focus, concentrate, recall some things or in decision-making. Acute insomnia is when these symptoms persist for a few days. But if the symptoms of insomnia last for longer, like in weeks, it is called chronic insomnia. Then, the person needs immediate medical attention.
Causes Of Insomnia
Stress
Wonder what can cause insomnia? Well, stress tops that list. Sometimes, you can feel anxious due to workload, school, relationship or finance. These things keep running through your mind the whole night, so it becomes difficult to sleep.
Travel Or Work Schedule
What can cause insomnia? When you travel across time zones or work in night shift. Your sleep pattern takes a backseat and the sleep quality is affected.
Poor Sleep Habits
Some of the poor sleep habits are irregular sleep time and using mobile phones in bed. They affect the natural sleep-wake cycle, making it difficult to sleep.
Eating Too Much Late In The Evening
Eating a midnight snack right before bedtime leads to discomfort and acid reflux. This makes it hard to fall asleep. Spicy or acidic foods may make it worse, keeping you awake and uncomfortable.
Mental Health Disorders
If you suffer from a sleep disorder, you are most likely to also suffer from anxiety, depression or PTSD. Racing thoughts and low mood usually accompany these disorders and that’ll keep you awake at night.
Medicines
Some of the prescribed drugs for heart conditions, high blood pressure, asthma, and depression can interfere with sleep. A few over-the-counter products, including pain relief pills, weight loss products, and decongestants, can also prevent sleeping.
Medical Conditions
Medical conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, and breathing problems affect the sleep cycle. They will have a hard time sleeping as they are in pain or need to go to the bathroom frequently.
Sleep-Related Disorders
Sleep apnea is a temporary stoppage of breathing during sleep and restless legs syndrome is characterized by uncomfortable sensations in the legs. These sleep disorders affect the quality of rest and make it difficult to sleep soundly.
Caffeine, Nicotine And Alcohol
Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and if taken in the late afternoon or early evening, they will keep you up in the night, but alcohol makes people sleepier.
Insomnia Risk Factors
Everyone wants to get restful sleep, but here are a few risk factors that come into play and increase the chances of developing insomnia, like:
1) Age: As you grow old, there’s a higher chance of having insomnia.
2) Gender: Mostly seen in women due to menstruation, pregnancy and menopause.
3) Lifestyle habits: People are addicted to caffeine, nicotine or alcohol, but this also increases your chance of developing insomnia.
4) Mental health: If you have a mental disorder like depression or anxiety, you might be diagnosed with insomnia.
5) Health conditions: Those with chronic pain, diabetes, and other respiratory diseases have problems falling asleep.
Prevention For Insomnia
Some causes of insomnia are beyond your control, but with simple lifestyle adjustments, one can prevent and manage insomnia. Like:
1) Sleep routine: Sleep and wake up at the same time daily to help your body maintain its internal clock.
2) Reduce screen time: Avoid using your phone 30 minutes before bedtime because the blue light interferes with the production of the melatonin hormone that regulates sleep.
3) Regular exercise: Practice yoga or go to the gym to increase sleep quality.
4) Avoid oversleeping. Take a 15 minutes power nap in the day.
5) Check what you consume: No late-night snacking, caffeine, or alcohol before bedtime.
6) Make the bedroom restful: Have a cool, dark and quiet bedroom environment. Blackout curtains or earplugs can help, if you have a sensitive ear or eye to sound or light.
6) Reduce stress: Meditation or deep breathing are useful tools that’ll help you sleep with less stress.
Conclusion
Insomnia can go beyond being a nuisance since it affects your health and your mood, besides of low productivity. By understanding what are the reasons for insomnia and by referring to tips for good sleep, you can create better sleep habits and may work towards improving quality of sleep. Simple lifestyle changes will also help you get a goodnight’s sleep.
Facing a problem with getting a goodnight’s sleep? Try a few simple habits that’ll make it easier for you to fall asleep. Like light a scented candle in the room, keep your phone aside 30 minutes before bedtime and play some slow tunes from your playlist. You can also include Three60 De-stress & Snooze Gummies as well Three60 De-stress & Snooze Drops to your wellness notice. It helps reduce insomnia and provide restful sleep.
FAQs
1) How do you fix insomnia?
Have a bedtime routine, reduce screen time and avoid caffeine to get rid of insomnia.
2) What is the main cause of insomnia?
Some of the common insomnia causes are stress, irregular sleep patterns, and mental health conditions.
3) Is insomnia serious?
Chronic insomnia is associated with mental and physical health, which can lead to mood changes, cognitive dysfunction and heart conditions.
4) Who suffers from insomnia?
Insomnia is mostly seen in women, old aged people and patients with mental illness.
