How much sleep is enough varies from person to person, but usually adults need about seven to eight hours of sleep. However, people with Lakeway insomnia may have trouble falling or staying asleep or may wake up too early and not be able to fall asleep. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that affects a person’s sleep cycle, mood, energy level, work performance, and quality of life. Occasionally, adults experience acute insomnia due to stress or a traumatic event; it usually lasts for days or weeks. But some people have chronic or long-term insomnia, which may last for a month or more. Below are different causes of insomnia.
What causes insomnia?
Different things can contribute to the development of insomnia, including psychological, environmental, and physiological factors. Treating the underlying cause of this sleep disorder may help, but it may sometimes last for years. Common causes of chronic insomnia include:
- Travel or work schedule
You may have trouble falling or staying asleep if you work late into the night or get up early for work. Frequently changing shifts can also interfere with your sleep pattern, and so can jet lag from traveling across different time zones. These activities disrupt your body’s cardiac rhythm, which acts as an internal clock, guiding your sleep cycle, body temperature, and metabolism.
- Poor sleep habits
Taking frequent naps during the day and going to bed at random times are poor sleep habits that cause insomnia. It would be best to set a time when you sleep and wake up to build a sleeping pattern. Avoid taking a nap during the day because you may have trouble falling asleep at night. Other activities that may contribute to insomnia include stimulating activities before bed, using your bed for eating, and watching TV. Using screens, including your smartphone or computer, just before bedtime can affect your sleep cycle.
- Stress
You may find it hard to fall or stay asleep when you have so much going on in your mind. Thoughts about finances, relationships, health, work, and family can keep your mind active at night, causing you not to sleep. You may be stressed due to divorce or the loss of a loved one. Coping strategies such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and exercise can help you manage stress. Sometimes talking to someone like your friend or trusted family member can also be helpful.
- Eating too much late at night
There is no harm in having a light snack before bedtime, but eating too much food causes physical discomfort when lying down leading to trouble sleeping. You may also experience heartburn which may keep you awake through the night.
Other possible causes of insomnia include over-the-counter medications such as pain relievers that contain caffeine and other stimulants which can disrupt your sleep. Drinking caffeinated drinks such as coffee and tea late in the afternoon can keep you from falling asleep. People with chronic pain, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes may also have insomnia.
Consult your doctor at Sleep Cycle Center if you have insomnia for treatment to improve your sleep quality.
