Common causes of chronic insomnia include: Stress. Concerns about work, school, health, finances or family can keep your mind active at night, making it difficult to sleep. Stressful life events or trauma — such as the death or illness of a loved one, divorce, or a job loss — also may lead to insomnia.
As a matter of fact, stress is the No. 1 reason people report a lack of sleep. But it's not the only insomnia trigger. Many things can cause insomnia, including poor sleep hygiene, illness, drug side effects, chronic pain, restless legs syndrome, or sleep apnea.
New research shows that when women lose sleep they're at higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, and depression. Sleep deprivation hit Laurel hard for years before she realized what was wrong. In the middle of the night, she would wake up worrying about work, finances, and scheduling.
Anxiety, stress, and depression are some of the most common causes of chronic insomnia. Having difficulty sleeping can also make anxiety, stress, and depression symptoms worse. Other common emotional and psychological causes include anger, worry, grief, bipolar disorder, and trauma.
Is insomnia a mental health condition? According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, it is rare for insomnia to be an isolated medical or mental health condition. Insomnia is usually a symptom of another condition or a result of lifestyle or environmental factors, such as a work schedule or stress.
Insomnia is one of the most common health concerns among adults. Insomnia causes sleep issues that interfere with daily life and can be debilitating for some people. Many factors may contribute to insomnia, including stress, medications, and an individual's sleep habits and environment.
According to Dr. Kilgore, you should see a sleep specialist when sleep problems persist got more than about three months and are affecting your daily life. Maybe you're snoring a lot, waking up in the middle of the night, or struggling to stay awake when you're at work or while driving.
Sleeping trouble can be the result of some medical issues, also, like asthma, allergies, hyperthyroidism, or acid reflux. And of course, sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome are other common culprits.
Trouble sleeping is a common warning sign of depression. As many as 75% of people with the condition have insomnia symptoms. There's also a strong link between sleep and anxiety disorders. When you're anxious and stressed, your body makes more adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol.
Signs and symptoms of sleep deprivation
Feel tired, irritable, and fatigued during the day; yawn frequently. Have difficulty focusing or remembering things. Feel less interested in sex. Find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, need an alarm clock to wake up on time, or repeatedly hit the snooze button.
General health conditions
Breathing problems, such as sleep apnea. Obesity. Alcohol consumption and smoking. Digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome and acid reflux.
Sleeping beyond the 90-minute cycle may mean you fall deeper into your sleep cycle and will find it much harder to wake up. The best answer to this question is that some sleep is always better than none. Trying to get in a power nap or achieving that full 90-minute cycle is better for you than no sleep at all.
Get out of bed and do something relaxing that might make you feel drowsy — like reading or playing a repetitive game like Sudoku. Keep the lights low and go back to bed after 30 minutes or so (or sooner if you start feeling sleepy). Avoid technology, like phones, computers, or TV.
Nocturia is waking up more than once during the night because you have to pee. Causes can include drinking too much fluid, sleep disorders and bladder obstruction. Treatments for nocturia include restricting fluids and medications that reduce symptoms of overactive bladder.
Disturbed sleep is common and results from various causes like stress, health conditions, and medications. The hormones melatonin and cortisol regulate our sleep cycle. The rising cortisol levels around 3 AM or 4 AM with emotional sorting by the brain are probable causes why you wake up around the same time every day.
The point is, many of us think we can survive (if not thrive) on five hours of sleep (or four, six, or seven). And while that may be a dream when life is busy, it's, sadly, not one that's possible.