Insomnia is difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep for long enough to feel refreshed the next morning. It's a common problem thought to regularly affect around one in every three people in the UK, and is particularly common in elderly people.
Common causes of insomnia include stress, an irregular sleep schedule, poor sleeping habits, mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, physical illnesses and pain, medications, neurological problems, and specific sleep disorders.
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person's breathing is interrupted during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep.
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.
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.
One study of older adults with insomnia found that magnesium supplementation at a dose of 500 milligrams daily for eight weeks helped them fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, reduced nighttime awakenings, and increased their levels of naturally circulating melatonin.
A lack of sleep can cause a bunch of health issues, such as higher blood sugar levels, liver problems, weight gain and severe depression. Chronic insomnia can increase the likelihood of some serious diseases and illnesses, including: Heart attack. Stroke.
Insomnia in children can begin at any time, from infancy through adolescence, and in some cases can develop into a long-term problem. Symptoms can include: bedtime refusal and struggles going to bed.
Physical health conditions
Insomnia can also be caused by underlying physical conditions, including: heart conditions – such as angina or heart failure. respiratory conditions – such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma. neurological conditions – such as Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease.
The short answer is: Yes, in many cases, insomnia can resolve without any help from a doctor — but it often depends on recognizing and addressing the multiple problems that can add up to a major disruption in sleep.
Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is a rare genetic degenerative brain disorder. It is characterized by an inability to sleep (insomnia) that may be initially mild, but progressively worsens, leading to significant physical and mental deterioration.
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.
Excessive thinking at night is one of the most common causes of insomnia. More often than not, it's a sign of stress. Your mind is on high alert, afraid to fall asleep in case you might forget something important. Something you're worried you 'should' be doing.
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.
While some hormones such as progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone can contribute to insomnia— especially in premenstrual women, pregnant women, and women in menopause— those problems are temporary and resolve once hormone levels return to normal.
Sleep problems in ADHD appear to differ depending on the type of ADHD. View Source . Individuals with predominantly inattentive symptoms are more likely to have a later bedtime, while those with predominantly hyperactive-impulsive symptoms are more likely to suffer from insomnia.
“Insomnia may be a separate condition or it may be a symptom of depression,” Finan explains. “Your doctor needs to know as much as possible to treat the right problem.”
Insomnia, and other serious disturbances of sleep, are well established as a common symptom of anxiety disorders, as people's worries disrupt their ability to sleep well.