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7 Factors That Can Cause Insomnia

• Posted by Monica Quinn July 21, 2022 Filed in Health #health  #insomnia  147 views
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  When you can't sleep, you worry about not being able to sleep, and the vicious cycle begins. The fact is that all of that tossing and turning is typically due to stress. In fact, insomnia is the most prevalent sleep ailment, impacting one out of every three adults at some point in their lives. However, persistent sleeplessness is seldom a single problem. Rather, it's a sleep disorder and it might be an indication of a larger issue with your lifestyle, surroundings, or general health. In this article, we have gathered seven factors that can cause insomnia. 

  1. Stress

  Stressful events, such as job loss or the death of a loved one, sometimes result in restless nights. Persistent sleeplessness, which is more dangerous, can result from long-term concerns like anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and PTSD. 

  Chronic stress activates the fight-or-flight response. This causes a surge of stress chemicals adrenaline and cortisol into your system. When your stress doesn't go away and that "on" switch becomes stuck, these chemicals continue to surge through your body at night to keep you aware, preventing you from relaxing and falling asleep.

  2. Breathing issues

  Excessive snoring might be a sign of sleep apnea, a condition that causes you to stop breathing and wake up numerous times in a single night. People with sleep apnea may not remember anything, but the next day they may feel foggy. This condition is often (but not always)  linked to your weight. Allergies and asthma can also impair your breathing. 

  3. Poor sleep habits

  Insomnia can also be caused by poor sleep hygiene or behaviors that interfere with your ability to sleep. Staying in bed for extended periods of time, or taking naps, for example, frequently sets you up for greater sleep disruptions at night. If you don't get enough exercise, work late, go to bed at various times each night, or use your phone or watch TV in bed, it can be quite difficult to get adequate sleep.

  4. Pain

  Pain, whether it is caused by arthritis, sciatica, fibromyalgia, cancer, or another ailment, might keep you from falling asleep quietly or disrupt your sleep. To make this situation worse, lack of sleep can exacerbate discomfort, creating a vicious circle. To improve your sleep, you may need to treat the symptoms separately from the underlying condition.

  5. Mental health issues 

  Certain mental issues, such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, and PTSD, can affect your sleep. While the association is unclear and more study is needed, experts believe the link is related to alterations such as a heightened stress response, difficulties with neurotransmitters or chemical messengers such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, as well as problems with the circadian rhythm.

  6. Obesity

  Laboratory studies imply that poor sleep can lead to metabolic abnormalities linked with obesity, and observational studies that look at sleep duration and obesity rates have discovered a relationship between chronic metabolic conditions and not receiving enough regular rest. 

  The connection is especially strong in children. According to studies, persons who sleep fewer than 5 hours each night are 30% more likely to acquire 30 pounds over the course of the research than women who sleep longer.

  7. PMS

  Women suffering from premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or the more serious premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) may have serious problems with sleep. This typically happens just before or during your menstruation. 

  Changes in hormones can impact your body's temperature and the release of melatonin, a sleep hormone. Additionally, emotional changes caused by PMS or PMDD may make it difficult to obtain a decent night's sleep.