Understanding Insomnia: Causes and Effective Treatments

Insomnia has become a prevalent health emergency globally. Also, in the UK, about 79% of people are facing significant sleep deprivation, and 29% complain of insomnia symptoms. Therefore, insomnia or sleeplessness has become a serious concern in the country as well as globally. Temporary insomnia usually goes away on its own after a short period, with or without the help of medicines. However, chronic insomnia can last for months or years. It can hamper your daily routine and cause serious health problems. As a result, they require medical attention and lifestyle changes to overcome the condition.

If you are also struggling with sleepless nights, unable to fall asleep, or stay asleep throughout the night, you might have insomnia. However, before you opt for any professional help, you should understand the condition thoroughly. In this blog, we are going to discover a deep understanding of insomnia, including its causes and effective treatment options.

What is Insomnia?

In our guide to understanding insomnia, the first thing we are going to discuss is a brief definition of insomnia for your better understanding. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. It can be short-term or acute and long-term or chronic issues.

While short-term or acute insomnia is more prevalent and goes away on its own after a time, long-term or chronic sleeplessness (insomnia can be a symptom of underlying health conditions or mental state that require medical attention to overcome. Insomnia can also come and go several times in a person's life based on the cause of insomnia or sleeplessness.

Causes of Insomnia

Insomnia or sleeplessness is a common sleep disorder that can occur due to more than one reason. Different causes can trigger various types of insomnia. Therefore, understanding the common causes of insomnia is essential to understand insomnia. It is also crucial to diagnose the condition and its severity to access treatment timely. Here are some common causes of insomnia discussed below-

Stress

The first or most common cause of insomnia is stress. A significant amount of people suffers from too much stress in life. Concern about work, school, money, family, health, or almost anything can keep your mind activated even at night, which in turn makes it hard to fall asleep. Therefore, facing stress in any sector of your life can lead to sleeplessness or insomnia.

Poor sleep habits

Another common cause or reason for insomnia is poor sleep habits. Common poor sleep habits include sleeping and waking up at different times every day, taking too many naps, working too much before bedtime, sleeping in uncomfortable areas, etc. Other poor sleep habits may include watching TV, eating or working while in bed, and exposure to blue light late at night, like watching TV or playing video games on a phone, laptop, or computer right before sleeping.

Work schedule or travel

Work schedule or travel can also lead to insomnia if it interferes with your sleeping cycles. The human body has an 'internal clock,' which is also called the circadian rhythm. It guides your wake-sleep cycle, metabolism, body temperature, and more. Disrupting this rhythm can lead to an internal clock, or rhythm can lead to various health problems, including insomnia or sleeplessness. For example, when you travel for a long, you can develop jet lag or change shifts too often, and you can face sleeplessness or insomnia.

Eating in the Late Evening

Another essential cause of insomnia can be eating too much in late evenings. Eating an easily digestible or light snack in the evening is good, but eating too much late in the evening can cause discomfort in the stomach. Some people may also face symptoms of heartburn that can cause trouble in the peaceful sleeping cycle when stomach acid returns to the esophagus tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. This heartburn can keep you awake at night.

Mental Health Problems

Mental health problems can also cause sleeplessness or insomnia in many cases. Mental health problems such as anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, etc., can disrupt your sleep cycle. Insomnia often occurs as a symptom of mental health problems. Also, waking up too early can indicate depression.

Medical Conditions

Similar to mental health problems, certain medical conditions can also lead to insomnia or sleeplessness. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), asthma, heart disease, overactive thyroid, epileptic spasms or seizures, etc., can cause problems with the regular sleeping cycle and cause insomnia.

Medications

Some prescribed medications or drugs can cause insomnia. For example, antidepressants, medicines for blood pressure, asthma, CNS stimulants, etc., can easily interfere with your natural sleeping cycle and can cause insomnia. This type of insomnia tends to be temporary and can be easily overcome with lifestyle changes or changes in prescription medicines.

Sleep-Related Disorder

Sleep-related disorders can also cause insomnia. For example, sleep apnea or obstructive sleep apnea can cause trouble in peaceful sleeping. On the other hand, restless legs can cause a strong urge to move your legs while sleeping; this can again disrupt your sleeping and lead to insomnia or sleeplessness.

Age

Age is another common and universal cause of insomnia or sleeplessness issues. When you age, your sleep cycle weakens, leading to a troubled sleep cycle. As you age, your sleep becomes fragile, and you face difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep. As a result, you can develop insomnia or sleeplessness problems.

Caffeine, Alcohol, and Nicotine Dependency

Last but not least, dependency on caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine can also lead to sleeplessness. When you consume these types of things, they interfere with your sleeping cycle, nervous system and brain functioning. As a result, they can prevent you from falling asleep or staying asleep peacefully throughout the night.

Symptoms of Insomnia

The signs of insomnia can manifest in a number of ways. Knowing insomnia symptoms can help one understand their health condition and manage them better. Here are the common symptoms of insomnia:

• Difficulty in falling asleep or issues in sleep onset time.
• Frequent night awakenings or waking up multiple times at night.
• Waking up early in the morning or less sleeping time.
• Feeling extremely sleepy or tired during day hours.
• Difficulty with memory or focus.

Effective Treatment for Insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can be managed by using prescribed medications and natural remedies.

Insomnia, especially chronic insomnia, can be managed with prescribed medications. Here are some common medications that you can use for insomnia-

Medications

• Zolpidem Tartrate - Zolpidem Tartrate s one of the most common benzodiazepine class drug used to treat insomnia.
• Zopiclone - Zopiclone is also a popular prescribed drug used for treating insomnia and other sleep-related problems.
• Zaleplon - Zaleplon is another popular drug doctors prescribe for overcoming the symptoms of sleeplessness or insomnia.
• Triazolam - Trizolam is another prescription medicine doctors prefer for treating insomnia.
• Ramelteon - Lastly, Ramelteon is also a popular prescription-only medication used for insomnia treatment.

Insomnia is completely curable and often goes away with natural remedies. Here are some effective natural remedies for treating insomnia-

Natural Remedies

• Lavender Oil - Lavender is known to have soothing or relaxing properties that you can use for aromatherapy or massage therapy to bring back a healthy sleeping cycle.
• Melatonin - Melatonin natural supplements are also excellent for restoring healthy sleep patterns.
• Chamomile Tea - Like lavender, camomile is also known to have relaxing properties and works excellent for boosting healthy sleep.
• Kava Tea - Kawa tea is also a popular natural remedy for restoring healthy sleep and preventing symptoms of insomnia.
• Ginseng - Ginseng or Ginseng supplements are also helpful in preventing insomnia.
• Ashwagandha - Ashwagandha is also a popular natural remedy for curing insomnia and boosting healthy sleep.

Lifestyle Changes to Manage Insomnia

Certain physical or mental health conditions, such as lifestyle problems such as poor sleep hygiene, etc, usually cause insomnia. That is why healthy lifestyle changes can be helpful for the management of insomnia. Here are some daily habits that can help you manage insomnia symptoms:

Regular Exercise or Yoga

Regular exercise or yoga is essential to keep your body fit and mind active. A healthy sleep cycle depends on a healthy body and mind.

Meditation

Meditation calms your mind and helps you to practice mindfulness. Regular meditation is beneficial for your brain and also reduces symptoms of insomnia.

Reducing Stress

Anxiety and stress are common problems in modern life. However, active management of stress also reduces sleeplessness at night.

Avoiding Caffeine

Reducing your caffeine intake throughout the day and avoiding caffeine during the night is helpful for managing symptoms of insomnia.

Better Sleep Environment

One of the most important things to consider to ensure better sleep at night is a comfortable sleeping environment. Make necessary changes related to bedroom light, temperature, or mattress to provide better sleep.

Reducing Screen Time

Excessive screen time can negatively affect your sleep cycle. Reduce screen time at night to ensure proper sleep at night.

Maintaining Sleep Schedule

Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is necessary for a healthy sleep cycle. This helps your body to form a habit of sleeping for certain hours in a day.

Conclusion

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that causes trouble falling asleep or staying asleep peacefully. In insomnia, people may struggle to fall asleep or wake up frequently throughout the night. Some of the common causes of insomnia may include age, medical conditions, mental health conditions, prescribed medications, and more. Fortunately, you can overcome insomnia either using prescribed medication like Zopiclone, Zolpidem Tartrate, eszopiclone, etc., or natural remedies, such as lifestyle changes, changing sleeping habits, using aromatherapy or herbal tea.