Insomnia Causes, Types and Symptoms

It is a natural occurrence to have trouble falling asleep every once and a while. Sometimes the stress of your day has left some unsettled thoughts rattling around in your head, or that last cup of coffee is still lingering in your system. Whatever the cause may be, it could lead to a much larger problem – insomnia. Insomnia is more common in females and the elderly, yet can affect people at any age. Insomnia can have similar symptoms to other sleep disorders and can impact your health greatly, and should not be ignored.

Insomnia can be summed up in several words. If you are having trouble falling asleep, find yourself waking up frequently during the night, waking up too early or do not feel refreshed after a night’s sleep, you may be suffering from insomnia. As you can see, the symptoms for insomnia are very similar to sleep apnea and an array of other disorders that interrupt our sleep. Insomnia can be characterized into 3 categories: transient (short term), intermittent (on and off) and lastly, chronic (constant or perpetual).

The causes of insomnia can be stress, medication, temperature changes and even changes in your environment. Depression is the most common cause of insomnia and is generally linked to chronic insomnia.  Intermittent insomnia often times go undiagnosed, as the person affected typically has a reasoning for the bad night’s sleep.

Insomnia is different than sleep deprivation; people who are sleep deprived deal with interrupted sleep by an alarm clock, for example. With insomnia, there is adequate time to sleep; it just becomes more and more difficult for the person to use the time appropriately. Over time, insomnia can lead to sleep deprivation as your sleep duration and quality of sleep decreases due to insomnia.

Two classic forms of insomnia that most notably go undetected are early-onset insomnia, and sleep-maintenance insomnia.  Early-onset insomnia is classified as trouble falling asleep. Sleep-maintenance insomnia is classified as awakening frequently during the night or waking up feeling unrefreshed. People may not link early-onset insomnia with a sleep disorder, as caffeine or excitement can keep a person from becoming sleepy. Each day a person will fall asleep later and later, possibly leading to depression and chronic insomnia.

Around 30% – 50% of the general population suffers from one form of insomnia, and approximately 10% suffer from chronic insomnia. There are treatments available to combat the effects of insomnia. Sleeping pills are commonly used to help reset the human brains sleep cycle, but can often times lead to addiction. When the medication has stopped, a person may slip back into their irregular sleep cycle due to withdrawal symptoms.

If you feel that you may suffer from insomnia, consulting your doctor will help find the treatment right for you. It is recommended that you look for alternative treatment options to sleeping pills. Another place to go for help sleeping is Dormia Sleep Tips.