6 Common Causes Of Insomnia
Oct 9, 2008 Insomnia
Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders seen today and is characterized by restlessness, frequent sleep interruptions, shorter than normal sleeping time and sometimes by complete wakefulness.
Apart from being extremely annoying, insomnia can cause sufferers to lose their energy and enthusiasm, develop memory and concentration problems and to feel lethargic and frustrated. This in turn can lead to a drop in work productivity and also to accidents which can have serious consequences.
There are a host of different things that can cause insomnia but here look at just 6 which are commonly linked to this sleep disorder:
1. The Environment
Our environment is extremely important when it comes to getting a good night's sleep and things like light, noise or extremes of temperature can cause insomnia.
2. Substance Abuse
The most obvious form of substance abuse when talking about insomnia is coffee, together with other drinks which are high in caffeine.
Smoking too might fall into this category as heavy or chain smokers consume more than sufficient quantities of nicotine to cause problems sleeping. However, what is perhaps less well known is that this list of substances is fairly long and even includes many herbal remedies which are taken for a range of different problems and which can cause insomnia as a side effect.
Finally, we must not forget alcohol. Although alcohol can often induce tiredness, initially once it is metabolized it too can keep you wide awake.
3. Disturbance To The Biological Clock
Each of us has our own body clock or circadian rhythm which is controlled in part by light and darkness and which regulates the body's sleep/wake cycle. If this clock is thrown out of balance by things like staying up all night studying in college, partying into the small hours or jetting off around the world on business or for pleasure, then you will suffer from sleeping difficulties while the clock slowly tries to re-adjust itself.
4. Activities Prior To Bedtime
There are a number of things which can lead to insomnia if they happen within a reasonably short time of going to bed. Two of the most common are taking vigorous exercise shortly before retiring or eating a large meal when you are just about to go to bed. Both of these activities stimulate the body's metabolism and thus keep you awake.
5. Health Problems
There are a large number of health problems that are known to induce insomnia including heart failure, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, ulcers, and Parkinson's disease.
Asthma is also being seen more and more as a cause of insomnia, as is the need for frequent urination, heartburn and chronic pain resulting from things like arthritis and leg cramps. The list of medical conditions which can cause insomnia is very long and also includes other types of sleep disorder such as sleep apnea as well as a range of psychiatric conditions.
6. Emotional Distress
We all suffer from emotional distress from time to time and this can often lead to us becoming anxious or angry. However, when we bottle our feeling up inside ourselves rather than talking about them and seeking a solution for them then this frequently results in insomnia.
These six causes of insomnia are the usually the reasons most of us can't get to sleep. Figuring out which one is causing your sleep problems can help you determine the best course of action.
Tags: causes of insomnia, Insomnia, sleep disorders, sleep problems, sleeping difficulties
Do You Know What’s Keeping You Awake at Night?
Sep 23, 2008 Insomnia
There are many factors which might play a part in keeping you sleepless during the night. For instance, issues such as when you get out of bed in the morning and the time at which you fall sleep at night, as well as how long before bedtime you finished eating, can all impact a sound sleep. By simply examining your frame of mind or your worries and concerns, you might be able to figure out just what the cause of your insomnia is.
When you understand the source of your sleep troubles you will be in a better position to treat your insomnia, even though it might be the result of a health issue.
External Causes of Insomnia
Is your bedroom a haven of relaxation? Or is it merely an annex of your workplace? If you answered yes to the latter question, then it just might be your surroundings which are contributing to your insomnia. It's important that your bedroom be peaceful and calming.
Once you realize that your bedroom is not a soothing place, then you can work out how to transform it. Making it comfy and pleasant will help to put an end to your sleeplessness. Also, redecorate with light-blocking blinds or heavy drapery to keep out the light. This goes a long way towards curing insomnia.
Do you drink a lot of coffee throughout the day? If you have more than a couple cups, it's bound to aggravate your sleeping problems. Indeed, overindulging in caffeine or alcohol is a leading cause of chronic insomnia.
How's Your Health?
Coffee is a real problem, but the reason for your insomnia could be considerably more alarming than that. It might be a medical condition which is keeping you up at night, especially if you have just received the news of a problem from your doctor.
The bad news and your awareness of the problem might keep you anxious and awake when you should be sleeping. Heart disease, hypertension, and Parkinson's are just a few of the diseases which contribute to insomnia.
If you think there's a possibility that you might have any of these diseases then you should make an appointment with your physician to find out for sure, especially if you've made unsuccessful efforts to unwind before bed in calm and peaceful surroundings.
Insomnia is often ignored as a minor inconvenience, but it might indeed be disguising a more severe illness. It's important to find the causes of insomnia.
Keira Adams is a health and wellness writer who is a frequent contributor to Insomnia Relief, where you can learn all about the causes, cures and treatments for insomnia.
Tags: causes of insomnia, Insomnia, sleep problems
Can Warm Hands Help You Sleep?
Feb 15, 2008 Insomnia
Not sure how many of you caught the segment on the Today show a while back, but they were referring to new research about innovative ways to help insomniacs.
Dr. Matthew Ebben of Weill Cornell medical center in NYC said one of the most common sleeping problems from which Americans suffer — insomnia - would be better treated with cognitive behavioral therapy, not a new bed.
I have heard of cognitive behavioral therapy before - it's used to treat all kinds of ailments.
Now they're using it to control the temperature in the hand and feet before you go to bed.
Why? Because during the day, core body heat rises and peaks during the mid-afternoon. Then, in the evening, body temperature begins to falls gradually and rises in the limbs. Rising temperature in the limbs at night has been associated with sleep initiation.
So they are having participants in a study use a biofeedback device, with the hope of teaching insomniacs how to train their body for ideal sleep conditions. Results have found that raising the temperature in the hands and feet before bedtime may promote sleep.
Participants in the study warm their hands and feet through relaxation techniques like visualization and deep breathing, which helps to draw the blood from the core of the body to the extremities, says Dr. Ebben.
Scientists are trying to take advantage of this knowledge to artificially raise the temperature in the limbs of insomniacs – making them sleepy. At the sleep lab, study participants, who have trouble getting to sleep, view a monitor that displays different images, like a setting or rising sun. Temperature probes read the person's hand and foot temperatures, causing the image of the sun to rise if they are successfully raising their temperature, and set if they are cooling down.
Sounds interesting, but am I the only one that wonders if just warming your hands and feet before going to bed will have the same effect?
Tags: cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, sleeping problems
How To Cure Your Insomnia With EFT
Jan 11, 2008 Insomnia
Insomnia has many causes, some of them physical such as menopause,chronic pain,drugs and alcohol use and other physical conditions.
Stress plays a big part in the causes of insomnia. But when we stop to think about it - what causes most of these conditions? Our Emotions!
Everyone suffers from stress to some degree, but how you react to that stress determines how that stress will affect you. If you have your emotions under control, then your reactions to stress in your life is reduced. And when your stress is reduced, then a lot of the physical ailments caused by stress are also reduced, such as insomnia. You can even control your response to pain (to some degree) by learning to control your emotions.
How EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Can Help
EFT is based on an ancient technique that is used in both acupuncture and acupressure. Energy flows through your body along paths called meridians. When you access these energy flows, your energy improves. Acupuncture uses needles to access the energy flow, acupressure uses massage and EFT uses tapping. But it's not just tapping. You need to combine the tapping technique with focused thought. EFT can release the blocks in the energy flow that are causing your insomnia.
What's great about EFT is it's simple to learn and people of all ages can benefit from it. Children and the elderly are now experiencing relief from their insomnia and other sleeping problems. The added benefit is by discovering the root emotion that is causing your stress or insomnia, you will experience relief in that area, too!
Although the theory behind EFT is old, the practice of EFT is still fairly new and unknown to many. The good news is that it's inexpensive to learn the technique, so if for some reason it doesn't work for you, it's not a big loss. EFT's success rate is pretty high in many areas, so it's definitely worth 
a try.
How To Learn EFT
Although it's fairly easy to find a manual on EFT, the best way to learn is by actually watching someone do it. I found a basic DVD called First Steps In EFT that also comes with a e book manual. That should help you get started if you've never tried EFT before. Be sure to check out their other products for more advanced training.
Tags: causes of insomnia, EFT, Insomnia
Is Your Insomnia Caused By A Mineral Deficiency?
Nov 20, 2007 Insomnia
Here's some more interesting research under the Watch What You Eat post.
According to a study done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are several mineral deficiencies which MAY contribute to insomnia and sleeping problems.
Copper Deficiency Contributes To Sleep Problems - in some pre-menopausal women. Generally, those women who had a low copper intake took longer to fall asleep and felt less rested in the morning. Copper? Really? Geez, that's one of the LAST nutrients/minerals I would be thinking about.
So, what do you eat to get more copper? I found this list of Dietary Sources of Copper. Lobster and oysters seem to be high on the list (as evidenced by the little + symbols after them). I wonder how well that would fly next time I'm eating out and insist I have to eat more lobster in order to sleep well.
Of course, if you want a cheaper source of copper, you could go the supplement route. I would check with a doctor first to see if you're actually deficient first. Here's the supplement: Copper Supplement
Iron Deficiency- is another culprit for poor sleeping patterns. There's plenty of women that seem to have a problem in this area. Although I've read that combining iron with your multivitamin is NOT a good thing, here some food sources of iron: Dietary Sources of Iron
Too Much Aluminum - typically not a problem for most people, but if you take quite antacids in the liquid form, you may be getting too much aluminum. Try switching to the tablet kind.
Low Magnesium Levels - can contribute to shallow sleep and waking up more during the night. This can happen if you are on a calorie restricted diet or taking diuretics. Here's some dietary sources of magnesium: Food Sources of Magnesium .
You should definitely check with a doctor before taking magnesium supplements, especially if you have heart or kidney problems.
Here's a supplement source if you have a Magnesium Deficiency: Magnesium Supplement
GiGi
Tags: copper deficiency, Insomnia, magnesium supplements, mineral deficiencies
