Insomnia and what causes insomnia

Insomnia and what causes insomnia

Insomnia can be cause by psychiatric and medical conditions, unhealthy sleeping habits like we talked about in sleep help parts 1 and 2, specific substances, and or certain biological factors. Recently researchers of the sleep foundation have seriously begun to think about insomnia as a problem of our brains not being able to turn off (hamster wheel syndrome)

Believe it or not our brains have 2 cycles, a sleep cycle and a wake (work or on cycle) and when one is turned on the other turns off!-insomnia can be a problem with either part of this cycle: too much wake drive or too little sleep drive. its important to understand first what could be causing your sleep difficulties!

Like we said its a team effort and we will figure it out!

Some Medical Causes of Insomnia

There are many medical conditions that can lead to insomnia...if your wondering how I learned all of this its because of all the books I read when I wasn't able to sleep, plus sleeping tests and doctors saying this that and the other thing!) In some cases insomnia can be the condition on its own while in other cases a particular set of symptoms cause it like, Discomfort ( Back pain or lower back pain is one of my problems that contributed to it ) and these things can make it difficult for us to sleep!

Examples of medical conditions that can lead to no sleep (insomnia) are:

- Nasal/Sinus allergies

- Gastrointestinal problems such as reflux

- Endocrine problems such as hypothyroidism

- Arthritis

- Asthma

- Neurological conditions such as Parkinson's

- Chronic pain

- Low back pain

Medications such as those that you would take for a cold and nasal allergies, high blood pressure, heart disease, thyroid disease, birth control, asthma, and depression can also cause insomnia...wouldn't it be nice to have a too much sleep problem at this point instead of a no sleep problem.

In addition to all of this, Insomnia May be a symptom of underlying sleep disorders. for example, restless leg syndrome (definitely me) a neurological condition which a person has an uncomfortable sensation of needing to move his or her legs-can lead to insomnia. People with restless leg syndrome typically experience worse symptoms in the later part of the day, during periods of inactivity, and in transition from wake to sleep, which means that falling asleep and staying asleep can be difficult...person who sits but their leg is always bumping up and down...you know what I mean I'm sure...I believe the estimate was 10% or just over has restless leg syndrome! That's ALOT of people!

Sleep apnea is another sleep disorder linked to insomnia. With sleep apnea a person airway becomes partially or completely blocked during sleeping leading to pauses in breathing and a drop in oxygen level. this causes a person to wake up briefly but repeatedly through out the night and usually use a machine to help them breath when they're sleeping. My step dad actually has this problem but stupidly doesn't use the machine!

Insomnia can also be cause by depression and the risk of severe insomnia is much much higherin patients with major depressive orders, Studies actualy show that insomnia can also trigger or worsen it and perhaps if you have or feel you have symptoms of depression consult your doctor :)

It's important to know that symptoms of depression (such as low energy levels, loss of interest or motivation, feelings of sadness or hopelessness) and insomnia can be linked. If you feel any of those issues you should chat with your Doc and see what he or she thinks :)

Insomnia and Anxiety

Most adults had some trouble sleeping because they feel worried or nervous, but for some its a pattern, that interferes with sleep on a regular basis. Anxiety symptoms can lead to insomnia are:

- Tension

- Getting caught up in thoughts about past events

- Excessive worrying

- Feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities

- A general feeling of being revved up or over stimulated

When this happens for many nights (or months), you might start to feel anxiousness, dread, panic at just the prospect of not sleeping. this is how insomnia can feed each other and become a cycle that should be interrupted and in some cases may require treatment if you cant develop the cognitive and mind-body techniques that help people with insomnia or anxiety settle for sleep, and healthy sleep practices that can improve sleep for many people with anxiety and insomnia.

If at any point you felt you should consult a doctor in the post, you should definitely try that option if you haven't. If you feel some of the signs for depression don't be ashamed and go chat with the doctor, lots more people then you think suffer from it and its not life threating or the end of the world so go knock it out of the park and get it cured.

If its anxiety, back pain, or your mind not disengaging or your just wanting some useful tips on sleep or snoring we will help you with those things indeed for sure!

If this helped explain insomnia at all leave a comment bellow, subscribe, follow and stay tunned for part 3 of the 4 part series! You Tube videos coming soon! If any of the earlier tips helped your or if your enjoying the series and content so far please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what you think!