Among most sleep disorders, insomnia is the most prevalent in our society today. Most people find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep due to many distractions and lifestyles that they lead. As a result, they get poor sleep and are constantly fatigued. Either the insomnia is acute or chronic it affects your day to day life, for instance, poor productivity at work, low energy and you are moody all the time which affects your relations. When the effects of insomnia start showing it is important to know the causes and find remedies to solve them. Below are some factors that contribute to insomnia.
Lack of a Sleep Routine
This is the main factor that contributes to insomnia in most people. Since most people do not mind sleeping at irregular times. Most of the time they have poor bedtime routines unconsciously. The lack of sleep routines causes insomnia for it disrupts the internal body clock. This biological rhythm helps you wake up and sleep at night according to light exposure. Therefore, when you lay down to sleep at different times from one day to another. Your biological clock is confused for it is designed to function properly on a routine. Hence the irregular sleep schedule causes daytime sleepiness and nighttime sleeplessness. Considering these negative effects try following a routine even for a week and see how your sleep quality and quantity improve and combat insomnia.
Too Much Caffeine
The main reason people take coffee is to stay alert. Especially after lack of enough sleep and they have to remain productive during the day. The downside is that the caffeine in it is a stimulant that stays up to 8 hours in your system. Therefore, when you take your coffee late in the evening. The stimulation is as active as you lay down on your sleep number at night. To avoid this from happening and for you to get better sleep, avoid caffeine late in the evening. As you catch up with friends after work for a cup of coffee. If it is your third cup of the day, it will affect your sleep later in the night. To stop your insomnia from progressing take a cup or two in the morning than late at night.
Certain Medications
In case you are taking medication some of them contribute to insomnia as they disrupt sleep. Also, depending on the period of the prescription you will experience disturbed sleep. Hence some of these medications can lead to acute or chronic insomnia. That is a challenge to reverse back to a normal sleep routine once you are off the medication. Some of these medications are alpha-blockers, beta-blockers, anti-depressants among others that most people if not informed have no clue about. Importantly, talk to your doctor to know if the medicine that is prescribed will have effects on your sleep and your concerns as well. This will help the doctor know that sleep is a priority to you and will prescribe an alternative medicine.
Traveling to Different Time Zones
Another cause of insomnia is to those who travel in various time zones. Either for work, pleasure or as part of their work. Not only is it disruptive to your sleep pattern but it affects you in the long run especially if it is part of your work. Nonetheless, for those that get insomnia as they travel, it is temporary and you can shift back with ease after a day or two to your normal routine. This affects people who travel eastward for you need to sleep earlier as the new time zone is ahead of your usual time zone. On the other hand, traveling westwards causes sleep disturbance as well only that it is like having a long night or day while at home and with plenty of rest you recover faster.
Suffering from Depression
People who suffer from depression and are not aware of it are also insomniac. This psychiatric problem makes it hard for them to sleep well at night. As much as insomnia is a symptom of depression it can also cause depression when it is in its chronic stages considering other factors too. Nevertheless, a depressed person is at a higher risk of getting insomnia than one without. In the same way, not getting enough sleep makes your depression worsen meaning both of them to worsen each other. The good news is that depression is treatable although it is among the top causes of insomnia. Consider getting treatment to solve both conditions and for better sleep.
Using Your Smartphone in Bed
Is your screen time getting worse by the day especially once you lay in bed? This is the main reason you are suffering from insomnia. This is a popular contributing factor to insomnia not only to teenagers but to adults as well. Firstly, the blue light from your smartphone or any other electronics you use while in bed keeps your brain alert and disrupts your sleep. Secondly, the content that you view through smartphones is engaging. Hence they keep you awake long once you decide to engage in them during your sleep time. To prevent your sleep routine getting affected keep these electronics away and charge them in a different room. Since it worsens your insomnia if you are already suffering from it and the solution is having some discipline.
Susceptibility to Allergies
When the allergy season is on find a way to manage them to avoid them affecting your sleep. Since allergens are in the atmosphere and everywhere you go. Optionally, maybe you are allergic to something in your bedroom or your house. This means that your airways are irritated and breathing is difficult making you take a long time to fall asleep. The disruptions from allergies causes you to wake up a lot in the middle of your sleep and hence disrupting your sleep cycle. This makes it harder to fall asleep contributing to insomnia and in other cases sleep apnea. Seek medical advice to solve these allergic reactions, consult on the medication for some of it disrupts sleep too.
