What causes Insomnia

According to the biological clock of a human being, 8 hours of sleep is essential to maintain a mental balance and to stay alert and productive during the day. Although there are people who are comfortable with 4-5 hours of sleep as well, but this is a rarity. Anything less than this, or when a person is actually unable to fall asleep is known as insomnia. By definition it is, 'difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep', in fact it is a symptom and not a stand alone disease.
It can be classified according to the duration of the problem. For example, if the symptoms last for more than one week then it would be classified as transient insomnia. For longer than three weeks would be termed as chronic insomnia. It can affect people of all age groups, but it is more common in older persons and women. Stress is the main trigger for short term insomnia. Other factors also could be responsible for its occurrence which could be situational, medical or psychiatric. The majority of causes for insomnia could be either medical conditions or psychological reasons. Psychological factors that lead to insomnia are Anxiety, stress, mania or bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression. Insomnia is one of the symptoms of depression as well.
Physiological or medical causes are chronic pain, chronic fatigue, Congestive heart failure, night time angina, acid reflux disease, brain tumors or strokes. Certain medication also can cause insomnia. For example, some over the counter medicines for asthma or cold, high blood pressure medication and also drugs prescribed for depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. Certain stimulants like caffeine and nicotine too can trigger sleeplessness in people and these should be restricted especially before bedtime. Also one should limit the daily intake. Alcohol intake cal also cause sleep disruption and creates a sense of fatigue and non refreshing sleep.
The most common symptoms of insomnia are poor concentration, weak memory, uncoordinated movements and irritability. A person who has insomnia needs medical attention if the symptoms don't go away for more than 3-4 weeks and especially if it interferes with his day to day activities and the ability to function normally. One has to be careful and on guard for the possibility of a medical or psychological problem. Generally, the patient does not have to be hospitalized, unless in an emergency like difficulty breathing at night or increased pain.
Most often, transient insomnia is resolved when the inital trigger is corrected, however majority of people don't seek medical attention until the problem has become acute. The main course of treatment would involve finding the root cause and controlling it. This in itself may eliminate the symptoms. However, certain therapies will have to be used in some cases of insomnia, where the psychiatric reasons are involved. One of them is non medical and behavioral therapy. Apart from these treatments, things like sleep hygiene have to be taken care of which include; exercise, avoiding forceful sleep, keeping a regular sleep and awakening schedule. Also avoiding excessive thinking or worries before bedtime is a good way to curb insomnia.

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