gladys906 asked:


Although we often ask ‘what causes insomnia’, it is important to understand that the causes will depend very much on whether you are suffering from primary or secondary insomnia.

Primary insomnia is insomnia which does not have a specific medical or emotional root. For example, primary insomnia is insomnia that does not appear as a side-effect of medication or as a symptom of an emotional or medical disorder. In other words primary disorder can be linked directly to its cause and is a primary, rather than a secondary, result of that cause.

A good example of primary insomnia would be insomnia resulting from long-haul air travel. Here it is the shift in your body’s internal clock, which is a direct result of air travel, which causes your insomnia. Another good example is shift work insomnia in which you are asking your body to sleep when its internal clock says you should be awake and to work when your clock says you should be sleeping.

Secondary insomnia is often much more complex and can be caused by a whole variety of different things.

A common cause of secondary insomnia is an emotional disorder such as anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Other emotional disorders also giving rise to insomnia as a secondary symptom might include Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

There are also a number of common medical conditions which can give rise to insomnia including those with accompanying chronic pain, such as arthritis; those which affect breathing, such as asthma or certain heart problems and a range of general conditions including an overactive thyroid, gastrointestinal difficulties and heartburn.

Other sleep problems can themselves also give rise to insomnia and a good example of this would be restless leg syndrome.

Perhaps the commonest cause of secondary insomnia however is seen in the side-effects of a range of medications and in other chemical substances which we put into our bodies.

Medicines used to treat the common cold, asthma, allergies and heart conditions can often lead to insomnia. In addition, alcohol, caffeine and nicotine account for a substantial proportion of people suffering from insomnia.

Perhaps the most surprising cause of secondary insomnia however is to be found in sedatives – the common sleeping pill. Although sleeping pills can be very helpful in the short-term many people continue to take them for extended periods and unwittingly cause rather than cure their insomnia.

The Content Group asked:

Insomnia is a fairly common medical condition, and doctors are just beginning to get the hang of treating it. The key to treating insomnia in most cases is to determine the cause of the insomnia. Oftentimes, this is more difficult than it sounds. Yet, being aware of the risk factors and potential causes of insomnia could help you to treat your own case of the disorder.

Risk Factors Add to the Causes of Insomnia

There are certain characteristics that make a person more likely to experience insomnia. For example, females, the elderly, and people who suffer from depression are all much more likely to get insomnia than other groups. When conditions such as anxiety, stress, use of medications, or a medical problem occur, then these might cause someone to become more susceptible to the disorder as well.

Different Causes of Insomnia – Different Lengths of Time

One of the ways to classify insomnia is by how long it lasts. Transient insomnia is short term, intermittent insomnia occurs on and off, and chronic insomnia is long term. Each of these variations is caused by different factors. Transient and intermittent insomnia are frequently caused by one or more of the following factors: extreme temperatures, stress, change in surrounding environment, noise, jet lag or other schedule disruptions, and medication side effects.

Causes of chronic insomnia are different and are usually more difficult to pinpoint. Typically, chronic insomnia is caused by an underlying mental, emotional, or physical disorder. Depression, kidney disease, arthritis, sleep apnea, heart conditions, asthma, restless leg syndrome, hyperthyroidism, Parkinson’s Disease, and narcolepsy are all potential underlying causes of chronic insomnia.

However, chronic insomnia can also be caused by behavioral factors. For example, substance abuse, such as the misuse of caffeine or alcohol, can lead to chronic insomnia. Other behavioral factors include: excessive napping, smoking cigarettes, disrupted sleeping habits, and prolonged anxiety over lack of sleep.

Going to the Source

Looking at the causes of insomnia can help to determine what the best method of treatment might be. Frequently, you can solve your insomnia problems simply by removing the cause. This typically means ending a behavior that might be causing the condition.

Getting Help

Nobody expects you to determine the cause of your insomnia on your own. Your doctor can be a major help in finding out what causes your insomnia; so make sure to consult him or her before you give up hope. http://www.about-sleep-disorder.com/

Connie Wolf asked:


Let’s begin with the definition of insomnia. Insomnia is the difficulty of falling asleep or maintaining sleep. And insomnia is not always measured by the number of hours you sleep since everyone varies in sleep needs and practices. Since most of us know what insomnia is and how we feel the next day with one or more sleepless nights before that, not all of us seek treatment and remain unaware of the options available to treat insomnia. I have some interesting things to tell you.

Let’s start with the symptoms of insomnia. Generally there are three types of insomnia, and these are based on how long it lasts.

*Transient insomnia: lasts fewer than four weeks

*Short-term insomnia: the inability to sleep well for four to six months

*Chronic insomnia: the inability to sleep every night or most nights for more than six months

Insomnia symptoms for Transient and short-term insomnia can be caused by stress related factors such as losing a job, marital problems, personal events and just plain worrying about things.

Chronic insomnia symptoms can be caused by medical illnesses like heartburn, menopause, diabetes, and arthritis, sleep disordered breathing, like sleep apnea that cause one to stop breathing while asleep, restless leg syndrome (RLS) which is recurrent movements of the legs during sleep. “Learned” insomnia, where you go to bed worrying about going to sleep. Age, because as we age sleep becomes lighter and more fragmented. And lifestyle factors, like caffeine consumption, alcohol and drug abuse, smoking, poor sleeping habits.

Insomnia treatment can be divided into two areas: Treatment with and without medication.

When people think about insomnia treatment they tend to think about sleeping pills that can become addictive and may just bring up more medical issues. But in my research I have found that there are actually a lot of non-medical therapies and techniques out there that go a long way to help you feel sleepy at night and stay asleep.

Here are few techniques and suggestions I have found.

Develop a sleeping schedule

*Exercise during the day

*Keep a comfortable bedroom temperature

*Avoid stimulating drugs, like caffeine and nicotine right before sleep

*Avoid alcohol

*Avoid heavy meals before bedtime

*Natural remedies, including night time teas and alternative medicines

*Increase exposure to sunlight more in the morning than in the evening

*Relaxation therapy to reduce anxiety and body tension

Your next step? To take what you’ve just learned and find out more about natural cures and natural remedies for insomnia. Just a moment of your time, it may be a wise choice for you or someone you know and love that is suffering from insomnia.