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Insomnia is a condition characterized by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Waking up in the middle of the night or waking up too early in the morning combined with the inability to return to sleep is also insomnia.
- transient – lasting from a few days to 4 weeks,
- short term – lasting 4 weeks to 6 months
- chronic – lasting more than 6 months.
Major contributors to the cause of insomnia include psychological factors, lifestyle, environmental factors and physical or psychiatric illness.
- Psychological factors. For some people there may be a vulnerability to insomnia, where they are more likely than others to experience insomnia under times of stress. Learned insomnia is the stress or worrying about the effects times of stress can have for your sleep.
- Lifestyles. The use of stimulants will interfere with your ability to fall asleep or maintain sleep. The use of alcohol is likely to cause sleep to be fragmented throughout the course of the night. Maintaining erratic hours contribute to difficulty sleeping. Inactive daytime behavior will contribute to difficulty initiating sleep. The misuse of sleeping pills, although they can be effective initially, will stop helping eventually. The process of stopping can create worse conditions, and may require the help of a healthcare professional.
- Environmental factors. The two main factors people will contend with concerns noise and light. Always consider these two factors.
- Physical Psychiatric Illness. Insomnia is one of the most common symptoms of depression. Breathing disorders contribute to a restless nights sleep, as well as periodic limb movements. Gastroesophageal reflux (heartburn) can awaken a person several times throughout the night.
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