Insomnia - Causes And Symptoms

Insomnia is the condition of acute sleeplessness, and it takes a heavy toll on your mood, your energy levels, and your ability to concentrate and work during the day. Some of the most common symptoms of the condition are:

• You find it difficult to fall asleep even if you are tired
• Once you wake up in the middle of the night, you cannot get back to sleep
• You cannot work or concentrate on anything during the day
• You stay mostly fatigued, or irritated throughout the day
• You have to depend on pills or alcohol to fall asleep.
• You wake up very early in the morning, no matter how late you sleep

What could be the causes for insomnia?

Insomnia might last just a few days if it is induced by some temporary cause, like stress at your workplace, or any other personal issue you can be facing. However, when the cause is a long rooted one, insomnia might persist for a long time. There can be a mix of many causes for that to happen:

• Psychological stress or other emotional discomforts - Common psychological problems like anxiety, depression, chronic work stress, grief, and also bipolar disorder can be the causes for insomnia.
• Illness or other medical problems - There can be many medical causes or other illnesses at the root of insomnia like allergies, acute asthma, hyperthyroidism, Parkinson's disease, kidney related diseases and cancer as well.
• Medications - There can be many drugs, which might be prescribed by your doctor, but still be responsible for insomnia. These include antidepressants, corticosteroids like thyroid hormone medicines, few blood pressure medications, certain contraceptives and stimulants for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
• Sleep Disorders - Insomnia, though in itself is a sleep disorder, can also be the symptoms for other sleep disorders like sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and other disorders related to jet lag or if you are working on a late night shift.

In addition to these causes, some daily lifestyle habits might act as triggers to insomnia, which include:

• Consumption of large amounts of caffeine on a regular basis
• Developing irregular sleep schedules
• Taking your smartphone to bed and ending up spending a lot of time with it in the night
• Eating late in the evening. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Psychologist.