Causes of Insomnia

It is estimated that 50% of insomnia cases are triggered by mental disorders or emotional problems. The more common mental disorders are depression, acute stress and anxiety. But aside from the mental and emotional problems, other conditions appear to cause insomnia: age, gender, history of depression, medical problem, misuse of substances and use of some medications.

For instance, people who are over 60 years are more prone to having insomnia; so do pregnant and menopausal women. People with a history of depression are also likely to have insomnia. People whose normal sleep pattern is constantly disrupted (e.g., shift work) or have poor sleep habits also develop insomnia. Those who are addicted to caffeine, alcohol and other substances are also very likely to have insomnia; and so do people who use depressants and sedatives.

Certain medical conditions can also be the cause of insomnia. Some of these medical conditions include hyperthyroidism, sleep apnea, arthritis and heart failure. Restless legs syndrome can also cause insomnia as individuals with this medical condition tend to be woken up when their legs do jerky movements periodically.

Needless to say, insomnia can be triggered by many things. Insomnia may be transient, intermittent and chronic. Transient and intermittent insomnia are, in general, caused by:

* stress

* noise in the surrounding environmental

* extreme temperatures

* changes in the surrounding environment

* jet lag

* disrupted sleep/wake schedules

* side effects of medications.

Chronic insomnia, on the other hand, is a much more complex condition, often the result of several factors such as physical and mental disorders. It has been found that depression is the number one cause of chronic insomnia. Other medical conditions that can be the underlying causes of chronic insomnia include kidney disease, arthritis, heart failure, sleep apnea, asthma, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, hyperthyroidism and Parkinson's disease.

Behavioral factors (e.g., caffeine, alcohol or substance addiction, disrupted sleep/wake cycles, chronic stress) can also be the cause of chronic insomnia

The causes of insomnia can, in general, be classified in three categories: (1) caused by a sleeping/mental disorder; (2) caused by physical disorder; and (3) caused by temporary factors or events.

Anxiety, depression and stress are mental disorders that can cause insomnia. People who are unable to sleep well can also develop these same mental problems, thus leading to a more serious type of insomnia.

Hormonal changes, medical conditions (e.g., arthritis, allergies, heart disease, asthma, hyperthyroidism, high blood pressure and Parkinson's disease), pain cause by an injury or medical ailment and genetics are some examples of physical causes of insomnia.

As for temporary causes of insomnia, these may include adjustment sleep disorder, working night or long shifts, jet lag, caffeine and alcohol overuse or misuse, medications, environmental noise, changes in the environment and extreme temperatures.