Sleeplessness, Sleep Disorder
What Causes Insomnia?
Stress is the primary cause of insomnia, but there are also physical conditions and other factors that can bring it on. A doctor should rule these out first. They include sleep apnea, overactive thyroid, certain medications, and gastrointestinal problems, such as gastroesophageal reflux. Lack of sufficient physical activity during the day can also interfere with the body's drive for sleep. Substance abuse can be a major sleep disruptor as well.
Insomnia is often related to how people handle a bad night or a few bad nights of sleep. One may try to compensate for a brief sleepless period by sleeping later, napping in the afternoon, having a few drinks before bed, or going to bed early. But those actions may only impair the body's natural sleep drive or cause more early wakefulness.
Some people are at risk of insomnia due to environmental factors such as shift work and jet lag. People who do not get enough exposure to sunlight during the day can also have trouble sleeping. And such factors as drinking too much caffeine or overheating a bedroom can also interfere with sleep.
Insomnia is often caused by stress. It can also be due to depression , chronic pain , substance use (including alcohol , prescription medications, or caffeine), or jet lag. Identifying the root cause of insomnia , if it’s not immediately obvious, can help an individual manage and treat it.
How to Deal With Insomnia
A short-term bout of insomnia is best handled by doing nothing. It's important not to compensate by staying in bed longer or napping during the day.
Chronic insomnia responds well to behavioral treatments aimed at eliminating anxiety and stopping the behaviors that wind up worsening and perpetuating the condition. Cognitive behavioral therapy targets the thoughts and actions that disrupt sleep. It may include relaxation training or establishing a sleep schedule that restricts the time one spends in bed awake.
Effective treatments for insomnia encourage good "sleep hygiene," which can involve going to sleep and waking at the same time every day, getting daily exercise, limiting caffeine consumption and restricting it to morning hours, limiting alcohol (a sleep disrupter), and keeping the bedroom dark and cool.
Chronic insomnia can last for years, especially if the individual does not seek help. With appropriate treatment, however, most cases of insomnia can be effectively managed and reach a point where bouts of short-term insomnia (which are normal for the majority of people) occur only rarely.
Sleep Problems in Children and Teens
Young children need 10 to 11 hours of sleep, experts say, and teens need between 8 and 10 (adults, by contrast, need 7 to 8). Sleep difficulties in children often occur when consistent bedtimes are not strictly enforced. Comorbid mental health conditions like ADHD , depression, or anxiety can also contribute to childhood sleep problems.
Teenagers , in general, are a particularly sleep-deprived group: Experts estimate that only 15 percent of U.S. teenagers are getting the recommended amount of sleep. While teens are naturally inclined to stay up late and sleep in, academic demands and busy schedules can make late starts impossible; as a result, allowing teens to stay up too late can result in overtiredness and poorer functioning. Some evidence suggests that teens who stay up past midnight are more likely to develop depression than their early-to-bed counterparts. To counter this growing problem, some states, districts, and individual schools are shifting school start-times to later in the day so that teens can get more rest.
Insomnia tends to be rarer in children than in adults, and is more common in older children than younger children. Evidence suggests that as many as 10 percent of teenagers (ages 10-19) struggle with chronic insomnia. Children with ADHD display a higher prevalence of insomnia; as many as 75 percent are thought to have difficulties with sleep.
Parents can help by establishing—and enforcing—set times for going to sleep and waking up. Also essential is a consistent bedtime routine that helps the child wind down each evening; this can include a warm bath, reading together, or other soothing activities. Parents should also ensure children get enough exercise—a critical component of healthy sleep.
Sleep Problems in Women
Women are especially sensitive to irregular sleeping habits because of the hormonal changes they experience during pregnancy and perimenopause . Studies indicate that about one in four women is currently experiencing insomnia symptoms.
Insomnia can cause women to have more accidents, with falls being especially common, especially for the elderly. Women with insomnia are at increased risk for certain health problems, including diabetes and high blood pressure. Women are also more likely to suffer from depression, which is linked to sleeplessness.
Insomnia is more common in women than it is in men. Higher rates of insomnia are due to hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and menopause; women become increasingly more at risk of insomnia as age increases. However, other sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, appear to be more common in men than in women.
It’s unclear if women, on average, need more sleep than men. However, some evidence suggests that women are more likely than men to be “early birds,” and may have shorter circadian rhythms than men. This may result in women feeling tired earlier in the evening and going to bed earlier than men.
Explore More About Insomnia
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