Nearly 70 million Americans have a sleep disorder and this number is rapidly rising. 35% of people get less than the average required 7 hours of sleep per night. These statistics show the prevalence of insomnia within the American population and the fact that this condition is not spoken about enough. 

30% of adults experience short term insomnia.

What is insomnia?

There are a couple of definitions –

According to the Sleep Foundation, insomnia is defined as “insomnia is difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, even when a person has the chance to do so. People with insomnia can feel dissatisfied with their sleep and usually experience one or more of the following symptoms: fatigue, low energy, difficulty concentrating, mood disturbances, and decreased performance in work or at school.”

Mayo Clinic’s definition is “Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep or cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep. You may still feel tired when you wake up. Insomnia can sap not only your energy level and mood but also your health, work performance and quality of life”

In essence, it is a disorder that causes a lack of sleep and as a result, has derogatory effects on the body and mind if not addressed in the right way. It can last anywhere from 1 night to weeks and also months depending on the severity of the disorder. It can happen for a few nights a week for a few weeks or for a few weeks within a 3 month period.  

Types of Insomnia

Acute insomnia

A short duration of time in which you face difficulty sleeping. This is generally caused by the onslaught of a stressful situation, life events that change your life drastically like losing your job, or some bad news, even traveling can cause acute insomnia. 

Chronic insomnia

This is a more long-term form of difficulty with sleeping. This means that if a person has difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep for about a minimum of three nights a week for approximately three months or longer. Many of those with chronic insomnia have a history of difficulty sleeping for a large number of years. 

Comorbid insomnia

This type is coupled with the occurrence of another condition. They tend to generally be psychiatric symptoms like anxiety and/or depression. These conditions bring about changes in sleep patterns. Some conditions are more physical aches and pains or arthritis, causing discomfort at night making it tough to fall asleep which leads to insomnia.  

Onset insomnia

Simply put, this type of insomnia is caused due to difficulty falling asleep right at the start of the night due to certain surrounding impairments or occurrences during the day.

Maintenance insomnia

This variation is the inability to stay asleep throughout the night. Those with maintenance insomnia keep waking up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling back to sleep. 

Causes of Insomnia

This disorder can be caused by a number of things and for most, it is caused by multiple things occurring at the same time. Here are some of the most common causes:

• Stress 

Stress can have several derogatory effects on the body. The onslaught of stress can lead to difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Stress can be caused by any number of things; from work to university, family issues, or a traumatic experience (PTSD). Furthermore, the fact that you are unable to sleep may cause more stress making it an unending and unbreakable cycle. Many people have immense sleep sensitivity so are more likely to have their sleep affected by stress and other physical issues. 

• Lifestyle

Your lifestyle plays a huge role in how much sleep you get. The unhealthier you are, the likelier you are to not get a healthy amount of sleep. This can be anything from what you eat, the amount of alcohol or other substances you consume to your routine. Eating a lot of unhealthy junk food can lead to malnourishment and other ailments thus impairing sleep. Drinking too much alcohol or taking too many drugs causes unnecessary damage to the mind and body. Overdoing anything is unhealthy even having more than a cup of coffee per day causes more damage than good. All this combined with a routine that lacks structure can lead to insomnia. Spending too much time in front of screens can also impair sleep. 

• Physical Ailments

Aches and pains in the body causing general discomfort leading to loss of sleep. The ability to not be able to find a comfortable position can cause sleepless nights. Conditions like diabetes or arthritis that cause physical pain or discomfort can be underlying causes of insomnia. These conditions tend to cause obstructive sleep apnea. 

• Medication

This comes with having health and physical conditions that require medication. There are several medications that are strong enough to cause drowsiness during the day leading people to sleep during the day throwing off their entire cycle and disrupting their ability to sleep during the night. 

• Mental Health

40% of people with insomnia suffer from mental disorders like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. These disorders tend to push the mind down a negative tunnel and into hyperdrive thus interfering with sleep. This sleep interference generally worsens the symptoms of the disorder leading to more severe reactions in the person. This can even lead to an increase in suicidal thoughts. 

While there are many ways that one can develop insomnia there are some things you can do to help alleviate the symptoms of insomnia and that may help you fall asleep naturally. Here are some tips to help you sleep longer and better.