There are many different reasons for what causes insomnia. Certain circumstances tend to increase an individual’s likelihood of experiencing insomnia:
- Longevity. Over-60s have increased insomnia.
- Persistent depression
- Stress, worry, and other health issues might increase sleeplessness.
Causes of Transient & Intermittent Insomnia
Insomnia is frequently caused by the following::
- Anxiety
- Environmental noise
- Excessive temperature
- Differences in surrounding conditions
- Changing sleep schedules (jet lag, work shifts, etc.)
- Side effects of medication
What Causes Insomnia?
Physical and emotional issues can cause chronic insomnia.
Depression causes sleeplessness often. Asthma, arthritis, heart failure, kidney disease, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy can cause the disorder.
Alcohol, coffee, and other stimulants are behavioral factors. Changing these habits can heal insomnia. Changes in work hours or daytime naps disrupt sleep cycles. These activities might also cause chronic sleeplessness.
When one has identified what causes insomnia, it’s wise to take a holistic approach to treat insomnia. It is tempting to think of sleeping problems solely as a mental problems while ignoring the physical elements. Another piece of the insomnia mind-body puzzle concerns exercise. Repeated studies have shown the public health benefits of regular exercise regimens. Still, it is perhaps less well known that there is a link between physical exercise and sleep.
It is often the case that insomniacs live more sedentary lives than average, often due to the lack of energy and motivation that prolonged insomnia causes. Long-term insomniacs are in danger of entering a vicious circle in which their symptoms further exacerbate their condition. There is hope, however. Various experiments have shown that people with insomnia can benefit from 20 minutes of steady exercise, 4-7 days a week.
How exercise promotes sleep:
- Exercise reduces levels of lactic acid in the blood, reducing stress. Stress is a significant cause of insomnia.
- Exercise also relieves muscular tension. A tense body can prevent sleep, and vice versa.
- Aerobic exercise increases the flow of oxygen throughout the body.
- Exercise involving stressing the leg muscles causes the brain to release endorphins which kill pain and relax the body.
- When the body undergoes the stress of exercise during the day, the brain tends to compensate by increasing the amount of deep sleep experienced overnight.
Types of exercise that promote sleep:
Aerobic exercise appears to work best – try for 20 minutes of steady, moderate exercise.
Types of suitable exercises include :
- fast-paced walking
- jogging
- cycling (outdoors)
- cycling (on indoors exercycle)
- ‘step’ exercises
- aerobic dancing
Always stretch lightly before any exercise. Indeed, some studies show that the act of stretching itself can help promote sleep.
Timing Is Everything
Whichever exercise program suits you best, the most important thing about exercising is when to do it. Avoid exercising in the evening or close to bedtime. The body’s circulatory system takes time to wind down from exercise and can prevent sleep. Try to exercise as early in the day as possible. Morning exercise seems to fit in with our body’s internal circadian rhythms, probably because our ancestors would hunt in the morning and do more relaxing tasks for the rest of the day.
Natural Ways To Treat Insomnia
Regular and deep sleep is an essential requirement of life. The amount of sleep that people need varies, but for all of us, if insomnia prevents us from getting our needed amount, we find it hard to function. The fatigue and stress caused by insomnia can impact our happiness, work, and relationships. Sleep is not a luxury. It is essential. Finding out what causes insomnia is critical.
If you have insomnia, you are not alone. Millions of people are affected by the condition. As an insomniac who has spent nights unable to get to, or stay, asleep, you will most likely be searching for proven methods to beat insomnia. What’s more, you will appreciate more than most the importance of a good night’s sleep.
Insomnia often enters a person’s life as a symptom of an illness or a stressful experience. Once the sufferer’s sleep pattern has been disrupted, it is often difficult to reestablish, leading to more stress, fatigue, and insomnia. This vicious circle can last years.
Many insomniacs turn to traditional medical solutions for their condition. Sleeping pills are often the first thing tried. However, for many people, the inherent side effects of sleeping tablets make the cure worse than the disease. Many people taking sleeping pills grow to rely on them entirely and soon become addicted to them. Such an addiction can last through the rest of their lives.
Thankfully, there are natural solutions to insomnia. Your local supermarket stocks a range of herbal medicines that may work for you without the risk of addiction. Some herbal remedies come in pills, while others are brewed as a tea to be drunk before bedtime. There are enough varieties of teas for you to find one that tastes good and works for you.
Believe it or not, the old wife’s tale of drinking a warm glass of milk has some validity. Heating milk releases tryptophan, a chemical that relaxes the body and aids sleep. Gently warming a saucepan or heating a mug of milk in the microwave just before bed will help you develop a sleeping ritual and inform your body and mind that it’s time to start winding down.
By applying these natural remedies to insomnia, one can deal with the condition without the risks involved with heavy medication. Slowly but surely, you can retrain your system to go to sleep, and soon you may find that you don’t need to rely on any of them to have a good night of solid, restful sleep.
