iNsoMNia

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Sleep habits we learned as children may affect our sleep behaviors as adults. When we repeat these behaviors over many years, they become habits.
Poor sleep or lifestyle habits that may cause insomnia or make it worse:

• Going to bed at different times each night
• Daytime napping
• Poor sleeping environment, such as too much noise or light
• Spending too much time in bed while awake
• Working evening or night shifts
• Not getting enough exercise
• Using the television, computer, or smartphone in bed

The use of some medications and drugs may also affect sleep:

• Alcohol or other drugs
• Heavy smoking
• Too much caffeine, especially late in the day
• Getting used to certain types of sleep medications
• Some cold medications and diet pills
• Other medicines, herbs, or supplements prescribed by a health care provider or bought on your own

Physical, social, and mental health issues can affect sleep patterns, including:

• Anxiety disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Certain medical conditions, such as thyroid disease
• Feeling sad or depressed. Often, insomnia is the symptom that causes people with depression to seek medical help.
• Physical pain or discomfort
• Stress, whether it is short-term or long-term. For some people, the stress caused by the insomnia makes it even harder to fall asleep.

With age, sleep patterns tend to change. Many people find that aging causes them to have a harder time falling asleep, and that they wake up more often.

Symptoms

The most common complaints or symptoms in people with insomnia are:

• Trouble falling asleep on most nights
• Feeling tired during the day or falling asleep during the day
• Not feeling refreshed when you wake up
• Waking up several times during sleep

People who have insomnia sometimes keep thinking about getting enough sleep. The more they try to sleep, the more frustrated and upset they get, and the harder sleep becomes.
A lack of restful sleep can affect your ability to do your daily activities because you are tired or have trouble concentrating. credit to: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov