There are many possible causes of insomnia. Sometimes there is one main cause, but often several factors interacting together will cause a sleep disturbance.
The causes of insomnia include: psychological causes, physical causes, temporary events or factors. In order to properly treat and cure your insomnia, you need to become a sleep detective. Emotional issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression cause half of all insomnia cases. But your daytime habits, sleep routine, and physical health may also play a role. Try to identify all possible causes of your insomnia. Once you figure out the root cause, you can tailor treatment accordingly. Transient insomnia generally last less than seven days.
Short – term insomnia usually lasts for about one to three weeks, and chronic insomnia lasts for more than three weeks. Concerns about work, school, health or family can keep your mind active at night, making it difficult to sleep. Stressful life events, such as the death or illness of a loved one, divorce or a job loss, may lead to insomnia. Insomnia can affect all age groups and is more common in adult women than adult men. Secondary insomnia is the symptom or side effect of another problem. This type of insomnia often is a symptom of an emotional, neurological, or other medical or sleep disorder. You might either sleep too much or have trouble sleeping if you’re depressed. This may be due to chemical imbalances in your brain or because worries that accompany depression may keep you from relaxing enough to fall asleep. Insomnia often accompanies other mental health disorders as well. The levels of melatonin, the hormone that helps control sleep, decrease as a person ages.
By age 60, the body produces very little melatonin. Anxiety may be due to the effects that other people at work have on us, financial worries, concerns over relationships outside work or numerous other causes. Primary insomnia is not a symptom or side effect of another medical condition. This type of insomnia usually occurs for periods of at least one month. Pain and discomfort from a medical illness or injury often interfere with sleep.