What Causes Insomnia - And How To Recognize It?

[meredith hunt]

Most of us have suffered from insomnia at one time or another - in
fact, around 25% of Americans have occasional difficulty in falling or
staying asleep; while around 10% of Americans suffer from so-called
chronic insomnia. Chronic insomnia is defined as not sleeping well for
at least a month.
The symptoms of insomnia are fairly well known to most of us. Insomnia
is defined as not only a difficulty in falling asleep, but the
inability to stay asleep or finding yourself waking up frequently or
too early. And if you are routinely tired or irritable during the day,
you are probably not getting enough sleep.
Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders and can be caused
by a number of things. Alcohol, caffeine, the wrong types of food - or
simply a disruption of routine or too much stress can all be
contributing factors. Smoking is a stimulant and can also cause
insomnia.
Whereas exercise is commendable, exercising too close to bedtime can
tend to keep you awake. Certain medical conditions can cause insomnia
and as most women who have experienced it will verify - menopause can
also cause sleepless nights.
Having distractions such as reminders of work or a television in your
bedroom can also keep you awake. Sleeping in after a late night may
cause you to have trouble sleeping the following night - some experts
advise getting up at the same time each day, even on weekends and
holidays.
Be selective in what you eat and drink before you go to bed - fatty
and spicy foods can cause heartburn, which can prevent falling asleep.
Food and drink that contain tyramine cause the release of a brain
stimulant, norepinephrine, which can help to keep you awake. Tyramine
can be found in many common products such as cheese, nuts and red
wine.
Other factors can also cause insomnia - shift work and jet lag can
affect your ability to get a good night's sleep. Supposedly it takes a
day to fully recover for each hour's difference in time - therefore if
you travel across a 5 hour time zone, it will take 5 days to fully
recover. Most experts advise that the only real solution to jet lag is
to immediately adjust your schedule to the new time zone.
There are several solutions to insomnia varying from changing your
routine or diet, to medication, sleeping pills and natural remedies.
Experts recommend 7 or 8 hours of sleep every night - if you are one
of the many people who don't come close to that, you may want to try
to do something about
it.
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