Common Causes of Insomnia & What to Do

What causes insomnia? At least 20 percent of adults experience periods of restlessness and inability to sleep for short periods of time. I experience this syndrome quite often. Symptoms of insomnia are simple to define: You can't go to sleep. In some cases, like mine, the individual can stay wide awake for two days without getting a bit of shut-eye.

The most common reason for a night of sleeplessness is poor sleeping conditions. Either noise, too much heat or even a lumpy mattress can keep a person from getting a good night's sleep. In cases such as this, where the culprit is the environment, the situation is generally easy to resolve.

One of the most common psychological causes of insomnia is stress. Stress can be brought on by many different factors such as worrying about health, loved ones or employment. This is generally alleviated after a brief period of time. A situation resolves itself and the person can once again, rest.

Major depression is another common cause of insomnia. We often think of people who are depressed as sleeping all of the time; this isn't always true. Many chronically depressed individuals have long bouts with insomnia. When the depression lifts, the person can then again rest. To find symptoms of depression, check out Are You Or Someone You Know Depressed?

Sleep apnea is another common cause of insomnia. Unlike stress and depression, sleep apnea is a physical condition. People who suffer from this ailment have trouble breathing when asleep and tend to wake up repeatedly throughout the night. When they do sleep, they snore loudly, often causing their partners to awaken them.

Ulcers and dyspepsia, stomach disorders, can also keep people awake at night, as can any chronic pain. In this case, the insomnia is relieved when the illness is treated. Another physical cause of insomnia is restless leg syndrome in which the individual feels the urge to move their legs when lying down, making it very difficult to fall asleep.

Withdrawal from certain addictive substances such as drugs, alcohol or even sleeping pills can also cause an individual to experience bouts of insomnia.