You’ve had a long day. It is now the time for you to lie down on your bed and that is just what your body needs.

You badly need to sleep. Minutes passed by… 10… 30… It’s been an hour or two, and you’re still there lying on your bed, wide awake.

This is not the first time that’s happening to you. It happens almost every night, and it makes you feel drained the next day since you’ve got no sleep. You are suffering from sleep insomnia.

Read on and know more about this condition, its causes, and how it can be treated… and prevented.

Sleep Insomnia and Its Causes

Most of the time, people suffering from insomnia also have underlying conditions. It is mostly caused by stress, bad habits, and lack of sleep.

If the underlying cause is treated first, insomnia will then be cured, but there are also times when it would last for a long time. Here are some common causes of sleep insomnia:

1. Stress

Any concern that keeps your mind active even at night — work, finances, family, or health— would usually cause you to have difficulty in sleeping. Experiencing stressful life events and trauma — losing a loved one, job loss, or divorce— can also lead to insomnia.

2. Hectic Schedule

Your body’s internal clock aka circadian rhythm serves as the guide for your body’s metabolism, temperature, and sleep-wake cycle.

If the rhythm gets disrupted, it may lead to insomnia. Jet lag caused by traveling, staying up late for work, or changing shifts can disturb your body clock and may cause insomnia.

3. Poor Sleeping Habits

If you usually have an irregular sleeping schedule or are used to doing stimulating activities before bedtime, it can affect your sleep. Even an uncomfortable resting environment won’t do you good, as well as watching TV or using gadgets before sleep can disrupt your sleep cycle.

4. Eating a lot before bedtime

You can have some light snacks before bedtime, but it is not advisable to consume a lot of food. It will make you feel uncomfortable if you’re too full and lying down on the bed.

It might also lead to heartburn, which is the backflow of food and acid up into the esophagus, which may ruin your sleep.

Sleep Disorders and Mental Health

Insomnia involves several mental conditions, and some of them include substance abuse, psychotic disorders, and anxiety. It has been observed that patients who frequently suffer from insomnia are more prone to experiencing episodes of mental illnesses, especially depression and anxiety disorders.

Insomnia is not just simply a symptom; at times it could also contribute to these mental problems.

Tips for Sleep Insomnia

• Coffee may help you sleep better.

Many say coffee is a culprit for making it harder to sleep, but it can do you good, if and only if it is taken in moderation. It should also be done in the early hours of the day. It can help in setting your body rhythms.

• Sleep during the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m..

These hours are known to be the time when regeneration is happening, so make sure you get some shut eye at or before 10 pm. Also, around 10 pm, melatonin levels naturally rise and affect your metabolism to rejuvenate everything in your body while you’re at rest.

• Don’t use loud alarm clocks.

Opt for gentler alarms since waking up to loud sounds in the morning can be irritating, and that will affect your mood. It is also better to wake up gently than to rise all of a sudden just because of a pesky alarm clock.

• No to bright lights.

Dark bedrooms are better in putting you to sleep since it helps to maintain levels of melatonin. Avoid super bright lights in the room and opt for subtle and darker ones. You can also use blackout shades and eye masks.

• Sleep naked.

Insomniacs were found to have warmer body temperature than normal, especially during bedtime. Sleeping naked can help your body reach the ideal temperature conducive for a good night’s sleep.

• Move electrical devices from your bed.

Make sure you keep devices away from your bed and turn them off an hour or so before bedtime.

That way, you won’t be tempted to scroll idly through various social networking sites. You can replace your gadgets with books or a good talk with a loved one right before you go to sleep.

• Join the early risers club.

Humans are obviously made to be awake at daytime and asleep at night. If you are nowhere near a ‘morning person’, then you can try to slowly change your sleep schedule and try hard not to hit the snooze button on your alarm.

Do you suffer from sleep insomnia? If so, what can you do today to deal with it?

About The Author

This is a guest post by Joe from Nootropic Nation.