If you find yourself unable to fall asleep as easily as you used to, or if you keep waking up during the night and have trouble going back to sleep, you might be suffering from a case of chronic insomnia. This can be a potentially serious sleeping disorder but before you start panicking, you should also know that you are not alone in this situation. In fact, this is quite a common condition, especially among adult women and the elderly. Chronic insomnia can occur due to a variety of reasons, and in order to find the proper treatment, you first need to trace the cause of your particular case.
Hereditary Factors
A significant percentage of all people suffering from chronic insomnia may have inherited the condition from their family. To be more descriptive, it is estimated that one out of three people who suffer from the disorder have mothers that also experience the same symptoms. Despite the staggering numbers though, the role of genetics in insomnia remains to be scientifically proven.
Psychiatric Disorders
Studies have shown that certain psychiatric disorders and mental trauma issues do affect a person’s chances of suffering from chronic insomnia. Usually, when the underlying condition is treated, the insomnia goes away as well.
Illnesses and Medications
When a person is suffering from a serious physical illness, such as cancer, heart problems, Alzheimer’s, gastric diseases, and so on, they are more prone to suffering from chronic insomnia as well. The physical injury, as well as the emotional trauma that accompanies this injury, can be a significant contributing factor to the development of insomnia. In some cases, however, it is the medication for the illness that may be causing the insomnia. Oftentimes, the insomnia goes away upon treatment of the illness but in some cases, a separate treatment for insomnia has to be undertaken as well.
Irregular Sleeping Patterns
If you don’t follow a regular sleeping schedule, it is very likely that you will be experiencing the symptoms of chronic insomnia before long. For instance, if you have a job that comes with frequently changing work shifts, or if you have a habit of staying up extremely late and depriving yourself of the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep at night, your body will eventually feel the stress and you will soon start exhibiting signs of insomnia.
Lifestyle and Diet
Besides the above mentioned causes, there are many other potential factors that can contribute to chronic insomnia. Among these are smoking, too much consumption of caffeine and the use of prohibited drugs. Even seemingly mundane things such as stress from work or bad childhood memories can also trigger insomnia. The important thing is to seek treatment as soon as you notice any symptoms in order to prevent the possible worsening of your condition.
Insomnia is natural every once in a while, but when it turns into chronic insomnia you may need to find a way to treat your condition. The occasional sleepless night is nothing new. In fact, many people suffer from sleeplessness at least once in a while. There are many triggers for sleeplessness, including stress, depression and anxiety. Stimulants such as caffeine can further increase the chances of sleeplessness.
There are many different ways that chronic insomnia can be treated and several of them include medications, whether over the counter or prescription. That’s why it’s so important to know all your treatment options before you seek medical attention for your sleeplessness. When you go to your doctor, you will find that he may prescribe you a sleep aid which will help you to fall asleep more easily. Many of these medications are very effective, but may not help you to stay asleep. If they do help you to stay asleep, you may find that you wake up feeling groggy or “out of it”. Prescription sleep aids can also wind up leaving you dependent on them if you use them for too long, so you should make sure that these are a shorter term option to ease sleeplessness.
There are natural sleep aids which you can try for your chronic insomnia and many people swear by them. Ingredients such as melatonin help to “reset” the internal clock which helps you to feel sleepy and be able to sleep naturally. Over time, using this product for sleeplessness can help you to fall asleep naturally with no negative side effects. Often, when you take melatonin, as long as you have the time to sleep a full eight hours, you will find that you wake up rested and refreshed and that will be a pleasant change from all the nights spent tossing and turning.
In addition to treating your chronic insomnia yourself, with the help of natural medications such as melatonin, you can help yourself get to sleep by avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and getting regular exercise. Working out is helpful in working off excess energy and releases endorphins which help us to feel good. As you come off the endorphins, you may experience a pleasant sleepiness. This is greatly beneficial when you are working to ensure that you are able to fall asleep.
If you suffer from chronic insomnia, you should take heart. Your condition is curable and you don’t have to be stuck with prescription sleep medications for the rest of your life. If you find that you can’t sleep, however and nothing else helps, you may want to seek professional medical attention while you are working to get the sleep you so badly need.
