Sleep is a vital natural mode that the body goes into in order to repair tissues, regulate hormones, store memories, and restore energy levels. But as natural as it is for the body to give in and fall asleep, so many people still struggle with sleeping. This condition is called Insomnia. Insomnia is a frequent sleep problem that reduces a person’s ability to sleep or wake up feeling rested, despite having set aside ample time to do so.
“Chronic insomnia is highly prevalent and affects approximately 30% of the general population,” as per Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. You may not know this, but if you’re currently battling with insomnia, keep in mind that this condition has a lot to do with how you feel mentally. If this condition is something you’ve experienced, you’ll see how much it affects how you behave daily, and how it also contributes to how less productive you are. In this article, we’re going to look at the symptoms, consequences, and causes of insomnia.
Symptoms of Insomnia
If you’re experiencing insomnia, you’ll be:
- Having trouble falling asleep
- Waking up during the night
- Waking up too early in the morning
- Feeling tired during the day
- Struggling to focus
- Feeling irritable
- Experiencing mood changes
Consequences of Insomnia
The consequences of insomnia are of two types. Its symptoms can be a lot to handle as it affects how we act both physically and mentally.
Physical consequences
One of the reasons the body needs sleep is for repairs. If you didn’t have enough sleep, your body wouldn’t have enough time to repair and restore itself. Because of that, many things begin to happen within the body.
For starters, the heart begins to work harder than before which can lead to high blood pressure. You’ll become more likely to fall sick because the immune system isn’t as strong as it used to be. Finally, the most brutal consequences are slowed reaction times. When you’re tired during the day, your reaction time slows down making it easier to have an accident, whether you’re driving or at work.
Mental consequences
With very little to no sleep throughout the night, you find it hard to manage stress and emotions. Overtime, this may lead to mood disorders like depression and anxiety. Similarly, if you don’t sleep well, you find it hard to focus, I bet we’ve probably been in such positions before. Remember things, and think clearly because it is a difficult thing to do. Eventually, insomnia drains your energy, and makes daily activities harder.
Causes of Insomnia
Insomnia is mostly caused by triggers which come from different factors.
Psychological factors
One thing about mental health issues is that it keeps the brain active. The brain becomes too active to sleep. For example, stress and anxiety is the mental health issue that causes a person to worry about problems or feel anxious. The same thing happens with grief and trauma. The loss or traumatic event weighs on the mind, making it too occupied to sleep.
Physical factors
It’s no news that having some sort of issues with the body like physical pain, whether from an injury or a medical condition (e.g. asthma), can make it really hard to be comfortable, let alone to fall asleep.
Also constant use of illicit drugs and alcohol, disrupts the sleep cycle which makes it hard to get some sleep.
Furthermore, a condition called sleep apnea which causes a person to stop breathing for short periods, can make sleep almost impossible because of the constant frequent awakenings.
Lifestyle factors
How you behave on a daily basis and the environment around you can really affect your sleep. Sometimes, people have an irregular sleeping schedule where they go to bed and wake up at different times every day. This confuses the body’s internal clock, making it harder to fall asleep.
Moreover, drinking too much coffee or alcohol can stimulate the brain before you sleep. However, there are other stimulants like watching TV or exercising right before bed. Finally, a noisy and bright sleeping environment is not the best, especially if you’re battling with insomnia.
Conclusion
Insomnia is a common sleep problem where people have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up feeling rested. It can cause serious issues with how someone feels and functions during the day. While anyone can have insomnia, it’s more likely to happen to older people, women, and those with other health problems. If it’s not dealt with, insomnia can lead to both physical and mental health problems, affecting things like energy, mood, and concentration.
