What is Insomnia?
Insomnia is a health condition that affects many young people. It prevents you from falling asleep, staying asleep through the night, and sleeping as long as you want in the morning.
Insomnia often occurs in three forms: transient insomnia, acute insomnia, and chronic insomnia. Transient insomnia usually occurs for less than a week, while acute insomnia occurs for less than three months. On the other hand, chronic insomnia can occur for three months or more.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 30-35% of adults have brief symptoms of insomnia. In addition, 15-20% of adults have short-term insomnia disorders that last less than three months, and 10% have chronic insomnia disorders. This shows that many adults struggle with insomnia all over the world.
Insomnia reduces sleep quality and work productivity: an employee who finds it difficult to sleep well at night will be sleepy during work hours. Apart from the poor work performance linked with insomnia, it is also connected to poor school performance and increased aggressiveness.
Why You Can't Fall Asleep
Some nights, when you close your eyes for a good night's sleep, you may find that you can't get a wink of sleep.
Other nights, you can sleep for a few hours but wake up many times. This can happen to you and many other adults for one or a combination of the reasons outlined below.
Stress: Stress is linked with most acute insomnia forms. The release of stress hormones like cortisol results in hyperarousal. You become sensitive to the slightest signs of discomfort and noise. At this point, anxiety creeps in, and you can't fall asleep.
Anxiety: Anxiety creates a sense of worry and fear that disturb or prevent good sleep. Anxiety can present as nightmares that wake you up in the middle of sleep or prevent you from falling asleep.
Poor sleep environment: Sometimes, the reason you can't fall asleep is yourenvironment. A rock-hard bed, noises from your neighbors, or blinking, bright lights can prevent you from getting a good night's rest.
Change in sleep schedule: Traveling to a new location in a different time zone may significantly affect your body's circadian rhythm. It can some days to adapt to the change in time. Working night shifts can also affect your sleep timing, resulting in difficulty staying asleep after shifts.
Pain: Pain can keep you up at night if it is chronic. Acute pain can wake you up several times, leaving you sleepy and tired in the mornings. The connection between pain and poor sleep is a two-way pattern because pain is often worsened by poor sleep.
Drugs: Some drugs may prevent you from getting good shut-eye. Drugs that cause insomnia include anticonvulsants, blood pressure medication, cold medications, pain relievers, drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease, and smoking cessation drugs.
Diet: You are what you eat. Dietary patterns are often linked with insomnia. Consumption of high-carb foods is linked with insomnia and other health conditions. Caffeine and nicotine are also identified as causes of insomnia in adults.
What To Do When You Can't Fall Asleep?
When you can't fall asleep, you may spend hours rolling from your bed side to side. You may get up and fix yourself a snack. Some people may watch television to pass the time.
