Key takeaways

  • Insomnia may be caused by worries, school or work stress, or family issues that keep your mind active at night.
  • Stimulants like caffeine and nicotine can interfere with sleep. Alcohol can prevent the deeper stages of sleep needed for adequate rest.
  • Keeping a consistent sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, and avoiding eating or screen time before bed can help manage insomnia.

Insomnia can significantly impact your everyday life. Whether you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, it can affect your overall health, relationships, and work productivity.

Depending on the cause, insomnia may go away after a few days or weeks. However, in some cases, it can also become a long-term condition.

There are two types of insomnia:

  • Primary insomnia: Primary insomnia is insomnia that isn’t a symptom of another condition.
  • Secondary insomnia: If your insomnia stems from an underlying condition, it’s called secondary insomnia. It’s the most common type of sleeplessness.

If you have insomnia, a doctor can help you find out what kind you have.

Some common causes for secondary insomnia include the following.

Worries can often keep your mind active at night and make it difficult for you to fall or stay asleep. It may stem from issues at work, school, or with family, which can make you anxious.

Worrying about not getting enough sleep can also lead to even more sleep deprivation, creating a cycle.

Depression is a common source of insomnia. People who have depression may find it difficult to fall asleep, or it can often affect sleep patterns. You may also be too distressed by fears or troubling thoughts, which may prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.

Insomnia increases with age as your sleep patterns change. Older adults often have trouble with sustained sleep over an eight-hour period. They may need to nap during the day to get the recommended eight hours of sleep over a 24-hour period.

The National Institute of Ageing notes that insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in adults over the age of 60

A number of over-the-counter medications can cause insomnia, particularly if they contain caffeine or other stimulants.

Many prescription drugs can disrupt your sleep patterns. These can include:

  • antidepressants
  • heart and blood pressure medicines
  • allergy medicine
  • stimulants

Medications like antihistamines may make you drowsy at first, but they can lead to frequent urination, which can then disturb sleep by causing more nighttime trips to the bathroom.

These drinks often contain caffeine, which stimulates the brain:

  • coffee
  • tea
  • soft drinks
  • energy drinks

This stimulation can interfere with sleep. Drinking coffee in the late afternoon can keep you from falling asleep at night.

Nicotine in tobacco is another stimulant that can inhibit sleep.

Alcohol is a sedative that may help you fall asleep initially, but it will prevent deeper stages of sleep and make you toss and turn. The deep stages of sleep are necessary for adequate rest.

A host of medical conditions can contribute to insomnia. Sleep issues are associated with chronic medical conditions or their symptoms, such as:

  • chronic pain
  • breathing difficulties
  • sleep apnea
  • arthritis
  • cardiovascular disease
  • obesity
  • cancer
  • frequent urination
  • menopause
  • restless leg syndrome

Shift work or long-distance travel can affect your body’s circadian rhythm. This is the 24-hour biochemical, physiological, and behavioral cycle that is affected by exposure to sunlight.

This rhythm is your internal clock. It regulates sleep cycles, body temperature, and metabolism. When your internal clock is thrown off balance, your sleep can become disrupted.

If you regularly find it difficult to fall or stay asleep, it may be helpful to try some of the following tips before bed:

  • Take a relaxing bath.
  • Listen to some soothing music.
  • Avoid watching TV or working in bed.
  • Try not to eat right before you go to bed.

It can also be beneficial to stick to the same sleep schedule every day, even on the weekends.

If you regularly find it difficult to fall or stay asleep, consider speaking with a healthcare professional. They can identify if an underlying medical condition may be causing you insomnia and put together a treatment plan to help.

If your insomnia is being caused by any medications you are taking, a healthcare professional may also be able to recommend alternative options.

Insomnia can significantly impact your everyday life. Whether you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, it can affect your overall health.

Common causes include anxiety, taking stimulants, and side effects of medications. Lifestyle measures, such as following a sleep schedule and creating a calm sleeping environment, can help.

If you regularly find it difficult to fall or stay asleep, consider speaking with a healthcare professional.