Sunday, March 30, 2008

A Peek at the Damage Insomnia Causes

Insomnia affects a large percentage of the population throughout the world. It leads to a number of health problems as well as psychological problems. Lack of adequate sleep often results in weight gain, stress, slurred speech, impaired thinking, depression and many other health issues. This article deals with the various types of Insomnia causes along with how they affect the general population.

One of the types of insomnia is sleep state misconception. In this type of problem, people who doze adequately feel that they do not have enough. Another type of this problem is psycho physiological insomnia. This type of insomnia encourages one to lie on the bed for a long time but find it difficult to fall asleep. This problem happens when the person is too distressed psychologically. He is unable to overcome his stress inducing issues and thinks about it to such an extent that he fails to get enough rest.

Yet another type of insomnia is obstructive sleep apnea in which the airway collapses while the patient is sound asleep. This causes people to wake up early in the morning and find it difficult to fall asleep again. It also leads to daytime sleepiness. Some people suffer from insomnia on staying in places that are at high altitude. The lack of adequate oxygen can aggravate the issue. Pilots and flight crews often suffer from this issue. A new and stressful situation like a new job or exams may lead to temporary sleeplessness. Once the person gets used to the new environment, he is usually able to sleep properly again. Then there is certain medication that could lead to this problem as an undesirable side effect. Therefore, you must consult your doctor before purchasing any over the counter medicines with stimulants. People who need alcohol to fall asleep may suffer from insomnia when they do not take it. Certain toxins can cause wakefulness too.

Children may also suffer from restlessness if parents do not enforce a fixed bedtime schedule for them. Other insomnia causes among children are food allergies and lack of the usual cues like a song, story or pacifier to enable them to fall asleep. Disruption in sleeping and waking cycle like in a jet lag could lead to transient insomnia. People who work alternate shifts may also suffer from this condition due to fluctuations in sleep wake schedule. Some people are able to fall asleep after midnight, usually after 2 AM. Thus, they miss the daily 8 hours of sleep and feel tired. Leg cramps while sleeping troubles a number of people who wake up due to the pain in leg and are unable to fall asleep again.


About the Author

We provide information on the facts about insomnia along with information on sleep deprivation effects and other sleeping disorders. by D. Karlson