About Sleep
Sleep Related Conditions
Sleep Disorders
Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders that affects up to one-third of adults at any given point in time. It’s the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep no matter how long you’ve laid in bed and there are some reasons to explain why that happens.
In this article, we’ll look at the common insomnia causes, symptoms, and how to better cope with this condition.
What is Insomnia?
Insomnia can be defined as having trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, or both [1]. It is a common sleep disorder that affects many adults and can be categorized into two forms— acute insomnia and chronic insomnia.
Acute insomnia (short-term insomnia) refers to insomnia episodes that may last for up to a few days while chronic insomnia refers to ongoing sleep problems that last for 3 months or longer. It’s also usually diagnosed by a doctor.
What Causes Insomnia?
Many different factors can cause insomnia, including lifestyle factors or mental health conditions.
Some of the most common causes include:
- Stress
- Anxiety or depression
- Noise
- Jet lag
- Uncomfortable sleep environment
- Consuming caffeine, alcohol or drugs
Causes of insomnia in females
While insomnia affects just about anyone, a study has found that there’s a higher likelihood (up to 58%) of females experiencing insomnia compared to males [2]. Multiple factors contribute to this data.
The most distinct factor is hormones. Females have two major hormones, progesterone, and estrogen that are responsible for regulating the biological functions of the body. Throughout a female’s life, it goes up and down continuously, affecting sleep [3].
Additionally, pregnancy and postpartum can also lead to poor sleep quality. Sleep difficulties are found to be common during pregnancy, affecting almost 80% of pregnant women during the third trimester of pregnancy [4]. In the later stages of a woman’s life, she may develop menopause, changing sleep patterns and affecting sleep quality as a result.
Risk Factors
Not everyone will be at risk for insomnia but certain groups of people may find themselves at an increased risk for developing insomnia symptoms in comparison to those who don’t.
Common risk factors include [5]:
- Individuals with an irregular sleep-wake schedule
- Those who do shift work
- People with other sleep disorders (e.g. restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea)
- People with mental health conditions (e.g. anxiety, depression)
- Genetic predisposition
- Older adults
Common Insomnia Symptoms
Insomnia symptoms can vary from person to person but the most common symptoms that have been reported by people with insomnia include the following [6]:
- Trouble falling asleep at night, for an extended period
- Excessive daytime sleepiness or fatigue
- Not feeling refreshed upon waking
- Trouble staying asleep
- Irritability, depression, or anxiety
- Difficulty concentrating
- Increased errors or accidents
- Headaches
- Digestive issues caused by sleep deprivation
If you are experiencing insomnia symptoms that are affecting your overall quality of life, you may want to consider consulting a sleep specialist. Your sleep specialist will collect your past sleep history and may propose doing a sleep study to properly diagnose insomnia.
5 Ways to Cope with Symptoms of Insomnia
Insomnia symptoms can get better if you choose to practice good sleep habits. Here are five effective ways to help you cope with insomnia and improve the quality of your sleep.
1. Practicing good sleep hygiene
There are many ways to cultivate good sleep hygiene practices or habits so that you can enjoy a restful sleep. These practices include establishing a consistent sleep schedule, creating a sleep-friendly environment by ensuring it’s dark, cool, and quiet, limiting screen time before bed, and avoiding too many daytime naps.
Small habits like not sleeping right after a meal or avoiding caffeine close to bedtime can also help to make a difference.
2. Incorporate meditation into your bedtime routine
Sometimes, insomnia can be caused by too much stress, worry, or anxiety. Incorporating guided meditation exercises or deep breathing exercises can help you bring awareness to the present moment and release all of the tension you’re carrying.
When you are in a relaxed and calm state, it is much easier for you to fall asleep and stay asleep at night.
3. Get out of bed if you can’t fall asleep
This may come as a surprise but staying in bed if you’re already struggling to fall asleep is not going to do you any good!
Trying to force yourself to go to bed will only create more stress, exacerbating the problem further. If you can’t seem to fall asleep within 20 minutes or so, it’s a good sign to get out of bed. Try going to a different room or doing a relaxing activity until you start to feel tired.
4. Use sleeping pills if necessary
If trying several home remedies does not seem to help, you can consider the use of sleeping pills or supplements like melatonin. In the short term, using it may help but you are still advised to seek advice from a healthcare professional before consuming anything.
It’s also recommended to avoid using them as a long-term solution to prevent dependency.
5. Seek professional help
You can also consider seeking professional help from a certified sleep specialist if you’ve exhausted all self-care strategies. Identifying the root cause of your insomnia and taking steps to address it can help you work on and reduce these symptoms.
Also, there are treatment options such as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) which your doctor may recommend based on severity.
How effective is CBTI?
CBT-I is a very effective treatment for insomnia; symptoms remit in 80% of patients who undergo this treatment. Furthermore, the benefits of CBT-I are more sustained than other kinds of treatment such as medication, with lower rates of relapse over time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, anyone can experience insomnia and find it hard to sleep or stay asleep at any point in their lives. It could be due to stress, anxiety, poor sleep habits, or other lifestyle factors. Practicing good sleep hygiene and incorporating other self-care strategies can help you to better cope with these symptoms so that you may hopefully get better rest.
If you experience difficulty falling asleep at night, you may want to consider using the ShutEye® app as part of a self-care strategy. ShutEye® is an advanced sleep-tracking app that tracks your sleep cycles, offering personalized recommendations to help you improve your sleep quality. Try it for FREE today!
