Insomnia is a common condition in which people have difficulty for having a sleep. Many people don’t know what is insomnia. This condition can be mild or severe. Insomnia can be ongoing or short-term. In severe cases insomnia can last for at least 3 nights a week for more than a month. Short term insomnia does not last for a long period. Some people fall asleep easily but wake up too soon. Others may have trouble with both falling asleep and staying asleep. Hence defining what is insomnia.
Primary and secondary both are major causes of insomnia. Both types of insomnia are:
1. Primary insomnia is not cause of a medical problem, medicines, or other substances. It is its own disorder. A number of life changes can trigger primary insomnia, including long-lasting stress. People usually are unaware of what is insomnia and causes of insomnia. Lifestyle changes, including better sleep habits, often help relieve short term insomnia it cannot relieve long term insomnia.
2. The most common type is called secondary or comorbid insomnia. This type of insomnia is a symptom or side effect of some other problem. More than 80% of people who have insomnia are believed to have secondary type of insomnia and they don’t know what is insomnia and what are the causes of insomnia. Certain medical conditions become causes of insomnia.
Causes of Insomnia
Here are some causes of insomnia:
Secondary Insomnia
- Secondary insomnia is the symptom of another problem
- Severe pain, for example arthritis and headache are causes of insomnia.
- Conditions make it hard to breathe, such as asthma and heart failure are major causes of insomnia
- An overactive thyroid is a cause of insomnia.
- Gastrointestinal disorders, examples are problems like heartburn are causes of insomnia as well.
- Sleep disorders, such as restless legs syndrome and breathing problems causes of insomnia.
- All these are causes of insomnia particularly secondary.
Primary Insomnia
- Primary insomnia isn’t a symptom of another medical condition.
- This type of insomnia is mainly caused by prolonged periods of stress and tension.
- Other causes of insomnia, particularly primary, include chronic pain, pregnancy, drug use or withdrawal Mood disorders and anxiety disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety, panic attacks, and obsessive-compulsive disorder).
Remedies for Insomnia
For those people who are unaware of what is insomnia, what are the causes of insomnia and their remedies, here are some:
- Valerian.
- Melatonin.
- Kava.
- Visualization – involves imagining a relaxing scene.
- Mindfulness
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation
- Yoga
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation
- Avoid sweets