Insomnia: Causes and symptoms
By: 탁율
Sleeping is one of the most important parts of human life. It gives us energy for our daily lives and helps our bodies prepare for the next day. However, some people have a condition that prevents them from getting a good night's sleep. This condition is called insomnia and it can negatively affect your day in many ways. For instance, you could feel exhaustion throughout your day, experience mood swings, have delayed reflexes, and so on. This article will talk about the causes of insomnia, some of its symptoms, and how to prevent it.
There are many reasons why you might be experiencing insomnia. Out of all those explanations, there are three main causes. These are: family history, medical conditions, your habits and routines. People with a history of insomnia commonly have this condition. This is because insomnia has a genetic component. Researchers found out that people with a family history of insomnia have 31 to 58 percent of them facing this condition. Medical conditions are also a large part of why you might be experiencing this condition. Minor infections or injuries, as well as chronic conditions like acid reflux or Parkinson’s disease are some of the diseases that stop you from getting a good night’s sleep. Your habits and routines are one of the main reasons you could have insomnia. Your sleep habits, or sleep hygiene affect how you sleep at night. For instance, if you drink a lot of coffee, nap during the day, or go to sleep late, you will have a much higher risk for insomnia.
Insomnia affects your day, how you sleep at night and even your health. Insomnia has several daytime reflexes. It can make you sleepy during the day, make you forget things easily, muddle your thoughts, or give you a short temper. You can also have slow reflexes during the day. According to research by the American Thoracic Society, sleep has an important role in speed, accuracy, and reaction time. Insomnia takes away your sleep, and as a result, negatively affects your day. There are three main types of insomnia. Initial insomnia, or onset insomnia is when it takes you a long time to go to sleep. People with initial insomnia can take from 20 minutes to over 45 minutes to go to sleep. Maintenance insomnia is when you wake up in the middle of the night, but go back to sleep. This kind of insomnia is one of the most common conditions, and it affects about 67 percent of all people with insomnia. Late insomnia is when you wake up too early in the morning like waking up at 2AM for no reason. Chronic insomnia is when you have insomnia very often. Even though insomnia itself is harmless, chronic insomnia can lead to serious problems such as diabetes, hypertension, or even heart attack.
Then how do you prevent this annoying condition? The easiest way you can prevent insomnia is to improve your sleep hygiene. You should exercise regularly, go to bed and wake up and go to sleep at the same time everyday. You should also avoid midnight snacking, stay away from caffeine, and not nap during the day. Another way to prevent insomnia is to take medication. For people with chronic insomnia, medication can be a great help. Sedative drugs and hypnotic drugs are some examples of medication that may help.
In conclusion, insomnia is a condition that stops you from getting a good night’s sleep. It has many side effects like negatively impacting your day, getting diseases and affecting how you sleep at night. Make sure to improve your sleep hygiene next time you go to sleep.
sources: Cleveland Clinic-Insomnia 2023/2/13 https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/122119-insomnia
NHS - Insomnia
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/insomnia/
American Thoracic Society - Sleep and Performance