What causes insomnia and what are the cures?

Ever wondered what causes insomnia? Here is the reason.

Insomnia is the inability or difficulty to fall asleep. It is a very common problem and happens to millions of people across the world. We may lay in our beds for hours before we are able to fall asleep or wake up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back asleep again.

Insomnia is not a sleep disorder. Its more correct to call it a "symptom" to another problem. There are many reasons why this happens. Sometimes it may be just one reason or it may be a combination of factors.



In order to cure insomnia, you must be able to identify the cause. Whether it be a psychological, physical or other factors which causes it, only you can identify them.

It isn't possible to list down all the causes but here is a list of some problems associated with insomnia to help you identify your cause.

• Psychological
• Depression
• Anxiety 
• Stress
• Medical Problems
• Asthma
• Cold
• Cancer
• Kidney disease
• Pain
• Over-active thyroid
• Physical problems
• Hormonal changes
• Deceased melatonin
• Genetics 
• Sleep disorders 
• Temporary disorders
• Jet lag
• Working nights
• Caffeine/Alcohol 
• Environment (noise/temp etc)

Did you know?

• Natural light (light from outside not your light bulb) consists of many wavelengths (think of it as many properties) and this is important for the brain to produce the hormone called, "melatonin" which aids in sleeping. People who don't go out much into the sun and stay indoors all day often have insomnia because they don't receive this natural light.
• Smoking also causes insomnia because in cigarettes, there is a chemical called nicotine. This chemical excites your brain cells which causes it to become hyperactive (overly active), therefore the inability to sleep. 

• Scientific explanation: Nicotine has a similar shape to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine located in your brain therefore, it is able to fit into the cholinergic receptor proteins located in the post synaptic membrane of the neurone. Due to the absence of an enzyme to breakdown nicotine (in usual cases there are enzymes called acetylcolinesterase to break down acetylcholine into acetyl and choline), it is continuously attached to the receptor protein which causes continuous action potential to be generated therefore, stimulating the mind.

How to cure insomnia?
I will describe a method that works for me then list down all other methods. The problem for me is that I tend to sleep late at night and wake up in the afternoon (therefore giving me a jet lag kind of environment). So it is hard to get up early because I cant sleep early. I figured out a technique that I use which works for me. This process usually takes me 2 days to complete.

What I like to do is I'll have a good nights rest first.
Day 1: Then I'll stay up the whole day and night the next day and sleep at about 3 PM - 5 PM in the afternoon the next day.
Day 2: I'll set an alarm for 12 hours so I usually wake up at about 2 or 3 (roughly 12 hours sleep) in the morning (past midnight) the next day. I'll then stay awake until my desired time to sleep (usually around 10PM at night) then sleep. By this time you will be exhausted because you've been awake for over 18 hours (don't forget to do something active so you are tired e.g. exercise). This "fixes" my body clock so it may work for you as well.

I use this method because I cant sleep early at night nor wake up in the morning so I thought, 'since I can't sleep early at night, why don't I get exhausted first then try sleeping?".

Other methods are:

• Sleep an hour earlier every night and wake up an hour earlier the next day.
• Don't have caffeine/alcohol/smoke
• Don't take naps
• Get into daily routine to establish sleep patterns 
• Don't eat before sleeping (this provides you with energy so it would be difficult to fall asleep)
• Medicines
• Therapies 
• Change lifestyle
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy