Millions of Americans suffer from chronic insomnia every year. If you have chronic insomnia or know someone who does, it is important that you learn what the causes are so that you can help to treat it. There are many reasons why people suffer from chronic insomnia. Here are some of the most common causes of insomnia and some ways that you can treat this terrible sleep disorder.
The main causes of insomnia are stress, an inconsistent sleep schedule, bad sleep habits, mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, physical illnesses, medications, and certain sleep disorders. Some of the causes of these conditions can actually be classified as Short-Term Insomnia and be reversed by making slight changes to your lifestyle. Like keeping a sleep diary or increasing your hours of sleep time you allot. For example, a person who is constantly stressed may have high blood pressure … and find that if they take up yoga or meditation classes, they can relieve some of the stress and get some high quality of sleep. Someone who is constantly meditating or taking yoga classes may also find that they can relax much easier when they are asleep. By making some simple lifestyle changes, you can get back on track to getting a good night’s sleep. 
Your medical history and some medications can also cause chronic insomnia, too. Many prescription drug sleep aids come with the risk of dependency, so if you take them, you should make sure that you are not taking a medicine that increases your risk of acute insomnia. Medications are usually a cause of secondary insomnia if they interfere with your sleep history or if they contain sedatives, anti-anxiety medications, or mood enhancing medications. Rarely, some insomnia medications only effect the morning hours and do not affect your ability to sleep at all during the day.
People who suffer from primary insomnia may also experience symptoms similar to depression. These symptoms can include moodiness, irritability, restlessness, thoughts of suicide or death, fatigue and sleepiness during the day, difficulty concentrating, and lack of concentration. A combination of some or all of these symptoms can lead to insomnia. If you are having these symptoms, you should see a licensed medical practitioner such as a psychiatrist or psychologist. Your mental health professional can help determine if you are experiencing insomnia as a symptom of another condition or if your insomnia is the result of a sleep hygiene problem that needs to be addressed.
It has been proven that chronic insomnia can be caused by physical or emotional factors. In order to deal with insomnia, you should go to your doctor and get a physical exam to identify and get a diagnosis of insomnia … is your health the cause of your sleeping problems. If you are experiencing sleep difficulty and are unable to sleep on an appropriate schedule for several weeks, it is a good possibility that your body’s internal clock is out of sync. You should try to get back in tune with your body by improving your sleeping habits and taking care of the stresses in your life. Making changes in your lifestyle and improving your sleep habits can go a long way toward treating your sleep disorders.
Behavioral therapy is another way to study your sleep patterns and try to fix your short-term insomnia at home. A common sleep disorder culprit is trying to sleep in front of the television. Any qualified sleep study will show you that this is just awful for your quality of life without sleep. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine lists several viable treatments for insomnia. Check out their website and see what different types of insomnia there are and what therapy for insomnia is right for you. Or you can find a sleep specialist that specializes in adults with insomnia to discover the cause of your severe insomnia and thereby have a better quality of life to look forward to.
In conclusion, unfortunately, there is no one test that will diagnose chronic insomnia or severe sleep disorder, but there are several criteria that may point to its presence. If you have been experiencing difficulty staying asleep for more than three weeks, you should see a doctor. Insomnia can be treated, and if you take the proper steps to treat it, you can get back to enjoying a good night’s sleep again. With a good sleep disorder treatment program, you can get back to sleep like a baby.