Have you experience difficulty sleeping? Most people have experienced insomnia in their lives. It is describe as difficulty in sleeping or maintaining sleep; a poor quality or quantity of sleep. Around 30 to 5o% of the population are assumed to have experienced insomnia and 10% have chronic insomnia. Insomnia affects both adult and children but it is most common in adults and more affected are women than men.
There are many causes why one experiences insomnia; situational and stress factors that may lead to it like jet lag, physical discomfort (like hot, cold, lighting, noise, unfamiliar surroundings), working in different shifts, stressful (life situations that you experience like divorce or separation, losing a job, preparing for an exam or report,, death of a loved one), illicit drug use, smoking cigarette, taking caffeine before going to bed, alcohol intoxication or withdrawal or certain medications. Sleep hygiene of one person do play an important role in insomnia. Like using the bedroom for other things aside from sleeping, eating and exercising before going to sleep, going to bed hungry, too much noise or lighting in a room where you sleep and doing work in bed are poor sleeping hygiene. Aside from this there are medical and psychiatric conditions may also cause insomnia like breathing problem from chronic heart or lung disease, congestive heart failure, obstructive sleep apnea, obesity, acid reflux, hyperthyroidism, Parkinson’s disease or dementia, urinary problems, chronic pain and fibromyalgia. And for psychiatric problems include depression, psychosis, mania, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. If you experience insomnia you should better see a doctor to help you with your insomnia.