- According to the Mayo Clinic, insomnia can be severe enough to keep people from functioning normally the next day and leads to an increased chance of making mistakes in our work.
- Insomnia occurs for three main reasons: physical causes, mental causes and temporary external events.
- Psychological reasons that cause insomnia include stress, anxiety and depression. Physical factors include hormonal changes, natural aging that decreases melatonin levels, pain, genetic factors, sleep disorders and secondary medical conditions such as heart disease, Parkinson's and high blood pressure, as well as potentially less serious disorders such as allergies.
- While psychological and physical factors are difficult to prevent, the temporary factors causing insomnia are not. These include adjustment sleep disorder (stress caused by a new life situation), jet lag, changes in sleeping patterns, medications, excessive caffeine and alcohol, and change in environmental noise and temperatures.
- Most people who have insomnia experience it due to a combination of causes. Additionally, a lack of sleep can lead to the same psychological disorders that cause insomnia in the first place, making the cycle hard to break.
