What to Do When You Find it Hard to Fall Asleep

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which you find it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. Often, sleep is not restful and one might still feel exhausted after waking up. In short-term, insomnia can cause midday fatigue, learning problems or other issues. In long term, this disorder might increase a person's chances of being affected by certain illnesses. Overall fitness, performance at the workplace, and standard of living can also be impacted by insomnia.

What Causes Insomnia?

• Genetics: Certain studies show that individuals with a family history of insomnia may be more susceptible.

• Stress and anxiety brought on by significant life changes such as loss of employment or relocation, a beloved one's demise, a separation, or a transfer can often make it hard to fall asleep.

• Different psychological health conditions, including anxiety and depression, can lead to sleeplessness.

• Alterations to the sleep routine because of tiredness, changing schedule at work, or undesirable patterns developed in the past.

• Consumption of illegal substances, liquor, nicotine, and caffeine can keep you awake at night. If this continues for days, the sleeping pattern may get disturbed.

• Various hormonal issues, such as hyperthyroidism, can also be the cause of insomnia.

How does Insomnia Affect Mental Health?

Mental health is significantly impacted due to lack of sleep.

• Low mood: Not getting enough sleep can cause various mood changes making you sad or upset.

• Anxiety: An exhausted and restless mind can render you unable to complete tasks on time, causing further anxiety.

• Memory: Sleep is crucial for processing memories and memory consolidation. Your capacity to recall essential data may suffer if you don't get enough sleep.

• Irritability: Lack of sleep might make you irritable and cause you to make ill-advised decisions.

• Impaired cognitive performance and functioning: People who have insomnia may have poor brain function, such as forgetfulness, blunders, and slower thinking than usual.

How does Insomnia Affect Physical Health?

Any sleep disorder can cause various physiological changes in our bodies.

• Heart Issues: Less sleep can lead to a higher average heart rate throughout the day, raising your chance of developing heart disease.

• Diabetic management: Sleep deprivation can influence the way body will react to hormones and lead your sugar concentration to increase, which in turn, puts you at greater risk of developing diabetes.

• Obesity: According to research, getting too little rest increases your possibility of being overweight. In sleep, the body creates and controls several hormones that manage your body's metabolism. Lack of sleep can make you feel hungrier and you may eat more than required.

• Children's growth and development are aided by deep sleep, which stimulates the secretion of hormones. It supports normal development, builds muscle mass, controls maturation and ovulation, and heals cells. Insomnia can interfere with all of these.

What Can We do to Cure Insomnia?

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia:

CBT-i is regarded as the first line of treatment for insomnia. With CBT-i, the goal is to identify the concerns that patients with insomnia frequently have and replace them with more wholesome ideas and behaviours.

• Tracking sleep patterns:

Keeping track of your sleep pattern can help you and your doctor diagnose better treatment for this sleep disorder.

• Medications:

When a patient is unwilling to undergo therapy or if the therapy is not successful, medications are prescribed. They can decrease and manage the level of insomnia, if not cure it completely. However, one should be sure to talk to a doctor or another licensed physician before taking any sleep aids.