Cause of insomnia
There is no single cause of insomnia.
Insomnia, the most prevalent sleep disorder, could be caused due to a number of different reasons. Not only can physical conditions cause insomnia, but there are mental conditions and insomnia causing substances and medications as well.
Regarding physical causes of insomnia, it is well established that there are certain illnesses that contribute to disruption of sleep, and might therefore be a cause of insomnia. Such illnesses include, for example: chronic pain, difficulties to breath, Parkinson disease, arthritis, diabetes congestive heart failure, lung disease, and some other medical conditions. In such cases, treating the physical condition might assist in curing insomnia.
With regard to mental conditions, it is widely accepted that stress and anxiety can be a cause of insomnia. Unexpected events, such as being laid off from work, separation from a beloved partner, or another sort of crisis, might, if not handled efficiently, seriously disrupt sleeping patterns and ultimately cause insomnia. It is also established that depression might lead to insomnia, although some researchers believe depression is actually an early sign of insomnia in itself.
It is important to remember that we are exposed to substances that might severely interfere with our sleep due to their stimulating effect, thus being (yet another) cause of insomnia. Such substances include caffeine, nicotine, and even alcohol, who might sedate us to sleep, but interferes with our normal sleep pattern and causes us to wake up too early in the morning.
Finally, we should note that certain medications we use might have a stimulating effect, thereby causing insomnia. Such drugs include, for example, heart and blood pressure medications , certain kinds of antidepressant drugs ,some allergy medications, stimulants and a large variety of OTC drugs, i.e. these medications bought without a prescription. The latter type of medications might be a cause of insomnia in that some of them might contain caffeine, such as certain pain medications, or tablets used for diet control.
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