Insomnia: I Just Can’t Sleep!
Tuesday, February 20th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder which prevents sleep for extended periods of time. In some cases it can even prevent a person from being able to fall asleep altogether. Some of the causes of insomnia are:
- diet
- stress
- drugs or alcohol
- certain feelings such as fear or dread
- an overactive mind
- other physical reasons, such as excruciating pain
Whatever the reason, to cure this sleeping disorder, it’s important to understand exactly what is causing it.
Is It Something You’re Doing?
The first thing you should do if you find yourself lying in bed, unable to find sleep is to determine if maybe there’s something you are doing throughout the day that may be causing insomnia. For instance, if you drink coffee up until nine o’clock at night, you may need to look no further as to what’s causing your disorder. Caffeine, especially at night, is a huge culprit behind this sleep preventing disorder. There are also certain foods that can keep you awake. If you’re not sure about your diet, that what you could be consuming throughout the day may be causing your disorder, do your research or talk to a dietitian. Having that last cup of coffee could be costing you hours and hours of necessary rest and relaxation.
If you are on medication, ask your doctor if the drug you’re taking is causing your insomnia. Some illegal drugs also cause insomnia, especially amphetamines or uppers. Alcohol, too, can cause this sleeping disorder. It all comes down to monitoring exactly what is going into your body. Most often, it’s what you’re consuming that is causing your insomnia.
Of course, if you have a big meeting coming up and you’re under a lot of stress or you are dealing with some sort of extreme guilt or even if you’re really afraid of something, these, too, can cause insomnia.
If you are stress free, besides the fact that you’re stressing that you can’t sleep, try an experiment. Try eating different foods or try eliminating certain things from your diet. If you suddenly find yourself sleeping like a baby, you’ve found your culprit. The key is to listen to your body. Your body needs sleep to recharge and you need sleep so that you’re not such a bear to your coworkers in the morning. Do yourself a favor and find out what’s causing your insomnia.
