Why Can't I Sleep? Symptoms and Causes of Insomnia

TheIndonesia.id - Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, or not be able to back to sleep again. This condition can sap not only your energy level and mood but also your health, work performance, and quality of life.

Insomnia can occur in the short term (acute) to the long term (chronic). Usually, the type of insomnia has a lot to do with the underlying cause of insomnia.

Causes of Insomnia

Some of the possible causes of acute insomnia include:

• Stress
• Recalling a traumatic event
• Changes in sleeping habits, such as living in a new house
• Experiencing jet lag or motion sickness after boarding a plane
• Taking certain drugs

On the other hand, chronic insomnia can occur on its own or as a result of:

• Chronic pain conditions, such as arthritis or back pain.
• Psychological problems, such as anxiety, depression, or substance use disorders.
• Experiencing sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.
• Have certain health conditions such as diabetes, cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or cardiovascular disease.

Chronic insomnia can last for at least 3 months and can be primary or secondary. So far, the primary type of sleep disorder has no known cause. However, in the secondary type, other conditions can occur, such as the influence of medical conditions, psychological problems, use of certain substances, and diabetes.

Insomnia Symptoms

It is very difficult for someone who has insomnia to feel sleepy. Each person has a different amount of sleep. It is influenced by age, lifestyle, environment, and diet. The most common symptoms of sleep disorders include:

• It's hard to feel sleepy and can't fall asleep.
• Wake up at night or early in the morning and can't get back to sleep.
• Feeling tired, emotional, having trouble concentrating, and not being able to do your activities properly during the day.
• Unable to take a nap, even though the body feels tired.

When to see a doctor?

If you feel the symptoms of insomnia, and it doesn't get better, until it interferes with your activities, you have to immediately see a doctor. Ask the doctor to identify the cause of your sleep problem and how it can be treated.