What is Insomnia and What Causes Insomnia?
At the bottom of the page you will find a link to our extensive guide to finding a natural insomnia cure, but first it would be wise to a look at just what insomnia is:
Definition of Insomnia
Insomnia is the failure to get enough quality sleep. In its simplest form insomnia can be defined as difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep or waking after too short a period of sleep.
What Is Insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleep disorder (often referred to as "insomnia sleep disorder") and, most importantly, it is a symptom and not a disease.
So, when we talk about an insomnia cure we are not talking about curing insomnia directly but simply treating the underlying cause of insomnia.
What Causes Insomnia?
The causes of insomnia are many and varied but they can be divided into two groups:
- Primary Insomnia. Primary insomnia is a sleep disorder for which there is no specific underlying condition and is the most common form of insomnia. Stress, environmental changes (such as noise and temperature), disruptions to your normal sleep pattern (caused perhaps through shift work or long-haul travel), and the side-effects of many medications can all give rise to primary insomnia. Other contributory factors include the excessive use of drugs, alcohol or caffeine and taking naps during the day.
- Secondary Insomnia. Secondary insomnia can be attributed to a specific underlying physical or psychological condition. These include other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome and circadian rhythm disorder. Other physical and psychological conditions that often give rise to insomnia include depression, respiratory problems (including asthma), heart problems (such as congestive heart failure), arthritis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and hyperthyroidism.
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