Perhaps
you are among the estimated 40% of adults who experience insomnia, the
most common sleep disorder in the United States. It can involve
difficulty in falling asleep, waking up and having a hard time getting
back to sleep, or awakening too early. If it lasts only a few days,
it's called transient insomnia; if it lasts a few weeks, it's called
short-term insomnia. The problem is chronic if it happens most nights
of the week and lasts a month or more.
The most common form of
insomnia is learned insomnia, in which a few sleepless nights lead to
anxiety about being unable to get to sleep, making it even harder to do
so. However long it lasts, insomnia is not a disease in itself but a
symptom of another problem, or several problems, whether physical,
emotional, or behavioral. Common culprits include the following:
Stress.
Many experts consider this to be the leading cause of short-term sleep
disturbances. Common triggers include job-related pressures, marriage
troubles, or a serious illness or death in the family. Usually the
insomnia disappears when the stressful situation passes. If stress
hormones are still pumping in your body by the time you're ready for
bed, they'll inhibit the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps
induce sleep. High levels of stress hormones can also block the
restorative effects of growth hormone, which aids in the manufacture of
new cells.
Alcohol and caffeine. Too much
caffeine or alcohol, especially when it's consumed too close to
bedtime, can ruin a good night's sleep. Caffeine, a stimulant, can make
it difficult to fall asleep.
Its effects can last for up to 10
hours after you consume it, especially in older people, whose
metabolism is slower. And although alcohol is a sedative and may help
you doze off more quickly, it can disrupt sleep later, when the effect
wears off.
Pain and chronic medical conditions.
Some people don't sleep well because a medical condition is making them
uncomfortable. The pain of arthritis, heartburn, a sore back, or a
headache can wake you up and make it hard for you to get back to sleep.
In a random sampling of adults in the United States, one-fourth
reported having pain that disrupted their sleep 10 or more nights per
month. Chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia, Parkinson's disease and
diabetes can also make it difficult to fall asleep or cause you to
awaken during the night.
The ups and downs of female hormones.
At the beginning and end of the menstrual cycle, low progesterone
levels can make it difficult to sleep. If you think your hormones are
contributing to your sleep problems, try keeping a sleep diary for a
month. It can help you determine when in your cycle you should avoid
caffeine, alcohol and other things that could make the problem worse.
During menopause, hot flashes caused by fluctuating levels of estrogen
can cause restless nights. Estrogen replacement therapy often helps.
Medications.
Certain medications, such as corticosteroids and some drugs used to
treat high blood pressure, asthma and depression can interfere with
sleep. So can thyroid drugs if the dose is too high. Many common
over-the-counter drugs, including decongestants and weight-loss
products, contain stimulants such as pseudoephedrine, and some aspirin
formulas contain caffeine. If you're having trouble sleeping, review
your medications with your doctor.
Depression.
Sleep laboratory researchers have observed sleep abnormalities in
people with depression, including reduced periods of slow-brain-wave
sleep and an early onset of the first episode of REM sleep. Research
has shown that as many as 90% of people with depression have sleep
disturbances. These can range from early waking to excessive sleeping.
Anti-depressants can help. |
