Are you unable to sleep at night? Well, the good news is you are not alone. Almost 30% of the adults around the world suffer from insomnia in one way or another. But, the bad news: sleeplessness not only affects one’s health, but it also has a major impact on one’s lifestyle. With our busy schedules and increasing social circle, sleep has moved to the bottom of our priority list these days. While more and more youth try and sweat it out in the gym or start eating healthy, they seem to rarely give importance to having a proper sleep pattern.

Symptoms of Insomnia

In this article, primarily, we will be seeing some of the major symptoms of insomnia. This will help you understand the issue at its major core.

  • You might constantly feel tired, but you are unable to sleep.
  • You might wake up frequently during nights in the middle of your sleep.
  • Once you wake up in the night, you might have trouble going back to sleep.
  • You might feel tired in the morning despite having slept 6-8 hours in the night.
  • You might either rely on alcohol or pills to get sleep.
  • You are tired and drowsy all through the day.
  • You might find yourself getting irritated easily.

Are you suffering from all or some of these symptoms? Worry not! Insomnia is easily curable with some dedication and practice.

Causes of Insomnia

Here are some of the causes of insomnia. Knowing these causes can help you curb this disorder at an early level.

Anxiety, Stress, and Depression

Similar to the most chronic disorders, even for insomnia, the major causes are anxiety, stress, and depression. If you are constantly worrying about something or questioning your life choices often, there are high chances that you might not get sleep in the night. Alternatively, if you have recently undergone a physical or emotional trauma, like accident, breakup, a death of loved ones, divorce, or relocation, you might suffer from insomnia.

Try to resolve the underlying issue to feel stress-free and sleep better. One of the highly recommended ways to deal with anxiety, stress, and depression is to write down your woes or issues in a diary and see what you can do about it. If you can change something, go ahead and do it. If not, let it go, and make peace with the fact that you can do nothing about the problem. Do this every single day with every single issue you face until you mentally start battling stress reflexively.

Medical illness and hormonal imbalances

Any kind of medical illness and hormonal imbalance, ranging from Parkinson’s to thyroid might affect one’s sleep.Disorders of thyroid hormone, testosterone, cortisol, and growth hormone can all cause sleep disorders. Low estrogen levels in women are particularly responsible for insomnia. If you are getting treated for some kind of illness or pain, then there are high chances that you may not sleep well. Also, some medications mess up sleep cycle. You need to either talk to your doctor regarding this or take some herbal, natural sleep enhancers like Chamomile tea, Ashwagandha, etc. to help you sleep better.

You can know more about how Ayurveda helps in battling insomnia in our next article.

Usage of screens and lights

In earlier days, sunlight was the only source of illumination, so nights, being dark were reserved for sleep. However, with advanced lighting solutions these days, one can illuminate nights to look as bright as days. One of the major causes of insomnia is the usage of lights and screens. If you live in a house that has bright lighting in the evenings, it might affect your sleep. Similarly, using mobile phones, Kindle, iPad, etc. can have an adverse effect on your sleep cycle.

To overcome this issue, make sure that your bedroom is free of all gadgets, including television and laptop. Use your bedroom only for sleeping. Don’t bring your work or entertainment to your bed. However, you can read a light book, write in your diary, or listen to soft music before you go to bed.

Children and adolescents must, especially, stop using smartphones or any blue-light gadgets at least 30 minutes before going to bed. Make this a practice at your home.

The Impact of Insomnia on Health 

Now that you know the causes and symptoms of insomnia, here are some of the perils of insomnia.

  • We all know that stress and anxiety can cause insomnia, but the other way round is quite possible too. Yes, insomnia can cause/increase your stress and anxiety levels easily. For example, people who get inadequate sleep are at a higher risk of getting mood swings and mood disorders.
  • It has a huge impact on one’s memory. If you suffer from insomnia, there are high chances that you might forget things easily and might have a tough time recollecting what you forgot.
  • You might feel drained and tired all through the day. Even the easiest of the jobs might take a long time for you to complete.
  • Lack of sleep affects one’s confidence and self-esteem. You might feel very inferior and frustrated about your own self.
  • Your concentration levels may drop significantly. Another major lifestyle change that is caused by insomnia is a drop in concentration levels. Owing to inadequate sleep during the nights, one may constantly have a “brain-wandering” syndrome in the day.

If you are suffering from insomnia, don’t sweat it out. We have your back with some healthy and ayurvedic remedies, cure, and procedures in our next article.