We have all been there, trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep, ending up wide awake and still tired in the morning. Insomnia can be acute, and fortunately, this is the most common type. However, for some people, insomnia is a chronic state and more often than not they do not get enough sleep.
There are several factors which may affect how much sleep you are getting. If you are experiencing insomnia, it may be due to a bad mattress. Mattress Makers is a fantastic mattress store in San Diego, which offers a wide range of comfortable and quality mattresses. Once you are sure you have the best mattress possible, we can start to list some of the most common insomnia causes.
Stress
Probably the biggest cause of insomnia in the developed world, stress is a contributing factor in a lot of different medical conditions as well. People mostly worry about work or financial issues, which leads to sleepless nights. If this trend persists, insomnia becomes chronic and starts affecting the overall quality of life.
Medical conditions
A variety of medical conditions can make sleeping at night uncomfortable or nearly impossible. Starting from quite common ones like the flu or allergies that keep us up through discomfort, to chronic pain and arthritis, illnesses can take a toll on our regular sleep. Some more serious illnesses such as Parkinson’s or cancer may also keep you awake through the night.
Furthermore, various medications can also be meddling with your regular sleep patterns. Many cold and allergy medications are often the cause of insomnia as well, but birth control, blood pressure and depression medication have all been linked with insomnia as well.
Depression and anxiety
Not only physical illnesses can cause insomnia. Conditions such as depression and anxiety are also prime candidates for insomnia. It is a vicious cycle where depression can trigger insomnia, and insomnia, in turn, worsen the depression. These two are actually very commonly linked, but both conditions are manageable.
Anxiety is strongly linked to stress and thus can lead to insomnia. Overthinking past or future events is the perfect trigger to over stimulate the brain and trigger insomnia. If this persists, another vicious circle begins, where the person fears not getting enough sleep before going to bed, which triggers anxiety, which leads to insomnia once again. This is often described as feeling “restless”.
Lifestyle
The choices you make during the day affect your sleep patterns. People who choose to work at home really late run the risk of over-stimulating their brains and not being able to relax in time for sleep. For some people, it can also be detrimental to take naps during the day. It causes a disruption in the circadian rhythm and triggers insomnia. Trying to catch up on sleep during the weekend is also considered a bad idea since it tends to confuse your circadian rhythm.
Food
Things you put in your body can affect the quality of your sleep. Some substances and food can lead to insomnia. The prime candidate for this is alcohol. Even though we assume it helps us sleep, it is actually a sedative, knocking us out initially, but causing sleep problems later during the night. This is why very drunk people pass out, but usually sleep quite poorly.
Caffeine is another substance that disrupts sleep. In fact, this is specifically what we use it for, to keep ourselves awake and alert. However, excess caffeine causes insomnia and can stay in your system for eight hours. Finally, big meals before bedtime are a bad idea if you are looking to get some good night sleep.
Making sure that you follow all these rules can be tedious and difficult but try to follow as many as you can, and you should be free of insomnia. One thing you can do quite easily is make sure you sleep on the best mattress possible. If you are looking for a mattress store in San Diego, visit Mattress Makers for the best deals and a wide range of products.
