Lack of sleep

There is no single cause for lack of sleep. Some people have a chronic illness which causes it and they actually know it, because they are under doctor’s care. However for the rest of us, the ‘regular’ folks, it’s a bit hard to pinpoint it, what is the one thing that causes insomnia. Well, recent research has found that there are at least 5 major triggers that can cause insomnia, and they can be either singular triggers, or a combination of several.Here are the main 5 triggers for lack of sleep. Recognise any of these in your own life?

1. Anxiety and stress - as I have mentioned in a previous article, stress and anxiety can indeed cause lack of sleep.
2. Snoring - not yours, your partner’s. Best advice here, get him or her to see a doctor. Serious sleep apnea can evolve from a heavy snoring. And then there will be 2 people in the house with sleep problems: you with your insomnia, and your partner with their sleep apnea!
3. Working in shifts, rotation based - this can be a serious trigger to a lack of sleep. Not everybody is affected by it, but more sensitive people’s lives can be impacted in a way that lack of sleep is a sad outcome
4. The usual suspect: coffee, alcohol and cigarettes. I think this is quite well known and if you are a heavy user of any of these (or of drugs and excess eating), it’s only you that can stop you
5. Old(er) age. It is a fact that the older one gets, the less sleep they need. Unfortunately it is not uncommon that the ‘less sleep’ will turn to a serious lack of sleep problem. This is mostly due to the lack of a particular hormone in the body called melatonin. Melatonin pills can be bought over the counter at any pharmacy, however it is not advisable using them without a doctor’s consultation and agreement first.

There are several other triggers for lack of sleep as well, but the most common ones, found in 92% of all the people with insomnia, are the ones mentioned above. In later articles I will go more indepth in each of these 5, explaining what they really are and what to do about them.

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