Insomnia or sleeplessness has become a frequent topic of discussion in today’s society due to the complexities of life and society. Insomnia is a type of sleep/wake disorder described by lack of quality sleep and characterized by lack of sleep at night ( Kamel & Gammack, 2006) . A lot of people may think that insomnia is merely a lack of sleep. However, this condition involves several aspects and may come in many forms. For example, a person may be diagnosed with insomnia if they show symptoms such as having a hard time getting sleep, lacking good quality sleep due to many awakenings and waking up fatigued or waking up earlier than usual due to lack of sleep. The condition usually begins with a stress-triggering element that activates the physiological, emotional and cognitive part of the brain ( Morin, Rodrigue & Ivers, 2003) . The chemical interactions in some regions of the brain could interfere with sleep when triggered since sleep, and lack of it arises from brain neurotransmitters involved in sleep and wakefulness. This paper discusses the causes of insomnia as the first step in understanding its prevalence. The document states that insomnia in a person may be caused by one or a combination of psychological factors, environmental or lifestyle matters.
The first cause of insomnia is psychological pressure coming from family, marriage, work or school. The psychological pressure may include problems such as stress, anxiety, depression and other mental issues that affect the brain and makes them lose their sleep ( Murata et al., 2007). As such, people who are under pressure or face a stressful event that may cause anxiety or depression will have trouble falling asleep. The pressure may keep the brain alert as they wonder over the solution they need to take, in the event affecting the ability of the brain to relax. Many factors can lead to a person experiencing psychological pressures in their bodies including loss of a loved one, work overload, stress due to unemployment or anxiety when preparing for an examination. An individual who has concerns about family, school or work can easily keep the mind extremely active throughout the night and affect the calmness needed for sleep. Additionally, factors such as divorce or separation in a relationship can create a depression in an individual.
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Mental illnesses can also be a cause of insomnia in a patient since they also affect the brain. People who have a deep state of sadness or anxiety leading to nervousness trigger the onset of insomnia. Many cases of insomnia among military soldiers have involved those suffering from post-trauma stress disorders or combat stress. This is because experiencing high stress and anxiety in the brain of a person linked to stress and anxiety can be an aspect of pain as a cause of insomnia ( Morin, Rodrigue & Ivers, 2003) . There is an intricate relationship between illnesses and sleep disorders since pain is generated in the brain where sleep also originates. People who feel pain at night causing an uncomfortable sensation and restlessness can have insomnia.
The second cause of insomnia in a person is the lifestyle of a person that is linked to the daily habits and personal circumstances. Such factors may range from the things that a person consumes before getting to bed to the activities they engage in before getting to bed. The unhealthy lifestyle of a person and certain sleep habits affects the overall health and can result in insomnia. The most common lifestyle factor that causes sleeplessness is the use of stimulant in the form of drugs or other drinks such as coffee. Stimulants are often used to keep the brain alert when taken in the morning and during the day, thus making a person productive ( Stepanski, 2006) . However, they are also associated with bringing awakenings later in the night or causing difficulties to fall asleep when taken immediately before sleeping. The stimulants include caffeine and other related components may be found in drinks such as chocolate, soft drinks, and strong tea and explains why taking coffee just before going to bed is discouraged as it suppresses sleep.
At the same time, nicotine is a stimulant which can also suppress sleep and cause insomnia and explains why cigarette smokers have a high risk of developing insomnia due to the nicotine in the tobacco. Nicotine is mostly consumed as a drug through cigarettes for pleasure, but it can lead to sleeplessness when taken in the evening before getting to bed. Other stimulants in medications used to lose weight or control conditions such as asthma can also disrupt sleep when taken immediately before getting to bed. Furthermore, alcohol consumption at night is another lifestyle factor that can cause insomnia. Although alcohol may stimulate rest, it is a sedative that can trick someone into initial sleeping before disrupting later in the night causing unstable rest at night ( Stepanski, 2006) .
Other unhealthy lifestyle factors and sleep habits associated with insomnia include confusing the body’s clock by working at night and sleeping during the day or changing the sleep timetable to make up for the lost sleep ( Stepanski, 2006) . Working non-regular hours can also complicate the body’s clock, for example, a person who is used to sleeping during the day and tries to sleep at night may find difficulties getting sleep. At the same time, lack of exercises or doing exercises at night just before getting to bed can also suppress sleep, since the activity can cause sharp emotions floating. Lastly, the diet of a person can also be a lifestyle factor causing insomnia in a person. Heavy meals close to bedtime can disrupt sleep by causing discomfort and make it hard for the body to relax. Specific eating patterns can also contribute to insomnia, including eating spicy foods at night that may cause heartburn and cause discomfort to the bed.
Thirdly, insomnia can be caused by the environment surrounding a person. The environmental factors include the brightness of a room, its temperature as well as the noise around a person intending to sleep. Any activity that may distract a person from getting sleep at night can be classified under environmental factors and may include television and computers in the bedroom ( Taylor et al., 2014) . Having too much light in a bedroom can also lead to insomnia since light can create a state of nervous irritability in a person. Such an environment can arise from the poor lighting of the bedroom or working from home where light from the computer or television affects the ability to fall asleep.
At the same time, a noisy environment can lead to sleeplessness. A good example is when a person stays in a noisy neighborhood such as a nightclub or busy highway. The noise can also emanate from sleeping with a person who snores loudly. Such an environment may create sleeplessness since a person may not find calm to fall asleep ( Taylor et al., 2014) . Furthermore, an extremely cold or hot temperature in a room may affect t a person from falling asleep or getting quality sleep by creating an uncomfortable environment and bad feeling for an individual. Inadequate ventilation of the bedroom may cause the temperature of a room
In conclusion, there are several causes of insomnia in a person including psychological pressures, environmental factors as well as lifestyle causes. This condition affects the health of a person and may lead to the development of conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and heart failure. The state may also lead to fatigue, problems with cognitive focus as well as affecting the mood of a person. Insomnia can be found in individuals of all ages, though some observations have shown that insomnia mostly affects older people since they are most likely to be affected by psychological pressures. The condition may last from a day to months and years with a lack of early diagnosis and treatment. However, If insomnia continues without prevention or treatment, it may affect the overall health of a person and cause conditions such as depression.
References
Kamel, N. S., & Gammack, J. K. (2006). Insomnia in the elderly: cause, approach, and treatment. The American journal of medicine , 119 (6), 463-469.
Morin, C. M., Rodrigue, S., & Ivers, H. (2003). Role of stress, arousal, and coping skills in primary insomnia. Psychosomatic medicine , 65 (2), 259-267.
Murata, C., Yatsuya, H., Tamakoshi, K., Otsuka, R., Wada, K., & Toyoshima, H. (2007). Psychological factors and insomnia among male civil servants in Japan. Sleep Medicine , 8 (3), 209-214.
Stepanski, E. J. (2006). Causes of insomnia. Sleep: A comprehensive handbook , 99-102.
Taylor, D., Gehrman, P., Dautovich, N. D., Lichstein, K. L., & McCrae, C. S. (2014). Causes of insomnia. In Handbook of Insomnia (pp. 11-27). Springer Healthcare, Tarporley.
