Causes and consequences of Insomnia

Causes

Insomnia is a symptom, not a disease in itself, much like fever. As with a lot of cures for conditions, before thinking about the solution, you must find the cause.

Some of the physical and environmental factors that have an important influence on sleep, include lighting and ambient noise, as well as the content and timing of meals.

Psychological factors, such as stress, anxiety, depression and the anticipation of a night without sleep, are also important: they accounted for 50% of all cases of insomnia assessed in the laboratory.

In addition to factors related to lifestyle and environment, physical disorders may disturb sleep. Some, like the two that follow, may actually prevent sleep:

The restless legs syndrome, characterized by the irresistible desire to move the legs. It results from a disorder of motor movements. The unpleasant sensations that cause this syndrome usually occur during periods of rest, especially when falling asleep, but during moments of inactivity on the day;
Sleep apnea, which affects mainly obese people, causes the suspension of breathing that lasts 10 to 30 seconds (or more). The sleeper wakes up hundreds of times during the night. This superficial sleep leads to fatigue and drowsiness during the day.

The need for sleep decreases there with age?
The elderly do not need less sleep than others, although they will ussually have several hours less sleep a night, says sleep specialist Charles Morin, a psychologist and researcher at Laval University. With age, periods of slow deep sleep decreases continuously. Sleep is more fragile, the elderly are more likely to be awakened by external stimuli, be it noise, light or bodily pain. However, taking naps when necessary and complying with the rules of sleep hygiene, it is quite possible to get enough sleep.

Possible consequences

The consequences of insomnia are quickly felt and includes: fatigue, drowsiness, irritability, memory loss and difficulty concentrating during the day.

In addition, insomnia exacerbates problems: migraines, menopausal symptoms, muscle aches, digestive problems, etc.. If the fact to spend a few sleepless nights worrying is not anything to worry about, however several nights without sleep can weaken some of the bodies faculties. Thus, lack of awareness that arises from insomnia may have serious consequences:

Lack of leep is responsible for a large number of academic difficulties, especially among elementary students;
Driver fatigue is responsible for 20% to 25% of road accidents. It is also a major cause of accidents at work;
Sleep deprivation that lasts more than a few days also detrimental to the immune system, which is particularly active during the night. That is why, moreover, it is recommended that people with colds or flu to rest more.

Read more about sleeping dissorders here at health-cures.com

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