Insomnia: Causes and Treatments
Insomnia is an experience of inadequate and non-refreshing sleep characterized by one or more of the following problems:
-Difficulty initiating sleep
-Difficulty staying asleep
“Waking up too early
Causes
Insomnia may be independent of other health problems, in which case it is called primary insomnia, or it may occur as a result of another disorder or disease.
Psychological causes
Vulnerability to insomnia. Some people are more likely to have insomnia than others. Just knowing that you have that trend will not last long and can be helpful.
Stress. Persistent stress can contribute to the development or worsening of insomnia. Problems in relationships or at work, a child with a chronic illness or other stressful situation may contribute to insomnia.
Insomnia learned (also known as psychophysiological insomnia). If you sleep poorly, you may be worried about not being able to function properly during the day. This means that when the night and go to bed feeling stress and worry, with an intense desire to sleep.
But unfortunately, this effort to try to sleep at all costs may make you more alert, with your mind spinning around all the problems that insomnia is causing you or you can cause.
And this is going to cause even more sleep problems. Certain activities such as putting on your pajamas, turn off the lights or break the bed, can become associated with your sleep problems. With repetition, these activities to go to sleep may eventually lead to insomnia.
Some people with learned insomnia have trouble sleeping in their own beds but fall asleep easily when not intended to sleep (while reading a book, sleeping away from home, watching TV). Only a few nights with problems of inadequate sleep may be sufficient to produce a cycle of insomnia that increases your concern that cancer (which increases stress and causes more insomnia).