Insomnia: causes and remedies

Insomnia is a certain breakdown of the rhythm of internal biological clocks that may happen for many different reasons. However, all these reasons can be subdivided into three main groups:

Physiological. Here we have various health problems that may lead to poor quality of sleep. For example, thyroid problems, a deficit of certain vitamins and minerals, melatonin deficiency, etc.

Psychological issues, such as heightened anxiety, depression, neurotic disorders, stress reactions, etc.

Certain behaviors that provoke and perpetuate sleep disorders: overwork, excess of caffeine, disruption of biological rhythms (staying up late and getting up late), lying in bed all day, low physical activity, “overload” of the nervous system and brain with information before bedtime, etc.

If a night guest with the romantic name Insomnia comes to you regularly or even claims to have a serious relationship with you and wants to live together, the first thing to do is to exclude physiological reasons. That is – consult a doctor.

If everything is good in this respect, and you also avoid the “bad habits” that we listed in the third group of reasons (you go to bed on time, do not expose yourself to jetlag, do not “abuse” caffeinated drinks, do not eat too much before bedtime, etc.) then most likely the reasons are psychological. Most of the insomnia cases are linked to psychological problems. Therefore, you should be able to overcome them with the help of psychological methods. 

Why should you solve the issue with sleep deprivation as soon as possible and should not leave it unattended?

The lack of sleep, especially prolonged one, harms our cognitive abilities. For example, you may find it difficult to focus on a task at hand or to memorize new information – your productivity plummets. Sleep deprivation also reduces the ability to make good decisions.

But this is not all. The psycho-emotional state of a sleep-deprived person also suffers greatly. Irritability becomes a constant companion. Sudden mood swings, chronic fatigue… just imagine how this “cocktail” affects health, mood, and social relationships.

The brain which is not getting proper rest can even send erroneous impulses to the body. And as a consequence, coordination of movements can be impaired. In this case, a person, who is, for example, driving, becomes dangerous for themselves and others.

We hope that we convinced you that you should restore your sleep pattern as soon as possible.

You can start by doing relaxation exercises for the body and mind. Learn Jacobson’s Relaxation Technique and diaphragm breathing. This will help you to lower your overall anxiety level.

Use the “15 minutes” rule. If you are not able to fall asleep for 15 minutes, get up and go to a different room, to the kitchen, or on the patio. Write down the thoughts that prevent you from falling asleep – literally dump them on paper. Try to do some calming or even boring activity. As soon as you feel sleepy, go back to bed.

Create a bedtime ritual and use it. For example, it may be self-massage, a hot bath, or a game of Sudoku.

Remember the previous day in all the detail: “I got up, brushed my teeth, then I had a grilled sandwich with avocado and tomato, then I looked out of the window and noticed a snowplow cleaning the street…”.

If you are not able to solve your sleep problem with these simple methods, it makes sense to seek psychological help. A specialist will help you to analyze in-depth and remove hidden reasons for your insomnia.