Alzheimer’s disease, depression, joint pain, and sleep apnea can cause sleep disorders and prolonged insomnia.
Events such as losing a job or losing a loved one can all cause insomnia. Insomnia can also be caused by drinking coffee late, exercising too much, changing time zones, or circadian rhythm disorders, but this is an acute insomnia condition that goes away on its own after a few nights. Some health problems such as anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and medical conditions can lead to more serious, chronic insomnia.
Mental illness: More than half of cases have psychological or mental problems that affect sleep. People with depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and obsessive disorders are more likely to have sleep problems.
Breathing problems: Severe snoring or sleep apnea disrupts breathing, stops breathing many times during the night leading to insomnia, or waking up. People who are obese, have nasopharyngeal diseases such as tonsils, deviated septum, nasal allergies, and asthma are susceptible to respiratory problems, leading to insomnia.
Lost memory: Along with memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia can make some people anxious and restless when falling asleep.
Osteoarthritis pain: Back pain, fibromyalgia, and inflammatory conditions all affect health, disrupting the rest process. The characteristic of this pain is that it often appears when the weather changes, and it hurts more at night due to temperature changes, making the patient restless. Insomnia can also make pain worse, a vicious cycle that continues to affect quality of life.
Psoriasis, eczema: People with these diseases often have severe itchy skin, causing difficulty sleeping and insomnia. Patients should see a doctor for appropriate treatment and control of itching symptoms.
Parkinson disease: People with this condition tend to sleep less and wake up more often than people of the same age. Parkinson’s disease interferes with brain and nerve signals, causing sleep apnea, nocturia, and disrupting the critical period of REM sleep. Anxiety and depression related to Parkinson’s disease can also lead to sleep problems.
Menopause: In middle age, women’s bodies gradually reduce production of the hormones progesterone and estrogen, causing various changes that affect sleep. High levels of adrenaline during hot flashes increase body temperature, causing women to wake up many times during the night.
Digestive problems: Gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux also lead to insomnia and difficulty sleeping. Symptoms of reflux and abdominal pain are uncomfortable and often worse in the evening.
To avoid insomnia, each person should choose a bedroom that is not too bright, quiet, cool, and limit drinking drinks containing caffeine in the afternoon. Limit greasy and fatty foods. Exercising earlier in the day and getting sunlight in the morning also contributes to better sleep.