subject: Why Can't I Sleep : The Causes of Sleep Onset Problems [print this page] Why Can't I Sleep : The Causes of Sleep Onset Problems
The most common sleep disorder, insomnia, is trouble falling or staying asleep. People that ask the question why can't I sleep are insomniacs, sufferers of insomnia. Onset insomnia, having a hard time falling asleep, is one out of the four types of sleep patterns of insomnia. The others are middle of the night, middle and terminal insomnia. Out of the four, trouble falling asleep is the most common. Thus, many people find the need to ask the question "why can't I sleep?" For that same reason, many people may want to have answers.
Answers to the Question
"Why can't I sleep?" is the question that people want to have an answer for, but there can be many answers. There are too many different answers because sleeplessness does have many causes. It is not uncommon that several of these causes are affecting a particular person at the same time. Very often, people that have constant trouble falling asleep have anxiety disorders.
Stress, anxiety and depression are the most common causes of insomnia. There are moments in life when experiencing the three of them is inevitable. It just can't be helped. Emotions and thoughts felt at certain situations are parts of life. For some people, the problem is fleeing. Insomnia goes away when the cause for stress, anxiety or depression goes away.
There are times people simply cannot sleep because of some pre-sleep habits. One should know that, these are times when insomnia won't go away on its own. Here are some things that can give a person problems sleeping:
Caffeine before going to bed
Smoking before going to bed
Drinking before going to bed
Overeating
Sugar snacks before going to bed
Mental stimulation before going to bed
Napping during the day
Exercise before bedtime
Watching TV and using the computer at night are causes of mental stimulation. Both can cause a person to ask the question "why can't I sleep?" Taking stimulants like caffeine and nicotine before sleeping have the same effect.
An Ounce of Prevention
The saying is true, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Being aware of the things that can cause insomnia makes it possible for people to simply avoid doing the things that can interfere with sleep.
There are many different cures for insomnia. There are a lot of cures because there are a lot of causes. In cases where insomnia just goes away, it really just goes even if people do not do anything. However, there are some cases wherein the cure for insomnia calls for changing one's behavior or habits.
Change never comes easy and habits are hard to break. Nevertheless, change may be the best cure there is. If it becomes too difficult to undergo change alone, many people can help. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) exists in order for people to achieve that change.
There are indeed times when insomnia just goes away. In times when it doesn't and it starts affecting a person's quality of life, the best thing to do is to consult a medical doctor.
