The consequences of any, or in some extreme cases all, of these symptoms are unpleasant, leaving sufferers feeling exhausted, irritable and unable to concentrate on the simplest of tasks.
So, What Causes Insomnia?

There’s no one specific trigger for insomnia but certain conditions seem to make individuals more likely to experience it :

• People aged sixty or over
• Females
• Those with a history of depression

Stress is a major contributor.
Traumatic events such as an acute illness, injury or surgery, the loss of a loved one, exams, job interviews or trouble at work can all play a major part in disrupting someone’s sleeping patterns. In these cases, normal sleep almost always returns when the individual recovers from the event or becomes acclimatized to the new situation.

For those who travel on long haul flights jet lag can also cause insomnia. Travelling east across time zones is more difficult to adjust to than travelling west, to earlier times. Usually one day of adjustment is all that is required to overcome this form of insomnia.

Lifestyle factors may also be playing a part in a sufferer’s trouble with sleeping with too much light in the bedroom or too much caffeine or stimulants causing broken sleep patterns.
Can Insomnia Be Treated?

Treatment for insomnia is related to the cause, if the cause can be determined. Patients are evaluated with the help of a medical and sleep history (sleep diary). Chronic sufferers may be treated through cognitive bahavioural therapy involving relaxation and reconditioning.

One of the best ways to prevent insomnia is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Avoid getting to bed feeling stressed and worried. If you’re worried about falling asleep, you will inevitably find it more difficult to fall asleep. Try to not eat too close to bedtime and avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks.

Here’s some more tips and advice on how to get a good night’s sleep….

Relax Your Mind

Simple breathing exercises can help. Breathe, using your abdomen not your chest, through your nose for three seconds, then breathe out for three seconds. Pause for three seconds before breathing in again. Practice this for ten minutes at night.

Some people find lavender oil, valerian or other herbs help them to sleep. Massage, aromatherapy and even acupuncture are also widely championed by sufferers.

Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise is a great way to improve your sleep. One thing to avoid with exercise is doing it too close to your bedtime as exercise produces stimulants that stop the brain from relaxing quickly.
With this being the case, exercising in the morning, although not popular with everyone, is an excellent way to wake up your body. Going for a run or doing some aerobics releases stimulants into the body, promoting alertness.

Create A Calm Bedroom Environment

Your bedroom should be for sleep only. Avoid turning it into a busy area with entertainment products such as computers, DVD players, televisions etc. Two thirds of British children now have a computer, a games console,
television, and more often than not all three, in their bedrooms and are probably losing out on sleep as a result of this.

Avoid Alcohol

It’s ok to have a nightcap but too much alcohol will more often than not leave you feeling restless. Alcohol is also a diuretic, which means it encourages you to urinate.
Drinking is also more likely to lead to snoring which can restrict airflow into the lungs. This reduces the oxygen in your blood which disturbs your sleep and contributes greatly to that morning after ‘hangover’.
Another stimulant that needs avoiding at bedtime is caffeine which can stay in your system for many hours. So avoid sources of caffeine such as coffee, chocolate, cola drinks and non herbal teas.

Late Night Snacking

Eating a large or heavy meal too close to bedtime will interfere with your sleep. Spicy, fatty foods may cause heartburn, which leads to difficulty in falling asleep and discomfort throughout the night.
Foods such as bacon, cheese, ham, aubergines, pepperoni, avocado, nuts and red wine all contain tyramine which causes the release of norepinephrine, a brain stimulant.
Carbohydrates such as bread or cereal are good foods to eat if you have to eat anything before bedtime as they release serotonin which in turn makes you sleepy.
Some insomnia needs a more professional approach and if the symptoms persist it is advisable to speak to your doctor.