Sleep & Insomnia

An average person needs 7-9 hours of sleep every night, to enable the body to repair and be fit and ready for the next day. Getting adequate sleep is important because it:

  • Prevents excess weight gain
  • Boosts your immune system & mood
  • Strengthens your heart & helps prevent heart disease
  • Increases productivity
  • Increases exercise performance
  • Improves memory
There are many more benefits of sleep that make it extremely essential to every individual. But however vital it is, often it ends up being the neglected component of a person’s overall health and well-being

Sometimes, a person could genuinely have trouble falling and/or staying asleep. This could be due to certain sleep disorders like insomnia, are both short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic).

Causes of Insomnia :

  • Primary Insomnia — sleep problems aren’t linked to any other health condition or problem.
    • Anxiety & stress related to big life events.
    • Disturbances in the ambience & atmosphere (e.g. noise, light, heat, temperature)
    • Changes to your sleep schedule (e.g. jet lag, new work shift).
  • Secondary Insomnia — you have trouble sleeping because of an underlying health condition.
    • Physical health issues (e.g. hyperthyroidism, asthma, acidity, gastritis etc.)
    • Mental health issues (e.g. depression & anxiety).
    • Medications & antibiotics.
    • Pain or discomfort at night.
    • Substance use & abuse (e.g. caffeine, tobacco, alcohol).
    • Other sleep disorders (e.g. sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome).

Risk factors of Insomnia :

  • Gender (insomnia affects women more than men)
  • Age (older people are more prone to insomnia)
  • Race & ethnicity
  • Long-term illness
  • Mental health issues
  • Working night shifts or shifts that rotate.