Insomnia can be caused by psychiatric and medical conditions, unhealthy sleep habits, specific substances, and/or certain biological factors. Recently, researchers have begun to think about insomnia as a problem of your brain being unable to stop being awake (your brain has a sleep cycle and a wake cycle-when one is turned on the other is turned off-insomnia can be a problem with either part of this cycle: too much wake drive or too little sleep drive). It's important to first understand what could be causing your sleep difficulties.

Medical Causes of Insomnia
There are many medical conditions (some mild and others more serious) that can lead to insomnia. In some cases, a medical condition itself causes insomnia, while in other cases, symptoms of the condition cause discomfort that can make it difficult for a person to sleep.

Examples of medical conditions that can cause insomnia are:
-- Nasal/sinus allergies
-- Gastrointestinal problems such as reflux
-- Endocrine problems such as Hyperthyroidism
-- Arthritis
-- Asthma
-- Neurological conditions such as Parkinson's Disease
-- Chronic pain
-- Low back pain

Insomnia & Lifestyle
Insomnia can be triggered or perpetuated by your behaviors and sleep patterns. Unhealthy lifestyles and sleep habits can create insomnia on their own (without any underlying psychiatric or medical problem), or they can make insomnia caused by another problem worse.

Examples of how specific lifestyles and sleep habits can lead to insomnia are:
-- You work at home in the evenings. This can make it hard to unwind, and it can also make you feel preoccupied when it comes time to sleep. The light from your computer could also make your brain more alert.
-- You take naps (even if they are short) in the afternoon. Short naps can be helpful for some people, but for others they make it difficult to fall asleep at night.
-- You sometimes sleep in later to make up for lost sleep. This can confuse your body's clock and make it difficult to fall asleep again the following night.
-- You are a shift worker (meaning that you work irregular hours). Non-traditional hours can confuse your body's clock, especially if you are trying to sleep during the day, or if your schedule changes periodically.