Most people tend to experience insomnia from time to time. There are various causes and risk factors of insomnia that affect the quantity as well as the quality of sleep. Some of the common types of insomnia include chronic insomnia (which lasts a month or longer), acute insomnia (which lasts a few days or weeks), onset insomnia (difficulty in falling asleep), maintenance insomnia (inability to stay asleep), and comorbid insomnia (insomnia that is associated with some other disorder). In some cases, insomnia goes away by making simple and effective lifestyle changes. Whereas, it some cases, its chronic in nature and may need more serious treatments for the same. Here are a few ways in which insomnia can affect regular life:
- A decrease in overall life expectancy
Insomnia is known to shorten the overall life expectancy of the ones diagnosed with it. Studies have indicated a correlation between mortality and sleep duration. They have discovered that sleeplessness increases the risk of death by 12 percent. Persistent insomnia is known to have a 97 increased risk of death. - Increase in the risk of medical conditions
Due to insomnia, there is an increased risk of serious medical problems. Some of the common medical conditions include asthma attacks, weak immune system, sensitivity to pain, stroke, seizures, obesity, high blood pressure, inflammation, heart disease, and diabetes mellitus. - The overall performance of the body
Insomnia affects the overall performance of the body like performance at school or work, memory, judgment, and sex drive. Insomnia leads to problems like difficulty in sleeping during the day. Lack of energy causes an increase in the feeling of depression, irritation, or anxiety. It affects the overall performance at school or work and increases the risk of car accidents as well. - Increase the risk of mental health disorders
While mental health disorders cause insomnia, the opposite also stands true. Insomnia increases the risk of being diagnosed with mental disorders. Anxiety, confusion, depression, and frustration are the common ones included.
There are many reasons for one to have insomnia. A bunch of them are associated with everyday habits, personal circumstances, and lifestyle. Lifestyle habits that tend to increase the risk of insomnia are sleeping during the day, an irregular sleeping schedule, lack of exercise, having a sleeping environment with too much of light or noise, lack of exercise, a job that includes work during the night, losing a job, other sources for stress, death of a loved one, using gadgets like phones and laptops in bed, jet lag, excitement or anxiety of an upcoming event, etc. Even consuming certain substances can affect sleep negatively. These substances include nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, diet pills, drugs, cold medicines, and certain types of other medical prescriptions.
Even though insomnia is a common condition that people face from time-to-time, if one feels that it is having a huge negative impact on their life, consulting a doctor is essential. The doctor will perform a physical exam and inquire about the symptoms to know further about the issue. Also, a history of medications is asked along with the medical history. This further helps in finding the underlying cause of insomnia.
