Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, or waking up in the middle of the night and then not falling asleep again.  This will make you feel tired after waking up in the morning. Not getting enough sleep can negatively affect your physical strength, your mood as well as your physical health as well as your career.

How long a person should sleep varies for a variety of reasons. Of course it varies from person to person. It is said that an average adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep a night.

Some people may experience short-term insomnia when faced with a stressful situation. This will heal in a few days. But some people may experience long-term insomnia. Often you may not get enough sleep for months. Insomnia can be a primary illness as well as a symptom of another illness.

Let us now see what are the symptoms of insomnia,

• Difficulty sleeping at night.

• Waking up in the middle of the night or waking up early and also make it difficult to fall back asleep

• Not feeling rested well.

• Fatigue or drowsiness during the day

• Irritability, depression or anxiety

• Difficulty concentrating, concentrating on tasks, or remembering

• Increased errors or accidents in the work done

• Anxiety and worrying about sleep

What causes long-term insomnia?

• Stress : We may not get a good night's sleep when we have problems at work, exams, financial problems or family crises and we worry about them. Also, insomnia can occur when you have to face the loss of a loved one, divorce, or job loss.

• Frequent forien travels  or mismatches in work schedule: Your circadian rhythm (circadian rhythm is the physical, mental, and behavioral changes that take place in living things 24 hours a day as usual. It can vary from person to person.)  It acts as an internal clock and guides your sleep and wake cycle, metabolic activity and maintaining body temperature. Interrupting the circadian rhythm of your body causes insomnia. This can happen especially when having to travel through different time zones frequently. 

• Poor sleep habits : Poor sleeping habits include not getting to bed on time, not being comfortable in the bedroom (increased heat, odor, lack of ventilation), sleeping in uncomfortable clothes, using your bed to work / eat / watch TV before going to bed. The use of stimulant activities such as computers, TVs, video games, smartphones, etc. can disrupt your sleep.

• Eating a heavy meal before bed: Eating a light meal before bed is not so much a problem, but overeating can cause you physical discomfort during sleep. When you take a heavy meal and go to bed early, the acid in the stomach backs up through the esophagus, causing inflammation of the chest, which can lead to poor sleep.

• Anxiety : Insomnia can be caused by depression and anxiety.

• Different types of medications : Insomnia can occur as a side effect of certain medications.

• Various disease conditions: 

• Examples include chronic pain, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, overactive thyroid gland, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

• Other sleep related disorders: restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea can  disturb  sleep at night.

• Coffee, tea, cola and other caffeinated beverages are stimulant drinks. Drinking such drinks before bed can interfere with sleep. Nicotine in tobacco products is another stimulant that can interfere with sleep. Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but it also prevents you from falling into a deeper state of sleep and can often lead to waking up in the middle of the night.

• You may not get enough sleep as you get older. It can be caused by changes in sleep patterns with age, decreased daytime activity, health problems, and medications taken for illness.

Good sleep habits help prevent insomnia and help you get a good night's sleep.

• Keep your sleep and waking hours constant, including weekends. That means waking up at the same time every day and going to bed at the same time every day. 

• Stay active - Exercising regularly can help you get a good night's sleep.

• Check if the medication you are taking contributes to insomnia.

• Limit naps during the day.

• Avoid or limit caffeine and alcohol, do not use nicotine

• Avoid heavy meals before bed.

• Make your bedroom comfortable and use it only for sleeping.