The stressful life that people lead is also what causes insomnia.  People start with getting up and drinking a pot of coffee before even leaving the house.  Some people might not even eat breakfast.  At work people don’t stop for breaks or even lunch.  Instead, many people keep drinking coffee throughout the day.  Add a stressful meeting and some things not going right and it is easy to see the stress people put on themselves.  When the people go home they often cannot sleep and lie there hoping to sleep.  This accumulates quickly until the body has no idea of what is coming next.  The sleep just doesn’t come and that is what causes insomnia as well.

Another thing that causes insomnia is breaking the sleep habit on the weekends.  People might stay up all night at a party and then sleep all day.  Adding alcohol to the problem doesn’t help either.  Sleeping all day might feel good on a Sunday but the problem is that it can cause the body to try to make up that sleep during the workday.

What Causes Insomnia In The First Place

Many times people will go to a doctor to get help with insomnia.  The doctor may ask when the insomnia began.  People don’t usually notice when insomnia begins because they are pushing themselves.  It is hard to pinpoint the activity that caused the problem.

People need to go back to the point when they first asked, “What is causing insomnia?”  Sometimes this will jog one’s memory as to the beginning of the problem.  Most can only give a generalization of the time when sleeping became hard.  This is normal because most people don’t keep records of things like that.  Once the doctor has at least an idea of what caused insomnia, he can better prescribe the treatment or prescriptions that will be needed.

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Why Alcohol Affects Your Precious Sleep

Consuming alcohol affects the body in many ways. Because it is a depressant, it can make a person feel tired, but typically at a time that is outside their regular sleep cycle. Plus, after its effects wear off, it can actually stimulate the body. This depends on the amount of alcohol consumed, and varies by person, but either way alcohol actually disrupts the circadian rhythm or sleep pattern.

Multiple studies have proven that alcohol does indeed induce sleep at first, but more importantly it interrupts the second cycle, known as REM sleep. REM stands for “rapid eye movement”, and it is the most restful period of sleep, so by disrupting it the sufferer’s quality of sleep is greatly reduced. For people who consume alcohol often, the withdrawal affects they experience during sleep reduce the effects of sleep. Therefore, the combination of insomnia and alcohol can lead to prolonged problems getting a good night’s sleep.

More Issues With Alcohol

Another issue with using alcohol as an insomnia “treatment” is the limiting of helpful remedy options. This can be a vicious cycle, because the sufferer will latch onto alcohol as their choice for getting to sleep due to the short-term results, causing many long-term problems with their liver, excess body fat, heart and kidneys.

It is much easier to stop the tendency to use alcohol as a solution for insomnia when provided with a better, healthy alternative. There are many prescriptions on the market to treat insomnia’s effects, and plenty of effective alternative treatments as well. One natural hormone, known as melatonin, helps to trigger the body’s sleep patterns. Some have reported findings of alcohol being directly related to a shortage of melatonin in the body, which can lead to an increase in insomnia’s negative side effects

By utilizing proper treatment methods such as prescriptions, herbal remedies and behavioral treatments such as meditation, feng shui or soothing music, the insomnia sufferer can enjoy having more energy without the long-term side effects of alcohol.

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An additional factor that can lead to insomnia is through the use of prescription medications. One such medication that can cause insomnia is diuretics. The link between diuretics and insomnia can be established by understanding how a diuretic works, what the purpose of a diuretic is, and its effects upon the individual which can lead to insomnia.

So What Exactly Is A Diuretic?

Before understanding the connection between diuretics and insomnia, it is important to know what a diuretic is. A diuretic is any substance or medication that increases the urinary output of an individual.

A diuretic can be part of a prescription plan ordered by a physician or can also be part of an individual’s daily dietary intake. Sometimes an individual consumes an item and doesn’t realize the diuretic effect that it can have on their body. Two such items are coffee and alcohol.

The Purpose of a Diuretic

As part of a prescription program, the diuretic is prescribed to minimize the building up of excess fluids within the patient. One such medical condition that utilizes a diuretic, as part of a prescription program, is the treatment of congestive heart failure.

As part of the aging process, the heart begins to weaken. As the heart weakens, there is a corresponding buildup of fluid within the body. Through a diuretic the kidneys are stimulated to increase the output of urine which in turn decreases the fluid buildup within the body. This is one example of many that diuretics can be used to prevent or even treat medial issues.

The Connection Between diuretics and insomnia

In either case, whether an individual is on a diuretic prescription program or utilizes substances that can be classified as diuretics, the connection between diuretics and insomnia is essentially the same. Typically, the frequency of urination during common sleeping hours can disrupt an individual’s sleep, which may then lead to insomnia. Many people develop insomnia from working the night shift, because their circadian rhythm, the “internal clock” as it is more commonly known, has to constantly adjust, making it difficult for the body to rest.

In addition, a common side effect of diuretics is the experiencing of thirst. Thirst can be another contributor to sleeplessness which also indicates a direct link between diuretics and insomnia. By consulting a physician and taking the proper amount of diuretics, these problems can be minimized. Also, there are many methods, including soothing sounds to keep the body relaxed and peaceful throughout the night, countering the effects of the diuretics.

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Circadian sleep disorders occur when something messes up a person’s “internal clock”. This is the part of the brain that allows you to wake up at 6:00am on Saturday, when you’d rather sleep in. Your body gets used to patterns of sleep times, but when disrupted, your mind makes it extremely difficult to fall asleep.

Traveling through different time zones, aka “jet lag” is a common cause of this disruption. Another is working the night shift randomly. These things often are impossible or too difficult to avoid, but by preparing your body whenever possible, you can minimize the impact the change will have on you.

Parasomnia, another of the insomnia causes can include sleep walking, violent nightmares and even behavior disorders in which the sufferer physically responds to actions in their dreams. While this can be disruptive to sleep, it can be treated by a therapy, prescriptions, soothing music or removing all anxiety or stress before bed. (There are many programs available online to help with this, and do not require costly monthly medications, risks and side effects, or trips to the doctor’s. The best one for the money is called Sleep Tracks.)

Are Stimulants Robbing You Of Sleep?

Many people drink caffeine in the morning, and doing so also affects your sleep patterns, causing artificial boosts of energy. If possible, waning off of caffeine altogether will greatly improve your sleeping patterns. Nicotine, sugar and some medications can also have stimulating effects, making it difficult to fall asleep. Gastroesophageal Refulx Disease (i.e. heartburn) causes stomach acid to rise into the throat which can cause the person to wake up frequently. This problem can be cured in a variety of ways. (Check this out for more information on curing your heartburn.)

Dehydration has also been linked to insomnia, because of a lack of water’s cleansing effects. By not removing the stimulants and hormones that can keep you awake, you are losing sleep. It is healthiest to drink at least some water literally every hour you are awake. The amount varies based on the body, the climate, physical activity level and more, but if you drink some water every hour, you’ll feel great. Don’t like the taste of water? Lucky for you, there are many new forms of water being released lately such as Propel© that serve water’s purposes for the most part, without the extremely high sugar content of juice and soda.

Many people do not keep the temperature in their bedroom at a comfortable level, which can have tremendous effect on your sleep, and the quality of your dreams! Just remember: too cold = bad dreams, too hot = low-quality sleep.

If you have lights outside your window, be sure to use blinds that block out 100% of the light, or as close as you can get to it. The less light, the better the sleep.

It is also important to have a comfortable mattress and pillows. It is much easier, and healthier on joints and muscles, to sleep on a really nice mattress. While they cost more, they are very wise investments! By increasing the quality of your sleep, you’ll work more efficiently, and enjoy your free time much more.

Lastly, it is vital to have a fairly regular bedtime schedule. Try to avoid stressful thoughts or situations within 1 hour of your typical bedtime. If necessary, journal or blog your thoughts for the day and/or plan tomorrow so you get it off your chest.