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One of the most common insomnia causes is stress or anxiety. Your mind is racing, running through today’s troubles or tomorrow’s worries. This can sometimes be avoided by training your mind to relax 1 hour before bed time by writing about your day, and even your plan for the next day.

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.