If you’ve ever been unfortunate enough to experience insomnia then I completely symphasise, because I have too.
In the past I’d never really struggled with my sleep schedule that much. I think back to my University days with all the late nights and partying and it was never really a concern at the time. We used to always get by on minimal sleep (usually with a rotten hangover) without much of a worry. It’s only quite recently that I’ve started to learn how important sleep actually is.
I’ve read and heard so many times over the years about how we all need to get atleast 8 hours of sleep and that not sleeping can have some serious negative effects. I always just let this pass me by. I get enough sleep and I function ok, right? Yeah for a long time that was the case.
Then, suddenly, you’re not sleeping well and it’s had a dramatic (and frightening) effect on your life.
When I started experiencing insomnia
Sometimes in life it’s difficult to pinpoint an exact time when a particular thing starts happening to you. When you’re experiencing debilitating mental illnesses such as insomnia it’s hard to remember a time when it wasn’t like this.
The question I often ask myself (even as I write this) is why? Why does this happen to us? What happens in our life that makes these changes suddenly happen? Is it related to stess? Diet? Too much time in front of a phone or TV? Or is it simply that it’s been lingering there for a while, unseen, waiting for its moment to strike?
The most annoying thing is I’ll most likely never know exactly why it is. All I know is, it is.
For me, I think a sudden big change in my life caused it to start. It didn’t happen overnight (!) though. It gradually crept in and (much to my disliking) got itself comfortable. Too comfortable.
I remember opening my eyes and trying desparately not to flick my phone on to check the time. It’s perfectly normal for us to wake up during the night – and usually nip to the loo and go straight back to sleep.
This time, however, did not feel the same. This was to be the start of my journey into insomnia. The worst part for me is being able to hear others who live around me starting to get ready for their days, as I’ve been lying there frustrated for hours on end. It’s kind of petty but I even start to loathe the wildlife outside, getting ready for their own days. It’s as though they’re mocking you as they start their days off.
They’re not really mocking us…
How many people are affected by insomnia?
It’s safe to say that we aren’t alone when dealing with insomnia, although it can often feel this way. It’s safe to say that unfortunately there are millions of people dealing with insomnia, in the best way they can.
According to Healthline “1 in 3 people have brief insomnia symptoms” whilst “1 in 10 people have chronic insomnia symptoms.”
It’s kind of scary to think that each day when you are driving to work that 1 of every 3 cars you pass has a driver, who is experiencing insomnia. Even worse is the 10th car driver is statistically likely to suffer with chronic insomnia.
What are the causes of insomnia?
When it comes to insomnia there can be several different causes, but it’s not a one glove fits all scenario. I personally believe that as we live in the technology age we are never truly switched off from work, social media and constant contact.
We’ve all been there; scrolling through our phones and tablets aimlessly, for hours on end. But how much effect does it actually have on our sleep? What other factors play into it too?
A quick search around the internet shows countless results for insomnia factors. Sleep Foundation have got a great article that goes in depth into insomnia causes (and ultimately how it is linked with stress and anxiety).
Here is a list of some of the triggers for insomnia:
- Poor diet and lack of exercise.
- Certain medications.
- Using computers, tablets and phones to close to bed time.
- Using your bedroom for watching television and none sleep related activities (excluding sex).
- Chronic pain that keeps you awake.
- Getting older.
- Irregular sleep patterns.
- Stress and anxiety.
What ways are there to deal with Insomnia?
