Insomnia Causes

While some behaviors and medical conditions can result in short-term insomnia, others are more likely to cause chronic insomnia. Some short-term insomnia causes include stress, environmental noise, and jet lag. Causes of long-term insomnia can include depression, chronic stress, and irregular sleep/wake schedules.

 

An Overview of Insomnia Causes

There are many insomnia causes. Some insomnia causes are more likely to result in short-term insomnia, while others are more likely to cause chronic insomnia.
 

Short-Term Insomnia Causes

Short-term insomnia (acute or transient) lasts only a few days and is usually not a cause for concern. There are many short-term insomnia causes. These types of insomnia generally occur in people who are temporarily experiencing one or more of the following factors:
 
  • Stress
  • Environmental noise
  • Extreme temperatures
  • Change in the surrounding environment
  • Sleep/wake schedule problems, such as those due to jet lag
  • Medication side effects, particularly of mediacations that treat colds and allergies, heart disease, blood pressure, thyroid disease, and pain.
     

Chronic Insomnia Causes

Chronic (long-term) insomnia is when a person has insomnia at least 3 nights a week for 1 month or longer. Chronic insomnia is more complex and often results from a combination of factors, including underlying physical or mental disorders. One of the most common chronic insomnia causes is depression.
 
Other medical conditions than can cause insomnia include:
 
Chronic insomnia may also be due to behavioral factors, including:
 
  • Experiencing chronic stress
  • Expecting to have difficulty sleeping and worrying about it
  • Ingesting excessive amounts of caffeine
  • Drinking alcohol before bedtime
  • Smoking cigarettes before bedtime
  • Excessive napping in the afternoon or evening
  • Irregular or continually disrupted sleep/wake schedules, as may occur with shift work.
     
These behaviors may prolong existing insomnia, and they can also cause insomnia in the first place. Stopping these behaviors may eliminate the insomnia altogether.
 
(Insomnia Causes Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD