It is commonplace for several people to suffer at least an occasional night of almost non-existent sleep. The causes of insomnia differ from person to person. What made a student insomniac varies from what caused a shift worker or a traveler or an employee to acquire such sleeping disorder.

Insomnia, which is the inability to sleep satisfactorily or to have any sleep at all, is one of the most common sleep disorders. It is characterized by restlessness, sleep interruptions, decreased sleeping time than the usual, or sometimes complete wakefulness.

Aside from the annoyance that insomnia can cause to its sufferers, this sleep disorder causes those afflicted to lose enthusiasm and energy, acquire memory and concentration problems, feel lethargic, frustrated, and of course sleepy. Worse cases that may be induced by insomnia is one’s being prone to accidents, reduced work productivity and the aggravation of psychological and medical conditions.

So what exactly are the culprits that make insomnia one menacing sleeping problem?

1. Emotional Distress

More particularly when it is from internalized anxiety or anger, emotional problems can easily trigger this sleep disorder.

2. Substance Abuse

Drinking too much coffee, colas or other “energy-upper drinks” is known to cause insomnia. Caffeine from these drinks is the main reason. Chain smokers can also be easy victims of insomnia because of the nicotine that cigarettes contain. Herbal remedies, alcohol and other medications can also make one prone to becoming an insomniac. Some may think that alcohol, when consumed, can make one feel drowsy. But little did they know that in the long run, when the alcohol gets metabolized, sudden wakefulness will follow.

3. Biological Clock Disturbance.

Also known as circadian rhythm, one’s body clock, when altered, can damage the amount of sleep one can peacefully enjoy. This body clock disturbance can be caused by an irregular slumber schedule because of too much siesta or partying too late at night. It can also be jetlag or body clock disturbance due to traveling by plane to some place where there is a different time zone. Other causes may be the grave yard schedules of workers and cramming review season for students induced by exams.

4. Environmental Factors

Extreme temperatures can disrupt one’s sleeping patterns. Noise and bright lights can have the same effect too. Homesickness or when one is forced to sleep in an unfamiliar place is also one reason behind getting into the habit of not having enough sleep.

5. Health Problems

Health disorders such as diabetes, heart failure, hyperthyroidism, ulcers, and Parkinson’s disease can also induce insomnia. Asthma may also be one health problem that makes one prone to insomnia because of an asthmatic’s shortness of breath. Frequent urination, heartburn, and chronic pain from leg cramps, tooth ache and arthritis can also cause insomnia.

Psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia and depression are also possible culprits for insomnia. Snoring with prolonged pauses in breathing while at sleep, also known as sleep apnea can also cause insomnia. Periodic arm and leg movements during sleep causing the muscles to twitch excessively is one underlying cause of this sleep disorder. Another cause is narcolepsy or one’s lack of control on whether to stay awake or to fall asleep, is another cause of this sleep disorder.

6. Pre-bedtime Activities

Engaging to vigorous activities such as exercise just right before bedtime can deprive one of a good night’s sleep. Consuming large meals when one is just about to sleep can also make one experience this sleeping disorder. This is because when metabolism is at its most active thus the body prompts one to stay awake.

Who are Prone to Insomnia?

Reports have it that 90% of people can acquire transient insomnia at some point in their lives. While an estimate of 30% suffers from its chronic form.

a. Women are said to be more at risk in acquiring insomnia because of the following reasons:

- Pre-menstrual syndrome with symptoms of irritability, depression and anxiety, and bloating due to menstruation disturbs a woman’s sleeping pattern.
- Menopause can also change a woman’s sleeping pattern.
- Pregnancy makes sleeplessness one common thing to happen.

b. Elderly people are also prone to getting insomnia because ageing alters one’s sleeping patterns.

c. Depressed people have lighter slumbers compared to those who don’t feel this psychological condition.

d. Students or younger ones who are conscious with their grades (because of cramming) can easily become insomniacs too.

With that vast information on what causes insomnia and who are at risk with this sleeping disorder, one can easily ward off this annoying condition.

New studies have shown that pregnant women and new mothers that have diabetes are in far greater risk for developing post partum depression (PPD). Though the reason for the higher risk is not yet exactly known what is known is that out of 11,000 women who were enrolled in New Jersey’s Medicaid program 15.2 percent of those that had diabetes became depressed during pregnancy or up to a year after birth. The percentage of diabetic women who did not suffer from postpartum depression is significantly lower at only 8.5 percent.

What this means for expectant mothers is that if routine diabetes tests give you a positive result you should also discuss with your doctor the possibility of post partum depression and ways to prevent and manage problem. This is very important because post partum depression IS treatable. Since the disorder is underdiagnosed, by being aware and discussing with your doctor the risk factors involved, in case you end up suffering from PPD chances of it going undetected will be minimized, which in turn means fast help for you.

The link between diabetes and depression has already been studied before but it is only now that the figures for diabetes and PPD have come out.

Men are less likely to suffer from chronic pain due to extreme activities than men due to the hormone testosterone which has been shown to help lessen the damage to muscles and tissue, thus leaving women to suffer more. Statistically, women suffer an average of 15 episodes that can lead to depression due to their biology, having them experience fluctuations in their hormonal levels each menstrual cycle.

Headaches, if they are persistent enough should be consulted to a health professional for it may be a sign of underlying disease, or it may just be you drinking too much coffee through the day to keep you awake at your boring desk job!?!

It is good to know that I am not alone in this kind of situation, though. It is good to know that experts actually acknowledge that there is a connection between mental health and the current economic crisis. Dr. Gail Saltz writes:

Following the recent financial roller coaster ride most people are feeling the heat, and it is increasing anxiety for many. Fear of job loss, actual job loss, loss of income from investments gone south and loss of home worth are creating real and terrible pressures and anxieties.

At times like this it is very normal to feel scared, angry and even sad. Even though it’s normal, it is still important to make efforts to de-stress

So it’s normal. But how do I cope with it? Do I just let my emotions gain ground? I guess common sense dictates that you should de-stress when you can. I do this by writing and surfing the Internet. I also do this by reading a book.

If, however, you cannot deal with the stress and you find yourself unable to function normally, maybe you might want to get professional help. I honestly don’t know how this can be managed by many, given that finances are already tight. That is why I suggest engaging in de-stressing (free!) activities so that you will not reach the point wherein you have to seek professional help.

Photo courtesy of ckirkman

I read about a poll that Associated Press-AOL Health undertook early this year. They surveyed about a thousand respondents in all the American states with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii. The results? Read for yourself:

27 percent had ulcers or digestive tract problems, compared with 8 percent of those with low levels of debt stress.

23 percent had severe depression, compared with 4 percent with low debt stress.

6 percent reported heart attacks, double the rate for those with low debt stress.

Ok, I take my statements back – maybe we do NEED to see these figures in writing to realize just how disastrous the link between debt and stress is. As you can see from the figures, the result of debt can be more than stress. Physical illness actually results from debt!

This got me thinking…so you get sick because of your debt problem. Getting sick means more expenses. With the person being in debt already, he’ll probably have more problems with the medical expenses. This would probably add more debt. Whew – it’s much like the chicken and the egg, isn’t it?

So what are we to do? If you are experiencing debt problems, you should probably take serious steps to deal with it. Otherwise, you might find yourself in more trouble than the financial sense.

They found that about 12 percent had a history of asthma. Estimates of lifetime prevalence for suicidal thoughts and attempts without and with asthma were 8.7 percent, 4.2 percent and 12 percent, respectively, and occurred more frequently in women than in men.

Cigarette smoking and concurrent mental health conditions may independently account for a large part, but not all, of the association between asthma and suicidal thoughts with attempts, said the study authors.

After they adjusted for cigarette smoking, concurrent mental health conditions and common sociodemographic factors, they found there was still a significant association between asthma and suicide thoughts and attempts.

I have not really made any connection about asthma and suicidal thoughts, much less attempts and this study has opened a new way of seeing things for me. Does this mean that we have to pay particular to our friends and family members who have asthma? This runs in our family but I hope that the suicidal will not be manifested.

How about you? The chances are that you have people around you who have asthma. Do you think that we should pay closer attention to their mental health as well?

Of course, constant research and studies come up with new discoveries – like this one about isotretinoin, the active ingredient in Acutane. Based on a report from Reuters:

Use of isotretinoin, the active ingredient in the acne drug Accutane, apparently more than doubles the risk of depression, according to results of a study.

Still, the absolute risk is probably very small, the researchers emphasize.

The study is the first controlled investigation to find a statistically significant link between isotretinoin and depression, Dr. Anick Berard, from CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre in Montreal, and colleagues point out in a report in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

“Depression is likely to be a rare side effect of isotretinoin therapy,” they wrote. Nonetheless, “current guidelines should possibly be modified to include psychiatric assessments of patients prior to and during isotretinoin therapy.”

I suppose that we should not be unnecessarily alarmed with this news, though. As you can read up there, “the absolute risk is probably very small.” Though this means that there is still a risk, it might as well be negligible. I guess that if you are using Acutane and you find yourself with symptoms of depression, then you should consult your doctor. Otherwise, I wouldn’t worry.

There is this woman who is a good friend and she really has gained a lot of weight, so much so that she is trying out all sorts of things. At first, we just took things lightly and even teased her some. That is, until we all realized the emotional involvement when it comes to weight matters.

Gaining weight or losing weight – both have emotional implications. The idea is to lose weight the right way and to manage your emotions the right way. First of all, I think it is important to understand that losing weight may mean feeling happier in a sense BUT in no way does it guarantee happiness. Your sense of self-worth may depend somehow on your weight loss BUT it does not always necessarily follow. More so, you should realize that weight loss will NOT solve your emotional problems if you have them. Be realistic about what weight loss can do for you.

How tied in are your emotions and matters regarding weight?

How does the drug work? Reuters reports:

Ketamine restores to normal the orbifrontal cortex, an area of the brain located above the eyes that is overactive in depressed people.

The area is believed to be responsible for feelings of guilt, dread, apprehension and physical reactions such as a racing heart, said Bill Deakin, who led the study.

“The study results have given us a completely novel way of treating depression and a new avenue of understanding depression,” said Deakin, a neuroscientist at the University of Manchester.

I would say that this is heartening news, especially to those who know what depression is all about firsthand. Depression, when not treated properly, can have a debilitating effect – not only on the person who suffers from it but people who are close to the depressed as well. Here is even better news:

Previous research had shown that ketamine improved symptoms in depressed people after just 24 hours — far faster than the month it can take for Prozac to kick in — but until now they did not know exactly how.

The latest findings give researchers a specific target to design new drugs and offer hope for the many people who do not respond to Prozac or other standard medicines, Deakin added.

Let’s hope that this study’s findings can be put into practical use soon.