In the simplest terms, insomnia is being unable to fall asleep, waking up far too early and waking up in the middle of the night. It also includes waking up in the morning still feeling tired and not as fresh.

The body needs sleep as it allows the body and the mind to rejuvenate themselves. Most people think that when you sleep, the body does not do anything when in fact, it is busy performing repair and regeneration of body tissues, organs and hormones. It is definitely not a passive activity.

In our busy lifestyles, often, we sacrifice getting enough sleep. This may cause transient insomnia and it can last for several days. This might be caused by stress at home or work, jet lag, illness or a change in the environment. Once these stressful factors are removed, insomnia goes away.

However, chronic insomnia occurs when it last more than three weeks. The cause may be difficult to eliminate and may include depression, chronic stress, excessive caffeine use, alcoholism, smoking, snoring or sleep apnea and other health conditions.

Intuitively, most people will know what is insomnia when they experience it. The rest of this short article will focus on the causes and several other related articles will provide tips and reveal many natural and home remedies for treating this debilitating health condition.

It is estimated that about 30% of all adults suffer from insomnia once in awhile. Worst, about 10% experience chronic insomnia that require proper medical treatment.

The amount of sleep a person needs depends on the individual. Some need at little as six hours while others need up to nine hours nightly. Experts agree that getting less than six hours of sleep (for long periods of time) can lead to various health problems.

There are many risk factors and direct causes of insomnia. The list below includes most of all the common causes of insomnia:

Stress - This is one of the major causes of insomnia in modern society. 

Age - As you age, your will experience more difficulty in falling asleep than when you were younger.

Gender - Women tends to suffer from insomnia more than men. This is in part due to hormonal fluctuation during menopause, pregnancy and their menstrual cycles.

Lack of Exercise - A sedentary lifestyle can increase your risk of suffering from insomnia.

Depression - Those people suffering from depression commonly report that they have trouble falling or staying asleep.

Prescription Drug Use - Many drugs that are prescribed to control high blood pressure, depression, high cholesterol and even chronic use of sleeping pills can cause insomnia.

Non-prescription Drug Use - Many over-the-counter cough and cold remedies contain products such as decongestants that may stimulate the mind and cause insomnia. Check with your pharmacist first before using any of these types of products.

Smoking - Nicotine found in tobacco is a stimulant.

Menopause - Hormonal changes during menopause can cause insomnia.

Overweight (Obesity) - People who are obese seem to experience insomnia more often than those who are not.

Existing Health Problems - Health conditions such as anxiety, depression, alcohol abuse, bladder problems, indigestion, restless legs syndrome and diabetes can trigger insomnia. The medical condition sleep apnea can cause severe chronic insomnia and requires treatment.

Pain and General Discomfort - If you suffer from pain of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, muscle aches, headaches, lower back pain or fibromyalgia, sleep might be very difficult.

Jet Lag - People who travel through different time zones can experience short-term sleep disturbances.

Shift Work - Workers who switch between different shifts can experience disturbances in sleep as the body's internal clock is put "out of sync".

Sleeping Habits - Waking up and going to sleep at different times of the hour is not good for your body and is known to create sleeping problems.

Bedroom Environment - Noise and light in the bedroom (or where you normally sleep) does not help.

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) - Those suffering from RLS common have difficulty sleeping.

Low Iron - Studies show that those suffering from restless leg syndrome have lower levels of iron. Iron supplements may be useful in those suffering from insomnia due to restless leg syndrome. At least three months of iron supplements may be needed to see a benefit.

Vitamin B₁₂ Deficiency - Low levels of B₁₂ vitamin may contribute to insomnia.

There are many far reaching ill effects of not getting enough sleep. This article presents many of the negative health effects of insomnia, especially when the condition is chronic. Finding out what is insomnia is not as important as finding out what effects it will have on your long-term health if you continue to suffer from lack of sleep.

There are many things you can do to reduce the risk of suffering from insomnia. This article gives you insomnia tips you can use starting today!

Surprisingly, there are many home remedies for insomnia that you can use to help eliminate this problem. When combined with lifestyle insomnia tips, it many be all that is needed to get rid of insomnia.

If you ask your family doctor what is insomnia, you will get an incomplete answer. It is known that many adults who suffer chronic insomnia make visits to their family doctor expecting to get prescription sleeping pills.

Guess what the doctor typically gives? Prescription sleeping pills. There are many potential long-term side effects from using sleeping pills chronically.

Fortunately, there are many natural remedies for insomnia that work well. Try these first before reaching for a sleeping pill. Find out which herbs you can use to help with insomnia!

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