Females suffer the effects of insomnia more than males do, probably because of the frequent hormonal changes ladies learn to live with. Additionally, because of other issues such as a sedentary lifestyle or an underlying health condition or as a side effect of prescription medication, insomnia can advance with age.



Insomnia that is not considered persistent can result from a stress-filled life, from traveling into various time zones, or from environmental factors such as an increase in noise levels or temperature differences of more than a couple of degrees. Exposure to excessive light or continual noise including nearby traffic and a bed buddy who snores can all create an atmosphere in which sleep is elusive. Insomnia or the inability to fall to sleep or sleep through the night can even be the result of learned behavior.

Care from your healthcare provider for intermittent or transient insomnia generally is not ordered. The reason is because the condition typically remedies itself once the affected individual takes control of the issue and corrects the problem or problems causing the insomnia.

But chronic or permanent insomnia, can be much more serious. The extent of seriousness of your battle with insomnia will have a lot to do with what is found to be the underlying cause. So, the initial step for those facing chronic insomnia need to take is to call their doctor. A face-to-face meeting is the only way to begin focusing on the reasons behind the chronic insomnia.

Insomnia such as this could be a result of an abuse of prescription drugs or even caffeine or by shift work. Or it could be because of any number of physical or mental disorders including depression, anxiety, kidney disease, heart conditions, restless leg syndrome, asthma, Parkinson's disease or a condition called sleep apnea. And don't be surprised that there are even other reasons why some people might regularly have a challenge getting a thorough night's sleep.

The process of determining the underlying reason could be long and might require many tests and evaluations, but it has to happen. Once your healthcare provider has been able to determine the cause, it will be much easier to identify whether medical treatments are required or whether the underlying cause of insomnia can be treated by making one or more lifestyle changes. Battling insomnia could be as easy as doing without caffeine several hours before bedtime.

Diagnosing insomnia can be even trickier than diagnosing an underlying health condition because sleep typically is subjective. What is an adequate amount for one person is not always right for someone else. In most cases, those who have difficulty remaining alert, focused and able to concentrate during the day may be suffering the inability to sleep. Writing in a journal that lists your sleep habits, responding to a number of insomnia related questions and evaluating the answers or even scheduling a visit with a sleep expert are some of the things that can help diagnose insomnia.