Discovering Your Cause Of Insomnia

At the end of a long day, nothing feels quite as good as climbing into your bed with the prospect of a long and restful sleep ahead of you. It is our time to let go of the stress from our day and physically rejuvenate our bodies. However, when we suffer from insomnia, the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep does not allow us recuperation time, and we are left feeling exhausted. In addition to air, water, and food, sleep is absolutely essential to our health - and survival. When insomnia goes on for days on end, sleep deprivation begins to take hold - threatening our physical and emotional health.

The cause of insomnia is as individual as the sufferer himself. They are a myriad of reasons that insomnia can take hold in a person's life; and the key to finding your way back to a restful night's sleep is finding your own personal cause of insomnia.

Begin by examining your daily routine. For coffee addicts who subsist on a steady stream of caffeine, the answer may lie in the bottom of your mug. A major cause of insomnia is the overindulgence in stimulants. Caffeine raises your heart rate and keeps you awake - which can be great during the day when you need to work; but at night you pay the price. Try cutting back your caffeine and eliminate it altogether beginning at noon. You may find that your cause of insomnia is one simple component.

Another cause of insomnia can be elevated levels of stress. Let's face it, we all live stressful lives. But when the stress takes over and you're unable to shut off the chaos even when your head is on the pillow, then it's time to do something about it. Try some simple meditation before bed; take a hot bath; do some stretching or deep breathing exercises; or listen to soothing music. Any steps you can take to reduce stress and relax prior to bed will do wonders for falling asleep and staying asleep.

Once you are able to pinpoint your cause of insomnia you can begin making changes to alleviate it. If you find that you are still unable to sleep, seek medical guidance from your doctor. But chances are, with a few simple lifestyle changes, you'll be well on your way to a long and restful night's sleep.

Michelle Bery
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/discovering-your-cause-of-insomnia-96136.html