![]() Treating the medical condition may help improve sleep, but the insomnia may persist after the medical condition improves.Īdditional common causes of insomnia include: Many people also experience heartburn, a backflow of acid and food from the stomach into the esophagus after eating, which may keep you awake.Ĭhronic insomnia may also be associated with medical conditions or the use of certain drugs. Having a light snack before bedtime is OK, but eating too much may cause you to feel physically uncomfortable while lying down. Computers, TVs, video games, smartphones or other screens just before bed can interfere with your sleep cycle. Poor sleep habits include an irregular bedtime schedule, naps, stimulating activities before bed, an uncomfortable sleep environment, and using your bed for work, eating or watching TV. Causes include jet lag from traveling across multiple time zones, working a late or early shift, or frequently changing shifts. Disrupting your body's circadian rhythms can lead to insomnia. Your circadian rhythms act as an internal clock, guiding such things as your sleep-wake cycle, metabolism and body temperature. Stressful life events or trauma - such as the death or illness of a loved one, divorce, or a job loss - also may lead to insomnia. Concerns about work, school, health, finances or family can keep your mind active at night, making it difficult to sleep. Treating the underlying cause can resolve the insomnia, but sometimes it can last for years.Ĭommon causes of chronic insomnia include: He trains and supervises doctoral students in the Department of Psychological and Brain Science's Clinical Science Program.Insomnia may be the primary problem, or it may be associated with other conditions.Ĭhronic insomnia is usually a result of stress, life events or habits that disrupt sleep. With 15 years of of research and clinical experience in the sleep field, Dawson is interested in comparing individuals' sleeping experiences with what is concurrently happening in their brains. "There's not any place where watching the clock is particularly helpful." "One thing that people could do would be to turn around or cover up their clock, ditch the smart watch, get the phone away so they're simply not checking the time," Dawson said. He gives the same advice to every new patient the first time they meet. Barry Krakow, professor of psychiatry and behavioral health in the Mercer University School of Medicine Patricia Haynes, associate professor in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman School of Public Health at the University of Arizona and Darlynn Rojo-Wissar, a postdoctoral fellow at Alpert Medical School of Brown University.ĭawson said the research indicates a simple behavioral intervention could provide help for those struggling with insomnia. The results are published in The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders. That is not the sort of activity that's helpful in facilitating the ability to fall asleep - the more stressed out you are, the harder time you're going to have falling asleep."Īs the frustration over sleeplessness grows, people are more likely to use sleep aids in an attempt to gain control over their sleep. "People are concerned that they're not getting enough sleep, then they start estimating how long it will take them to fall back asleep and when they have to be up. "We found time monitoring behavior mainly has an effect on sleep medication use because it exacerbates insomnia symptoms," Dawson said. ![]() Researchers conducted mediation analyses to determine how the factors influenced each other. They were also asked to report any psychiatric diagnoses. ![]() Participants completed questionnaires about the severity of their insomnia, their use of sleep medication and the time they spent monitoring their own behavior while trying to fall asleep. Insomnia affects between 4 and 22% of adults and is associated with long-term health problems including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and depression. The research, led by Spencer Dawson, clinical assistant professor and associate director of clinical training in the College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, focuses on a sample of nearly 5,000 patients presenting for care at a sleep clinic. ![]()
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