Sleeping Difficulty
Alternate Names : Dyssomnia, Inability to Sleep, Insomnia, Sleeplessness, Wakefulness
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Sleeping Difficulty: Common Causes
- jet lag
- shift work
- wake-sleep pattern disturbances
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grief
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depression or major depression
- worry
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anxiety or stress
- exhilaration or excitement
- bed or bedroom not conducive to sleep
- nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, food, or stimulants at bedtime
- aging
- excessive sleep during the day
- excessive physical or intellectual stimulation at bedtime
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overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
- taking a new drug (medication side-effect).
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alcoholism or abrupt cessation of alcohol after long-term use
- inadequate bright-light exposure during waking hours
- abruptly stopping a medication (such as sleeping pills).
- medications or illicit "street drugs" (for example, excessive thyroid replacement hormone, amphetamines, caffeine-containing beverages, cocaine, ephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, theophylline derivatives)
- withdrawal of medications (such as sedatives or hypnotics)
- interference with sleep by various diseases, including an enlarged prostate (men), cystitis (women), COPD, pain of arthritis, heartburn, and heart or lung problems
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restless leg syndrome
INFANTS:
Most newborn babies wake several times during the night, but by the age of 6 months they typically sleep through the night. At one year, babies will sleep an average of about 16 hours in every 24. Two to three hours of this sleep will be during the day. Causes of sleeplessness in infants may include:
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