In this day and age, people are standing in continuous combat with insomnia. Either one is unable to sleep or sleep does not last long, and this has grown into a sleep epidemic where millions have to suffer a night sleepless. According to the American Sleep Association, approximately 30% of adults report brief instances of insomnia, while 10% experience long-term insomnia. But why are so many people struggling with insomnia, and more importantly, what can be done to alleviate this modern-day health crisis?

Standing at the fore of the list of causes for rising cases of insomnia are those two ruinous twins-stress and anxiety. People are under tremendous pressure nowadays due to work, family, finances, and social commitments, just to name a few.
This permanent mental load makes it hard for many simply to shut off their brains at night. When they enter the bed in stress, the body is on heightened alert, setting off the release of stress hormones, including cortisol, which sends messages to the brain against sleep and against relaxation.

Anxiety will further worsen the situation. When a person is afflicted with anxiety, he usually feels racing thoughts, excessive worry, and physical symptoms such as a fast heartbeat. These factors make it very hard for them to relax and sleep. This problem worsens in anxiety disorders, as sleepless nights feed daytime anxiety in a vicious cycle.

Another pervasive cause of insomnia is the invasion of technology into our lives. Smartphones, tablets, and computers all contain blue lights that interfere with the body's production of melatonin, which is a hormone in charge of controlling sleep cycles. Many people use these devices right before bed, either browsing social media, watching videos, or checking emails. This screen time will signal to the brain that it's still daytime, further delaying sleep.

Beyond the issue of blue light exposure, the content consumed also makes a difference. Stressful or exciting content at the end of one's day-be it reading news, thrilling shows, or responding to work emails-activates the mind and makes sleep a difficult task.

Other common causes of insomnia have to do with poor sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene refers to habits and practices that are sleep-conducive and consistently followed to allow good sleeping. Most of us inadvertently cause our sleep problems due to erratic sleep schedules, such as drinking caffeine too close to bedtime, or engaging in strenuous exercise before bedtime. Going to bed late and sleeping in late on weekends disrupts the body's circadian rhythm, promoting insomnia during the week.

Other bad habits people practice are going to bed on a full stomach or after consuming alcohol. Although alcohol is known to make you sleepy, it interferes with your normal sleep pattern and leads to disturbed and incomplete rest throughout the night.

Insomnia is directly related to mental health disorders, especially depression. Such patients experience an inability to sleep at night, as the feeling of sadness, hopelessness, or guilt keeps bothering them throughout the night. However, insomnia can also contribute to depression; hence, this association is bidirectional. Lack of sleep negatively impacts mood regulation and emotional resilience, which may deepen depressive symptoms.

Other mental conditions that greatly affect sleep include bipolar illness and post-traumatic stress disorder. Individuals with PTSD may have nightmares and flashbacks, hence disrupting their sleep and waking them up in some distressing states.

Where and how we sleep is also an important component in the question of whether we are going to sleep well at night or not. Noise pollution, light exposure, and uncomfortable sleeping environments contribute to bad sleep. People living in busy cities may have a hard time with sleeping due to constant background noises of traffic, construction, or nightlife.

Besides, it is so simple to overlook creating an environment that fosters sleep. A room being either too hot or too cold-even untidy, for that matter-all can impede sleeping. Ideally, this should be a quiet, cool, and dark place reserved just for rest.

Sleep disorders may also be caused by issues in physical health. Various other conditions, such as chronic pain, asthma, acid reflux, and restless leg syndrome, disturb the pattern of sleep.
For example, people who experience chronic pain have a hard time finding a sleeping position that feels comfortable to them, while victims of asthma frequently wake up because they cannot breathe well.

Hormonal changes also have a great effect on insomnia, especially in women. For example, menopause is manifested with hot flashes and night sweats that disturb sleep. Pregnant women may also have trouble sleeping due to discomforts in body parts, especially frequency of urination and hormonal changes.

Most people have no idea that an underlying medication is perhaps leading to insomnia. Common medications known to cause insomnia include anti-depressants, corticosteroids, and high blood pressure medications. Sleeping can even be affected by over-the-counter drugs, such as cold medications that contain pseudoephedrine.

In addition, other sleep-disruptive chemicals include nicotine, caffeine, and some recreational drugs. Caffeine can remain in the bloodstream for several hours after ingestion and can impede sleep when consumed in large amounts too close to bedtime.

Treatment of insomnia, therefore, should regard multi-factorial causes, using a multi-dimensional treatment approach. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia has been considered as one of the most effective treatments. CBT-I helps one to focus on negative thoughts and behaviors that associate with sleep, which an individual needs to identify and change. This form of therapy has also proved to provide long-term benefits from insomnia without medication.

Improvement in sleep hygiene is also very important. Inclusion of regular sleep, avoidance of screens before bedtime, and indulgence in relaxing bed-time routines may help. Stimulants like caffeine should be cut down, and heavy meals before going to bed should be avoided. Simple steps like these will go a long way in making a difference.

People with co-occurring disorders need to seek medical advice for the proper diagnosis of the real factor behind insomnia. Chronic pain, anxiety, or depression might necessitate treatment, or the discontinuation of medication interfering with sleep may be required.

The blame for such rise in insomnia in the modern society has fallen on various factors that include stress, technology, poor sleeping hygiene, mental health as well as physical and environmental.
While insomnia is a debilitating condition, it is fortunate that there are various treatments meant for the same.
By finding the root cause and making a conscious effort to change sleep behaviors, many individuals can reclaim their nights to get the restorative sleep needed for optimal functioning. With greater awareness about the sleep epidemic, many more people can get the help they need to end this struggle with sleepless nights.