Many things can cause insomnia. Insomnia can be triggered by:9,11
- stress and worry
- significant life events
- changes to shift work or to your routine
- changes in home life.
For most people, once a period of stress or change has passed and life has settled down, sleep returns to normal; for others, however, sleep problems can continue.
We know that several health and lifestyle factors can also affect sleep, including:11,12
- caffeine, cigarette smoking, alcohol use, some medications, and some drugs
- environmental factors like noise, light, and a too warm or too cold bedroom
- other health concerns, such as asthma, bronchitis, and chronic pain
- other sleep-related disorders, that might cause the person to feel restless (such as restless leg syndrome) or which might affect the person’s breathing whilst they are asleep (such as sleep apnoea)
- mental health issues, particularly anxiety and depression.
Insomnia often leaves the person feeling frustrated, stressed, and worried about their sleep problems, which can make it even harder for them to sleep, and a sleep-worry cycle may then start.