What are the causes of Insomnia?
There are many different causes of insomnia. Some physiologic insomnia causes include jet lag, stress, hormones, and lack of exercise. Pathophysiologic causes range from medical and psychiatric disorders to pain, side effects of a drug, and other deficiency factors. Causes of insomnia vary from person to person. For example, women may have insomnia due to hormone fluctuation or imbalance, etc., while men may have insomnia due to high stress levels in their daily lives or drinking caffeine late in the day, etc. Either could suffer from a medical condition such as cancer, asthma, food allergies, or arthritis. There have been recent studies done by Sleep Disorder Centers of America showing that there is a link between magnesium deficiency and insomnia- especially in women. We cover this topic further in the herbal remedies column on why calcium magnesium supplements or eating a diet rich in magnesium is so important for those who suffer from insomnia and anxiety. It is different for each person and gender which is why it is important to monitor your sleep and daily routine by keeping a journal for 7-14 days so that you can look at the overall picture.
