Causes of Insomnia in Young Adults | W/ Treatment and Remedies

31 May Causes of Insomnia in Young Adults | W/ Treatment and Remedies

The medical term “insomnia” generally describes sleep disorders and can have various meanings in the literature and for people.

For example, surveys related to insomnia find their definition of insomnia in the experience of difficulty in sleeping.

But the actual general definition of insomnia is a long latency of sleep and long periods of sleep deprivation during the sleep period.

It could even be a symptom or a sign of other serious systemic disorders while also leading to complications that result in systemic disorder.

People often confuse general sleeplessness with insomnia, but the latter is diagnosed as a disorder based on:

1. Difficulty in sleeping and staying asleep 
2. The difficulty prevails even when you get an opportunity to sleep
3. It occurs at least thrice a week and has been constant for one month.

Though severe insomnia is more common among women and adults, recent reports have found the causes of insomnia in young adults are getting more common.

Hence, today what we focus on is this sleeping disorder and why insomnia is common among young adults.

What Causes Insomnia in Young Adults?

Insomnia is associated with hyperarousal throughout the day, which is characterized by hyperactivity and complexity in falling asleep at night.

The causes could be grouped as:

• Cognitive
• Physiological
• Lifestyle factors

Though the following reasons for insomnia can be present in age groups other than young adults too, recent reports find some of them higher in young people.

Cognitive Reasons for Insomnia in Young Adults

According to the cognitive basis, the most common causes of insomnia among young adults are stress and worry about lifestyle.

Once that hinders your sleep cycle the rumination shifts from lifestyle to the worry about sleeplessness and aggravates the situation.

#1. Stress

Stress causes specific reactions in the body that affect your sleep quality. The stress could be due to various lifestyle schedules like work and peers.

Usually, chronic stress is associated with insomnia which could be due to traumatic experiences.

This is because chronic stress can cause hyperarousal and hypervigilance that could lead to responses of the body contributing to insomnia.

However, stress is not always the cause of insomnia in young adults and is more common among people with high sleep reactivity.

#2. Mental Health Problems

Mental health disorders are constantly being reported as the leading causes of insomnia in young adults as almost 40% of people with insomnia have mental disorders.

The three of the most reported mental health issues were:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Bipolar disorder

These three disorders are characterized by a flow of negative thoughts that can excite hyperarousal among youngsters disturbing the sleep pattern.

But the most common factor among teens is usually anxiety-induced insomnia.

Another revelation through studies comes from the relation between insomnia negatively impacting mood leading to an increase in symptoms of mental disorders.

Hence the relationship goes two ways.

#3. Neurological Disorders 

Several disorders associated with neurological damage can increase the risk of insomnia.

Some examples of such disorders include dementia and Alzheimers which changes the person’s ability to judge the circadian cycle.

For example, a person’s dementia can leave him confused about when the sleep period.

Other disorders that can affect sleep by exciting the hyperarousal mechanism among youngsters are ADHD and Autism spectrum disorder.

Physiological Causes of Insomnia in Young Adults

Physiologically, insomnia could be due to abnormalities in:

• Metabolism
• Heart rate
• Neuroendocrine health

For example, according to a study that compared patients with insomnia to those who were healthy, the brain metabolism was higher among the former. Based on study results, this might be related to a failure of arousal mechanisms. 

Some common physiological causes of lack of sleep at night or during regular sleep periods can be:

#1. Systemic Disorders

There could be many systemic problems that can become a prominent cause of insomnia.

For example:

1. Diabetes Type I – many teens and even children can face behavioral insomnia because of diabetes type I as diabetes is characterized by rapid blood sugar changes. One of its symptoms is frequent urges of urination to interfere with the sleep cycle.
2. Respiratory problems – breathing problems like snoring, asthma, and nasal allergies can wake you up quite several times. This could go on to form a severe form of sleeplessness or in medical terms insomnia.
3. Parkinson’s disease – is characterized by waking up several times and finding it difficult to restore the same quality of sleep. This is because it unbalances the healthy signals from the brain and can lead to frequent urination and even mental disorders disrupting the sleep cycle.
4. Digestion problems – several gastric problems like gastroesophageal reflux disease can cause insomnia. Though the exact reason for the same is not known but is usually the symptoms of GERD that cause trouble.
5. Premenstrual syndrome – is one of the common causes of insomnia in females. Though it doesn’t result in sudden insomnia the hormonal imbalances, like the production of melatonin, can go on interfering with your sleep cycle for a long time resulting in the disorder.
6. Adrenal Fatigue – can be one of the causes of insomnia in males as chronic stress can lead to abnormal adrenal functioning. At one time the adrenal glands can no longer produce the hormone cortisol leading to adrenal fatigue. This can cause insomnia.

#2. Pain and Itching

Several medical disorders can lead to symptoms like pain and itching which make it difficult for a person to fall asleep.

This hinders the sleep cycle and can make a separate pattern leading to insomnia.

#3. Medications

Sleeping problems can also be side effects of certain medications like:

• Hypertension drugs
• Anti-asthma drugs
• Antidepressants

Though it’s usually not during the medication phase, a withdrawal consequence is not common.

Lifestyle Factors of Insomnia

An unhealthy lifestyle is the leading cause of insomnia among young adults.

Some of the general lifestyle mistakes that lead to sleep disorders among youngsters are:

• Using electronic devices just before the bed interrupts the circadian rhythm making sleeplessness a routine further causing insomnia.
• Performing wakeful activities on the bed instead of sleeping develops psych horology that keeps you awake on the bed.
• Alcoholism is becoming common among youngsters, and it disrupts the sleep cycle. Chronic alcoholism is mostly associated with insomnia.

Although above we have listed the most common causes of insomnia in youngsters, there are also other people at higher risk of developing the condition.

Risk Factors of Insomnia

A risk factor is defined as the condition of a person that makes him more vulnerable to the disorder.

Though anyone could develop insomnia, the likelihood of the condition is higher among:

• Aging population
• Those with chronic diseases
• Gender – Women are more at risk
• Occupation
• Sleeping environment/conditions

Right below is a detailed explanation of all these risk factors and how they influence your chances of getting insomnia.

#1. Aging

People in the mid of their sixties have higher chances of developing insomnia than the younger people as they are more prone to systemic and psychological problems.

#2. Chronic Diseases

People suffering from chronic diseases that affect the kidneys, lungs, heart, or even other sleeping disorders fall at a higher risk.

#3. Gender

Women are more prone to acute insomnia because of:

• Pregnancy,
• premenstrual syndrome,
• and even menopause.

All these conditions are associated with hormonal imbalance.

#4. Occupation

People working night shifts or traveling constantly are more prone to developing insomnia because of their sleep schedules.

#5. Environment

A too uncomfortable sleeping environment like a well-lit room, noisy neighbors, kids, and family could lead to acute insomnia.

Persistence of the same aggravates the condition to chronic conditions.

Often in such conditions, occasional sleeplessness could also hit giving the feeling of insomnia.

But it is very important to differentiate between general sleeplessness, and insomnia because the former could fade off but if it results in insomnia you might need medications.

What Insomnia Feels Like?

Insomnia is characterized by symptoms like:

• Difficulty in falling asleep
• Frequently waking up during the night
• Not able to maintain a sleep pattern
• Feeling tired but not able to sleep
• Irritability and aggressiveness
• Sleeplessness even when you get the opportunity
• Problems in focusing on anything

 But sometimes people often experience these symptoms occasionally. This couldn’t be termed insomnia.

Any sleeping problem can only be defined as insomnia when it starts hampering your daily life routine like work, relationships, and activities.

A formal diagnosis of insomnia characterizes it with the appearance of symptoms at least thrice a week along with:

• Taking thirty minutes to sleep
• Having episodic wakeups which are of more than 30 minutes

Since there are different types of insomnia that people experience, it’s not always obvious to experience the same symptoms.

Though, any type of insomnia can have the same impact on your mental and physical health.

Mental and Physical Effects of Insomnia 

Insomnia could be chronic and cause abnormalities in the quality of your life.

 For example, according to a study, people with insomnia can have problems like:

• Physical functioning
• Pain
• Systemic disorders
• Vitality
• Socialising
• Emotions
• Mental health

Digging deeper into these 8 sections, we can broadly talk about these effects in the following manner:

#1. Effect on Mental Health

Stress is a part of the pathogenesis of insomnia and also a result of insomnia.

For example, sometimes patients could have insomnia due to other reasons like any chronic disorder or hormonal imbalance.

But because of the worry about why he isn’t able to sleep, he could land into severe anxiety and even depression.

Since sleep also works as a kind of anti-anxiety, lack of sleep could also aggravate the already present symptoms of anxiety.

#2. Cardiac Health Issues

According to a study, insomnia can increase the risk of:

• Hypertension
• Acute myocardial infarction
• Type two diabetes

A more detailed look at it showed results like:

• Higher blood pressure during the night and low systolic pressure were reported among insomniac patients
• The heart rate was variable and not rhythmic 
• Glucose metabolism was abnormal

#3. Neurological Disorders

People with insomnia often find it difficult in:

• Focusing
• Concentrating
• Decision making
• Memorizing

#4. Poor Sex Drive

Generally, when you sleep your body releases the maximum testosterone.

But during insomnia, lack of sleep puts a speed breaker on the release of testosterone leading to several sexual problems.

The most common problem seen during such cases is a lack of sex drive.

#5. Weak Immunity

Your body produces many immune-active substances while you sleep like antibodies.

Cytokines released during the initial hours of sleep also help in developing a better quality of sleep.

But during insomnia there is reduced release of both cytokines and antibodies, making your immunity go weak.

In such cases, even the mild flu can take a severe form.

#6. Can Make You Overweight

Insomnia could be a cause of overweight and even obesity as lack of sleep makes you feel tired all day long.

This can interfere with your exercises and hence hinder weight-loss strategies.

However, you can reverse these effects of insomnia by seeking the right treatment plans.

Usually, acute insomnia and other forms of insomnia can fade off on their own or might require home remedies.

You Might Also Like: What to Eat before Bed to Lose Weight

Home Remedies for Insomnia

Generally, home remedies work for:

• Short term insomnia
• Sleep onset insomnia
• Mixed insomnia

Hence, if you are dealing with any of these, you could try going for:

#1. Light Exposure

If you have sleep-onset insomnia, try going for light exposure therapy.

This helps your body perceive the circadian changes and hence react accordingly.

All you need to do is take a walk early in the morning when the sun rises.

You can even go for an afternoon walk if you sleep early in the evening and wake up quite early in the morning.

#2. Meditation

Since stress and anxiety are leading causes of insomnia in young adults, trying meditation and relaxing techniques often helps.

They help your body relax and fill you in with energy and positive thoughts that help alleviate the symptoms of insomnia.

#3. Yoga

It is a form of art that synchronizes your mind with your body and hence helps you relax and calm down your mind.

This is mostly helpful in stress-induced insomnia as it helps release all the stress that you have stored.

#4. Aromatherapy

A common remedy in ancient times, aromatherapy helps relax your mind and hence enhances the quality of sleep.

The most helpful aromatherapy will be that of lavender.

You can try keeping a lavender sachet under your pillow or even go for essential oils.

#5. Diet and Lifestyle Shifts

Improve your diet and load it with more nutrients coming from fruits, and veggies.

Also, limit your stimulant intake to help your body fall asleep easily.

Making some small changes to your life like avoiding electronics late at night, or sleeping on-off periods can help too.

Taking some foods that help in sleeping like foods rich in magnesium will help too.

#6. Valerian

Valerian is effective for relieving stress and anxiety. But it also helps in enhancing the quality of sleep.

You can either take a supplement or even brew it as tea.

Other herbal remedies that can help include chamomile tea and passionflower.

On the off chance, if the herbal remedies don’t work for you, the only option that can help you enjoy a good sleep is medical help.

Medical Treatment for Insomnia

The first step of medical help for insomnia involves diagnosis.

Your doctor would check for the signs and symptoms of insomnia before proceeding with the insomnia test that can involve:

• Physical examination
• A review of your sleep schedules and behaviors
• Study for any other sleep disorders

On confirmation, the treatment plan would be laid out based on your condition.

Treatment involves:

1. Cognitive-behavioral therapy – to help you get rid of stress and all the negative thoughts affecting your mind. It could involve several relaxation therapies and even sleep restriction methods.
2. Medications – doctors usually don’t recommend medications easily, but for some situations, they might suggest psychotic drugs.
3. Non-prescribed medications – some medications that are not generally designed to help you sleep but make you feel drowsy can also be used. But before doing that consult a doctor.

Conclusion

Earlier insomnia was not so common among youngsters as it usually found victims in middle-aged and older-aged people.

But with changes in the modern world and advancements in trends, even youngsters are falling prey to sleeplessness.

The most common causes are psychological stress due to work, relationships, or even peer reactions.

However, this doesn’t make it a complete mess as insomnia can be treated and even prevented.

Though the prevention doesn’t work for any systemic condition it does work for preventing lifestyle-induced insomnia.

Hence choose your lifestyle wisely or else what sleeplessness causes is equivalent to all the junkies you can eat in a whole year.

ALSO READ: Types of Sleep Apnea and Causes