Other Sleep Issues - Sleep and Health

Sleeping well is the first step to living well. This is why eliminating or reducing sleep problems is so important to a person's health and well being. If a person has trouble sleeping, or if he/she feels tired and sleepy much of the time, then that person may have a sleep disorder. There are treatments for most sleep disorders, but the first step is to recognize that there is a problem. The second step is finding the cause of the problem, and the third step is treating the problem.

The main factors that may cause sleep problems include:

• Psychological Factors
  • Vulnerability to Insomnia (some people are more likely to experience poor sleep during stressful times than others)
  • Persistent stress
  • Learned Insomnia (or Primary Insomnia)
• Lifestyle
  • Use of stimulants
  • Use of alcohol
  • Erratic hours
  • Inactive behavior
  • Misuse or overuse of sleeping pills
• Environmental Factors
  • Noise
  • Light
• Physical/Psychiatric Illness
  • Psychiatric problems
  • Breathing disorders
  • Periodic leg movements
  • Waking brain activity that persists during sleep
  • Gastroesophageal Reflux