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5 surprising triggers of insomnia

Stress and your diet are two possible causes of sleepless nights.

Updated on September 8, 2024

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If you can’t seem to fall asleep at night, and not even counting sheep helps, you might have insomnia. Insomnia makes falling asleep, staying asleep, or both, a challenge. The issue can be acute—meaning it lasts only a few days or weeks—or chronic, meaning it lasts for at least one month. Most cases of chronic insomnia are the result of an underlying health condition,Show More

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Stress and anxiety

The relationship between anxiety and insomnia is a two-way street. Feelings of worry can keep you up at night, triggering insomnia. Sleep deprivation resulting from insomnia can, in turn, spark anxiety.

Results from a 2022 statistical study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research suggestedShow More

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Depression

It’s common to feel down at times, but depression is something more serious, and it can disrupt your usual sleep pattern. In fact, about 80 to 90 percent of people diagnosed with depression also experience insomnia.  

That’s not the only connection between the two conditions. According to aShow More

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Diet

What you eat and drink throughout the day can have an effect on the quality of your slumber. Caffeine is a stimulant, which can disrupt your sleep if consumed too close to bedtime. Remember that caffeine isn’t only found in coffee and tea. For quality shuteye, avoid chocolate and coffee- orShow More

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Chronic pain

When your body hurts, sleep can be elusive. In fact, pain is one of the most common causes of insomnia, which affects up to two-thirds of those who live with chronic pain. Besides leaving you exhausted, lack of sleep can further exacerbate chronic pain and can make pain medications lessShow More

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Medications

If you’re having difficulty sleeping, one of your medications may be to blame. Drugs prescribed to treat hypertension, depression, and asthma can leave you sleepless, as well as some non-prescription medications for pain, allergy, and cold symptoms.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)Show More

Slideshow sources open slideshow sources

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. What Is Insomnia? Page last updated March 24, 2022.
MedlinePlus. Insomnia. Page accessed September 8, 2024.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Worry and Anxiety. Page last reviewed May 26, 2023.
Zhou F, Li S, Xu H. Insomnia, sleep duration, and risk of anxiety: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study. J Psychiatr Res. 2022 Nov;155:219-225. 
Palagini L, Hertenstein E, Riemann D, et al. Sleep, insomnia and mental health. J Sleep Res. 2022 Aug;31(4):e13628.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Insomnia: Causes and Risk Factors. Page last updated March 24, 2022.
Mayo Clinic. Generalized Anxiety Disorder. October 13, 2017.
Plante DT. The Evolving Nexus of Sleep and Depression. Am J Psychiatry. 2021 Oct 1;178(10):896-902.
Mayo Clinic. Depression (major depressive disorder). October 14, 2022.
Gardiner C, Weakley J, Burke L, et al. The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2023 June;69:101764.
Zuraikat FM, Wood RA, Barragán R, et al. Sleep and Diet: Mounting Evidence of a Cyclical Relationship. Annu Rev Nutr. 2021 Oct 11;41:309-332. 
Cleveland Clinic. How to beat insomnia when you have chronic pain. August 10, 2020.
Mayo Clinic. Insomnia treatment: Cognitive behavioral therapy instead of sleeping pills. April 5, 2023.
Heidi Godman. Are your medications keeping you up at night?  Harvard Health Publishing. December 1, 2022.
NHS Inform. Insomnia. Page last updated May 31, 2024.
Garline, Ashley. 10 Common Medications That Can Affect Sleep. AARP. Page last updated June 30, 2023.

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