Cause of Inability to Sleep at Night: Non-Medical Reasons
Here are the most prominent non-medical reasons that may lead to inability to sleep at night:
- Experiencing psychological stress: Stress caused by overthinking about work or life issues, along with trauma exposure, causes psychological pressure, which in turn leads to difficulty falling asleep at night.
- Traveling or changes in daily schedule: When moving across time zones or switching work hours from day to night, for example, the body’s biological clock becomes disturbed, which is one of the reasons for lack of sleep at night.
- Engaging in unhealthy habits: Such as taking long naps or lacking a consistent sleep and wake schedule.
- Eating a large meal before bed: A heavy meal before sleep can cause digestive discomfort, such as bloating or acid reflux, leading to an inability to sleep at night.
- Consuming caffeine sources: Especially in the evening or before bed. Nicotine from cigarettes or hookah also contributes to sleep problems.
- Sleeping in an uncomfortable environment: For example, if the bedroom is too hot or too cold, or there are disturbing sounds or bright lights in the room.
Cause of Inability to Sleep at Night: Medical Reasons
Sometimes, the inability to sleep is due to medical conditions, including:
- Psychological disorders: Most notably:
- Depression.
- Anxiety disorders.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Physical illnesses: Such as:
- Chronic pain-causing conditions.
- Diabetes.
- Heart disease.
- Acid reflux (GERD).
- Parkinson’s disease.
- Alzheimer’s disease.
- Sleep-related disorders: These include:
- Sleep apnea.
- Restless leg syndrome (RLS).
- Use of certain medications: Such as:
- Certain antidepressants.
- Asthma medications.
- Blood pressure medications.
- Allergy and cold medications that contain stimulants.
- Weight loss pills containing caffeine.
The Role of Meditation in Helping to Achieve Adequate Sleep at Night
Research shows that practicing meditation helps combat sleeplessness and plays a major role in overcoming it. Meditation also improves sleep quality even for those who do not suffer from insomnia, which is defined as the inability to sleep at night. We recommend downloading the Tawazon app to explore different types of meditation and benefit from its wide selection of meditations and podcasts.
