The Psychological Catalysts of Insomnia

Many people suffer from insomnia at some point in their lives, but not always for the same reasons. Depending upon whats going on in their surroundings, the status of their physical health or where they stand from a psychological perspective, insomnia can be the by-product of something much deeper.

Stress is such a significant factor in our society that its reached epidemic proportions. While the amount of stress is often in direct correlation to the impact on our health, it varies from person to person and, while some may suffer from serious consequences, others may be afflicted by conditions that appear to be more benign. Most people would probably consider insomnia to fall into the latter category. While this may seem to be true on the surface, it could be masking a far more serious condition.

An extremely simplified definition of stress would be how effectively a person copes with the circumstances in his or her life. Thats a rather generic definition, though, since circumstances can vary by degree of severity, and the accumulation of circumstances also plays a significant role in a persons ability to cope. For instance, a cut on the hand might cause some small degree of stress, but a cut that was severe enough to cause the loss of the hand would precipitate a much higher level of stress. The injured person would be expected, then, to experience far more stress in the second scenario, because the degree of injury was greater.

In the case of accumulating circumstances, someone might experience a bit of stress when their car breaks down, but not enough to debilitate them. On the other hand, that same person might be required to cope with a broken down car, loss of their job and a death in the immediate family all within a very short span of time. In this scenario, the stress will be significantly greater, and their ability to cope will be far more compromised.

Anxiety is another factor that may disrupt a persons normal sleep pattern. Closely akin to stress in the symptoms that it manifests, anxiety is a condition that often appears when a person feels tension, fear, apprehension, uncertainty or worry. As a result, these feelings may present themselves in the form of insomnia. There are many things in this world which one can feel anxiety over, but relationships, finances and the work environment are among the most common. If youve ever been in the situation of having lost your job, you probably began to feel a bit anxious. When two or more months went by and you didnt find employment, the anxiety increased. By the time your unemployment compensation ran out at the end of six months, the anxiety hit a peak and, perhaps, had an affect on your health, if it hadnt done so already. This type of scenario is ripe for insomnia. Many people are so filled with worry when faced with such circumstances that insomnia becomes a natural extension of their anxiety.

Another psychological catalyst of insomnia is depression. These feelings of sadness, despair or discouragement can become quite serious and, sometimes, have catastrophic repercussions. Whether the onset of depression is due to circumstances surrounding a relationship, career, finances or feelings of personal hatred or inadequacy, theres no telling how the body will choose to express the negative impact that it has on the overall health. Sleeplessness is certainly common in this type of scenario, but others may become apparent, as well.

Regardless of the reasons for insomnia, if youre among those who suffer from it, seek medical attention by consulting with your physician. While most people have had a mild bout or two with this condition at some point during the course of their lives, it can lead to more grave conditions or illnesses, and can be indicative of something serious brewing just beneath the surface.

Find out more about insomnia and how you can restore healthy sleep naturally by visiting http://www.curing-insomnia.com

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The Psychological Catalysts of Insomnia

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