Psychological causes of insomnia, such as anxiety, depression, or stress, lifestyle related challenges, such as the use of drugs or alcohol, late-night partying, too much caffeine, or strenuous exercise late at night, and physical causes, such as sleep apnea, prostate troubles, sleep apnea, acid reflux disease, and asthma are a few of the reasons you might have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.

There are two types of insomnia, primary insomnia and secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia is not related to any other condition and generally lasts for a period of at least one month.

It is not really clear if some people are born with a higher propensity to have insomnia or not. There are several lifestyle changes, such as excessive stress, being upset, travel, work schedules that interrupt your normal sleep routine, which can trigger primary insomnia.

Other causes of insomnia includes issues such as taking frequent naps, obsessing about the inability to get a good night's sleep, and even going to bed early are all associated with primary insomnia. So you can readily see we have already identified several causes of insomnia.

Secondary insomnia is most commonly a symptom of a medical disorder, a neurological condition, or an emotional issue.

Depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety and neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease can all lead to secondary insomnia.

Causes of insomnia that can lead to secondary insomnia are physical issues such as indigestion, an overactive thyroid gland, the effects of a stroke, restless legs syndrome, chronic pain such as headaches, fibromyalgia, or arthritis, and even medical issues which cause difficulty breathing, such as congestive heart failure or asthma.

Personal choices can also have side effects of secondary insomnia. These causes of insomnia include the use of alcohol or other sedatives, caffeine or other stimulants, certain medications such as beta blockers which are used to treat certain heart conditions, tobacco or other nicotine containing products, and even certain asthma, allergy and medications which can contain stimulants.

Causes of insomnia vary widely and yet as we take the time to identify the cause of insomnia we have the best shot at finding the best treatment that can help to restore the nighttime to one of peace and rest once again.