Symptoms of Insomnia are:

-Difficulty getting to sleep at night which continues night after night for a long period of time.

-Waking during the night and then have difficulty getting back to sleep.

-Waking up tired and feeling as though you haven't slept at all.

-Headaches. The tiredness associated with insomnia will often give you a feeling like you have a hangover even though you hadn't been drinking the night before.

-Lack of concentration during the day.

-Irritability.

-Feel like sleeping a lot during the day.

Some causes of Insomnia are:

-Depression. Many people suffering from depression will often suffer either from insomnia or the complete opposite and will sleep long hours. However, the reverse can also be true in that

-Insomnia can cause depression.

-Stress and anxiety. If you are going through a particularly stressful time you may lie in bed at night and think about your problems. While your mind is so active you will have trouble falling asleep.

-Stimulants. Too many stimulants such as coffee, nicotine and cola during the day can lead to insomnia.

-Some medications may cause insomnia. In particular anti-depressants can cause insomnia so it is helpful to take your medication in the morning to avoid this.

-Some disorders such as sleep apnoea, diabetes and kidney disease may cause Insomnia.

-Injury or pain of any sort may lead to being unable to sleep.

-Working late can affect your sleep as you may go to bed with thoughts of your work still looming in your head.

-Eating habits can affect your sleep patterns; it is unwise to have a large meal soon before bed time.

-Lack of exercise.

-Habit. Often insomnia starts off as not being able to sleep perhaps for the above reasons, but will then develop into a habit. Once you start going to bed with the thought in your mind that you are not going to be able to sleep, then you won't be able to.

Insomnia is very easy to diagnose as you yourself will know if you are unable to sleep. You may want to have a complete physical from your GP just to rule out any other health problems that may be causing your sleeplessness.

Treatment for insomnia may include:

-If you have an underlying cause that is causing your insomnia then you need to treat that cause first to be able to stop the insomnia.

-Take some stress management courses and try to manage your stress better.

-Don't work too late and make sure you have a reasonable break after finishing work and going to bed.

-Use relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation and soft music.

-Improve your lifestyle by keeping a regular routine. Try to avoid caffeine, alcohol and smoking.

-Take a look at your bedroom and see if it is a comfortable place to be and is your actual bed comfortable to sleep in.

-Medication. You don't want to be taking medication for long periods but often taking medication for a week or so may break the habit of not being able to sleep and quite often that is enough to solve the problem. There are some good herbal medicines from the health shop that are just as effective as traditional medicines.

-Avoid sleeping during the day, although you are tired and may find it hard to resist sleeping during the day if you can, it is disrupting your sleeping pattern and will continue to make it harder to sleep at night.