Let’s face it, you and most adults and even children, have experienced insomnia or sleeplessness at one time or another. Did you know that it has been estimated that 30% to 50% of the general population have been affected by insomnia, and around 10% have chronic insomnia? This article will explain just what insomnia is, what are some insomnia causes, some insomnia symptoms and insomnia cures.

I will begin with the definition of insomnia. Insomnia is the difficulty of falling asleep or maintaining sleep. And insomnia is not always measured by the number of hours you sleep since everyone varies in sleep needs and practices. Since most of us know what insomnia is and how we feel the next day with one or more sleepless nights before that, not all of us seek treatment and remain unaware of the options available to treat insomnia. I have some interesting things to tell you.

I’ll begin with the symptoms of insomnia. Generally there are three types of insomnia, and these are based on how long it lasts.

* Transient insomnia: lasts fewer than four weeks

* Short-term insomnia: the inability to sleep well for four to six months

* Chronic insomnia: the inability to sleep every night or most nights for more than six months

Insomnia symptoms for Transient and short-term insomnia can be caused by stress related factors such as losing a job, marital problems, personal events and just plain worrying about things.

Chronic insomnia symptoms can be caused by medical illnesses like heartburn, menopause, diabetes, and arthritis, sleep disordered breathing, like sleep apnea that cause one to stop breathing while asleep, restless leg syndrome (RLS) which is recurrent movements of the legs during sleep. “Learned” insomnia, where you go to bed worrying about going to sleep. Age, because as we age sleep becomes lighter and more fragmented. And lifestyle factors, like caffeine consumption, alcohol and drug abuse, smoking, poor sleeping habits.

Insomnia treatment can be divided into two areas: Treatment with and without medication.

When people think about insomnia treatment they tend to think about sleeping pills that can become addictive and may just bring up more medical issues. But in my research I have found that there are actually a lot of non-medical therapies and techniques out there that go a long way to help you feel sleepy at night and stay asleep.

Here are few techniques and suggestions I have found.

Develop a sleeping schedule

* Exercise during the day

* Keep a comfortable bedroom temperature

* Avoid stimulating drugs, like caffeine and nicotine right before sleep

* Avoid alcohol

* Avoid heavy meals before bedtime

* Natural remedies, including night time teas and alternative medicines

* Increase exposure to sunlight more in the morning than in the evening

* Relaxation therapy to reduce anxiety and body tension

Your next step? To take what you’ve just learned and find out more about natural cures and natural remedies for insomnia. Just a moment of your time, it may be a wise choice for you or someone you know and love that is suffering from insomnia.