Insomnia is the most common sleep complaint in which you need to take something (supplements, sleep aid pills) in order to get to sleep. Sleeplessness can sap not only our energy level and mood but also our health and work performance.

Causes of insomnia

Insomnia can be caused by medical and psychiatric conditions, unhealthy sleep routine and certain biological factors. It is important to understand the major causes of sleeplessness.

General causes of insomnia include:

1. Anxiety - Anxiety can keep our mind active at night. Issues at work place or with family can make us anxious. This can make it impossible to sleep at night. At that time we may develop an anxiety disorder also known as acute stress disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder. It is one of the main causes of sleeplessness.

2. Stress - Stressful life events such as death or illness of close relative, job loss may lead to insomnia. Tension, feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities, getting caught up in thoughts about past events and excessive worrying about future events create stress in mind.

3. Depression - Depression occurs due to excess pressure on mind and it is one of the main causes of insomnia where we might either sleep too much or have trouble in sleeping. Anxiety and depression are the major reasons of chronic insomnia. This may be due to imbalance in brain that affects sleep.

4. Lifestyle - Unhealthy lifestyle can also create sleep disorders without having any medical and psychological problem. If a person starts to adopt unhealthy sleep habits then the sleeplessness problem potentially turn into serious problem. It is important to detect the insomnia disease at right time instead of letting it become the norm.

5. Food - Certain activities including eating pattern can also contribute to insomnia. Having light snake before bed time is not risky but eating too much may cause us to feel physically uncomfortable and make it difficult to sleep.

6. Environmental changes - Long distance travel affects our body which sometimes create sleep disorder problem.

7. Medical conditions - There are many medical conditions that are the causes of sleeplessness. Insomnia can be caused by chronic pain, diabetes, obesity, cancer, gastro esophageal reflux diseases etc. These are some causes of insomnia. To get rid of it variety of herbal remedies for sleeplessness are available.

Herbal remedies for insomnia

Human body requires proper sleep to work in a good manner. Some herbal remedies for sleeplessness are available in the market which can cure insomnia problem without any adverse effects. It is important to identify medical and psychological causes before deciding on the treatment. Several different types of medicine are also effective but many doctors do not recommend relying on the prescription sleep aid pills for a long time. To get best result try to use herbal remedies for sleeplessness and avoid the use of caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol late in a day. Do regular exercise to make the body healthy and fit.

Some natural remedies for insomnia: Foods, herbs and supplements

1. Melatonin - Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep/wake cycle. It is naturally found in animals, plant, fungi and bacteria. It is used to increase the amount of sleep and improves sleep-wake cycle disorder. Melatonin might be good for the people with issues such as jet lag or shift work. You should only use it under the supervision by the doctor.

2. Milk - Milk is a natural treatment for insomnia which helps the brain to make melatonin naturally. For a healthy sleep have warm milk before sleep.