What causes sleep problems?

If you are having trouble sleeping or have some feeling of fear during sleep. Here are some causes that may interfere deep sleep. 

There are many reasons you may experience sleep problems. Common causes of sleep problems are:

• a poor sleep routine – going to bed too early or too late, or not relaxing properly before bed
• a poor sleep environment – sleeping somewhere uncomfortable, or with too much light or noise
• changes to sleep patterns – working night shifts or sleeping in a new place can be a problem if your body doesn’t adjust
• unhelpful psychological associations – developing anxieties or phobias about going to sleep after a period of poor sleep, or associating the bedroom with being active
• physical illness – being uncomfortable or in pain, having a physical sleep condition such as snoring or sleep apnoea (problems breathing while sleeping), or having a hormone or neurological disorder such as an overactive thyroid or Parkinson’s disease
• alcohol, street drugs and stimulants – (including caffeine and nicotine)
• medication – having trouble sleeping as a side effect of certain medication, such as epilepsy and asthma drugs, or antidepressants
• stress, worry and anxiety – feeling nervous about a specific issue, such as work, money, family or relationships; or a specific event, such as an interview or appointment
• trauma – finding it hard to sleep after experiencing a traumatic event, such as an accident or a bereavement; experiencing long-term sleep problems as a result of long-term trauma or abuse, particularly if the trauma happened during childhood
• mental health problems 

Easy Ways to Increase Your Energy and Get a Better Night's Sleep

Follow these tips to get a better night's sleep and boost your energy during the day.

SET THE STAGE FOR SLEEP

Put your pillow to the test: If you're not lying on a pillow that effectively cradles your head and neck, you're creating unnecessary muscle tension, which can leave you feeling drained when you wake up. To tell if your pillow is doing its job, lay it over your extended arm. Does it have a slight fold or does it hang there like a saddlebag? If it collapses, your pillow is past its prime.

Ready, set, smell: Lavender, chamomile and jasmine are known for their soothing and relaxing nature.
• Lavender: Research has shown that breathing the aroma of lavender oil before bed produces sedative effects and raises the amount of slow-wave (the most restorative) sleep.
• Chamomile: The smell of chamomile has been shown to promote sleep. In fact, people who drank chamomile tea after dinner were more relaxed than those who drank hot water, Japanese researchers found.
• Jasmine: Let this fragrance permeate your bedroom. Study participants who breathed in jasmine-infused air experienced improved sleep quality and reported feeling lower levels of anxiety the next day. Set an oil diffuser with the scent on your nightstand.

Make your bed: A National Sleep Foundation poll in 2011 found that people who made their bed every day were more likely to report sleeping well than those who didn't. It's unclear why pulling up your covers, tucking everything in and fluffing those pillows on rising might bring pleasant dreams, but who's to argue with the facts.

GET ACTIVE AND FEEL REFRESHED

Start off with a stretch: Waking up with a stiff neck or cramped shoulders can drain your energy before you even hit the shower. Stretch your arms overhead, or try a simple supine twist. For an easy stretch, lie on your back, then hug your knees into your chest. Drop your knees to your right side, gently resting your right hand on your left leg and stretching your left hand out to the left at shoulder height; turn head to left. Hold for eight breaths, then return to center and repeat on the other side. It only takes 2 minutes and will really perk you up!

Ride a bike: A study done at the University of Georgia showed that adults suffering from sustained fatigue who biked at a low intensity for 20 minutes, three times a week, felt 65 percent less tired after six weeks than a group that didn't exercise. Those results were even better than ones for a group that did moderate-intensity exercise (the effect of which was similar to using prescription amphetamines).

Go for a walk: An Oregon State University Study of more than 2,600 people ages 18 to 85 found that 2 1/2 hours of moderate to vigorous exercise weekly (the national guideline for good health) can yield a 65 percent improvement in sleep quality. An easy way to meet that 150-minute goal: Walk briskly for 30 minutes five days per week. Some people are sensitive to working out before bedtime and others aren't. Avoid strenuous exercise two hours before you turn in.

Change it up: Making a simple switch to your daily routine can give you a jolt of energy, because it can prompt your brain to release dopamine. Try taking a different route to the office, or walk the opposite way around the block.

Potential Side Effects of Prescription Sleep Drugs

There are some point in life that most of us have a problem in sleeping. Commonly some of us went to the doctor for solutions and others are finding a way to take pills for sleeping. But be careful some of this pills might be dangerous to once health especially if these pills were not recommended by doctors. I'm going to give you the problem of unnecessary pills and its side effects.

These are a few of the most common problems you may experience while taking a sleep medication, and what you can do to avoid them.

Should you worry?

If you’ve ever considered sleeping pills, you may have worried about how you’d feel the next day, whether you’d get hooked, and what other effects the medication might have on you. When used correctly, prescription sleep drugs are safe and effective, and can help you get through a patch of insomnia or fitful sleeping. In fact, doctors say they're more reliable than over-the-counter meds for any extended period of time.

Side effects can occur, however, especially if you’re not taking the best type of medication for you, at the right dosage. Here are a few problems you may experience, and what you can do to avoid them.

Hangover

Many people worry that, should they decide to take sleeping pills, they'll feel tired, fuzzy-headed, or dizzy; experience headaches or nausea; or have trouble waking up the morning after. These side effects are possible, but avoidable, says Ralph Downey III, PhD, director of the Loma Linda University Sleep Disorders Center in Loma Linda, Calif. 

If your doctor has prescribed the correct dosage, and you take the pill according to your doctor’s instructions, the medication should work effectively without any morning hangover, Downey says. Older drugs such as benzodiazepines are more likely to cause morning drowsiness or dizziness, because they have longer half-lives—meaning the effects take longer to wear off.

Heartburn dangers

Getting a good night's sleep may pose dangers for people with mild heartburn and the more than 40% of Americans with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). A 2009 study found that people taking Ambien were less than half as likely to wake up during bouts of acid reflux, increasing their exposure to nighttime stomach acid. This backwash can cause damage to the esophagus that may not have occurred had the person awoken and swallowed, neutralizing the acid with saliva. This type of damage to the cells lining the throat may increase the risk for esophageal cancer. Read more about the connection between sleeping pills and heartburn here.

Dependence or addiction

Patients are often nervous about becoming addicted to or dependent upon sleeping pills. But studies show that the risk of sleeping pill abuse is decreasing as new medications are released. Researchers have found that Rozerem, a relatively new drug, may have the fewest side effects of all, and it seems to be non-habit-forming. However, addiction and dependence are still possible with other drugs, especially benzodiazepines.

Taking sleep medications long-term can mask the real cause of insomnia—such as poor sleep habits or too much stress. Patients often tell their doctors that they're dependent on medication, but it's possible they haven't addressed underlying issues affecting their sleep, and that they don't really need the pills.

Rebound insomnia

One of the most important things to know about sleep medication is how and when to stop taking it. Abruptly stopping the use of a sleep aid can cause rebound insomnia, meaning you may experience the same or even worse symptoms of your sleep disorder without medication. “To be safe, I assume that the effect may occur” in all patients, Downey says. That’s why he tells patients to never stop using a sleeping pill without first consulting a doctor. Many sleep experts will wean their patients off sleep medications by prescribing lower doses or different medications, until they’re ready to sleep on their own. 

There are a lot more potential side effects of sleep drugs and I am just discuss here some few of it if you have any comment you can do so below these post.