In Vietnam, it is estimated that there are about 15-20% teenagers, 15-20% adults and 30-40% Elderly people suffer from sleep-related diseases such as insomnia and sleep disorders. People with insomnia often feel lethargic, tired, have difficulty concentrating on work, and have memory loss. However, problems such as insomnia or symptoms are still not properly cared for and understood.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. It can also cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep. You may feel tired when you wake up. Insomnia can drain your energy and affect your mood. It can also affect your health, work performance, and quality of life.

Types of insomnia

Experts describe the causes of insomnia in different ways, depending on the characteristics:

• Acute insomnia:
  Short-term difficulty sleeping, usually lasting no more than a few weeks.
• Chronic insomnia:
  Insomnia affects sleep at least 3 days a week for 3 months or more. It can be primary (idiopathic) or secondary (associated with another medical condition).
• Insomnia onset:
  Difficulty falling asleep. It can be caused by caffeine use, mental health conditions, or other sleep disorders. But it can also develop along with other sleep disorders.
• Maintenance insomnia: Difficulty staying asleep after falling asleep, or frequently waking up too early. This type of insomnia can be linked to underlying medical and mental health symptoms. But lying awake worrying that you won't get enough sleep can make it worse.

Reason

Insomnia can be a major problem associated with other conditions. Long-term insomnia is often caused by stress or habits that disrupt sleep. While treating the cause of your sleep problem can help stop insomnia, it can sometimes persist for years.

Common causes of chronic insomnia include:

• Stress.

  Worrying about work, school, or family can keep your mind running wild, making it difficult to sleep. Stressful life events can also lead to insomnia.

• Work or travel schedule.

  The body's internal clock, called the circadian rhythm, regulates activities such as sleep-wake cycles, metabolism, and body temperature. Disruption of these rhythms can lead to insomnia. Causes include jet lag when traveling across time zones, working late or early shifts

• Poor sleeping habits.

  Poor sleep habits include going to bed and waking up at different times each day, napping, being too active before bedtime, and having an uncomfortable sleeping environment. Other poor sleep habits include working, eating, or watching TV in bed. Using a computer, smartphone, playing video games, or watching TV right before bed can also disrupt your sleep cycle.

• Eat too much late at night.

  Eating a light snack before bed is fine, but eating too much can make you feel uncomfortable lying down. Many people also experience heartburn, which is when stomach acid flows back up into the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach, called the esophagus. Heartburn can wake you up.

• Mental health disorders.

  Anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), can disrupt your sleep. Waking up too early can be a sign of depression. Insomnia often occurs along with other mental health conditions.

• Medicine.

  Many prescription medications can interfere with sleep, such as some antidepressants and medications for asthma or blood pressure. Many over-the-counter medications, such as some pain relievers, allergy and cold medications, and weight-loss products, contain caffeine and other stimulants that can disrupt sleep.

• Medical condition.

  Examples of conditions associated with insomnia include chronic pain, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hyperthyroidism, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

• Sleep-related disorders.
  Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing while you sleep, disrupting your sleep. Restless legs syndrome causes you to have a strong, uncomfortable feeling of wanting to move your legs when you try to sleep. This can keep you from falling asleep or staying asleep.

• Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.

  Coffee, tea, cola, and other drinks that contain caffeine are stimulants. Drinking them in the late afternoon or evening can keep you from falling asleep at night. Nicotine in tobacco products is another stimulant that can disrupt sleep. Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but it prevents you from getting into deep sleep stages, leading to waking up in the middle of the night.
   Understanding the causes of insomnia helps you have a general perspective on other health issues. You should pay more attention to your health, especially the elderly. The elderly often suffer from insomnia, the cause of which can come from many sides. However, to be able to take better care of the elderly, you need a professional elderly caretaker to ensure their health. Learn more about how to care for the elderly and insomnia in the elderly.