Insomnia is what we get when we cannot sleep. If we don't get proper sleep, whether that's because we keep waking during the night or because we can't get to sleep at all, this will result in a number of physical and mental symptoms all labelled under the umbrella of insomnia.

There are different types of insomnia, which can include:

• Transient insomnia,
• Acute insomnia,
• Chronic insomnia.
  

The type you have depends on just how often you have trouble with your sleep, with transient being less severe, and chronic being the most severe.

If you think you may be suffering from insomnia then it may be a good idea to talk to a doctor, as well as finding out 'what causes insomnia?'

Your Lifestyle: There are many different causes of insomnia, including lifestyle factors. This can range from what you eat and drink in the day (including caffeine and alcohol which can inhibit sleep) to anxiety and stress. You might also find that sleep is harder if you are on certain medication.

Sleep Apnea: This is a different kind of insomnia, which results due to a partial collapse of your respiratory muscle. If you have the condition you might not even realise that you were disturbed, though it's important to seek medical advice if you're feeling drowsy through the day.

Frequent Travel: We all know how much travel can disrupt sleep, especially so if you're travelling between different time zones. This also happens if you work shifts, and you should seek advice from your doctor on how to deal with this problem.

Dreams: It might be the case that your dreams are causing you to move, sleepwalk or even display violent behaviour in your sleep. All of these can disrupt your sleep.

Knowing what causes insomnia is a good way to stop it from happening, though this is not a definitive list. It's important to get medical advice to be sure.

If you do have insomnia then there can be a number of effects, which is why it's so important to treat the condition as soon as you can.

Firstly, you might find that your personality changes due to the fact that you're so tired. You could get angry at people more easily, which can then effect your job, your personal relationships and others.

Your health can also suffer. Your immune system will be lower, meaning you may get ill more often than if you had a good night's sleep.

Working during the day will also become a lot harder - sometimes even basic tasks are almost impossible.

These are just a few of the effects, and they all get more severe the more severe the insomnia is.

Remember that insomnia could be a sign of a deeper medical condition, so whilst it's good to know what causes insomnia, this Hub has not gone into other medical conditions - you should always visit a doctor for more advice.