Many physical and emotional factors can cause chronic insomnia. The most likely causes result from mild or intermittent occurrences of insomnia that build up over time to create a behavioural pattern.

Our bodies function in a way where certain biological patterns are formed over time, such as eating and sleeping habits. Because of this chronic insomnia is more difficult to treat than intermittent occurances of insomnia that only happen in the short term.

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Long term chronic insomnia can be treated with a more focused approach, where the intention of treatment is to break the underlying behavioural pattern as much as treating the insomnia itself.

This can happen by making drastic lifestyle changes and nutritional changes. Chronic insomnia often disappears when lifestyle and dietary factors supporting the insomnia are taken away. Some common such factors are:

• Stressful situations during the day.
• Drinking coffee or eating late at night.
• Intense emotional activity during the evening.
• Taking vitamins or supplements before going to sleep.
• Not enough physical energy used up throughout the day.

The pattern of chronic insomnia can be broken by approaching the mental, emotional, and physical factors and behaviours that are not allowing your body and mind to relax fully and to sleep for the optimum amount of time throughout the night.