Sleep Problems and Sleep Disorders There's nothing quite like waking up after a great night of sleep, ready to face the challenges and pleasures of a brand new day. Unfortunately, sleep is often disturbed by one of several common sleep disorders . Sleep disorders fall into several categories. Sometimes insomnia involves not being able to get to sleep, and sometimes it means you can't stay asleep. Sometimes you can sleep like a log, but are risking other health problems, as in teeth grinding, sleep walking, or sleep apnea, in which you stop breathing while you are asleep. Causes of Sleep Disorders The causes of the various sleep disorders vary from psychological causes, like stress and anxiety or depression , to physical problems like obesity. Medications can cause you to sleep too shallowly or to deeply, or can cause restless legs. Women are more likely to suffer sleep disorders, with the hormonal cycle sometimes causing sleep problems. Alcohol or drug abuse can cause sleep d...
An intrusive thought is an unwelcome, involuntary thought, image, or unpleasant idea that may become an obsession, is upsetting or distressing, and can feel difficult to manage or eliminate. (source: Wikipedia ) Common examples of intrusive thoughts include unwanted, intrusive thoughts about the safety of oneself or others, causing distress, and thoughts of performing dangerous actions. These thoughts may lead to negative behaviors, which may increase vulnerability to future experiences of trauma. Intrusive thoughts have been linked to recent life stress, sleep deprivation, prior anxiety, and childhood abuse. The state of depression , suicidal ideation, or anxiety may also be caused by the release of stress hormones. Analysis of studies in subjects who had experienced prolonged periods of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) found that intrusive thoughts and flashbacks are associated with greater than 50% of symptoms, especially memory fragmentation. Intrusive thoughts often occur ...