As the old saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun (or sleeping for that matter). Unfortunately for some, this is not always the case. According to the American Sleep Association (ASA), 50 to 70 million adults in the United States have some sort of sleep disorder. These disorders can range from dyssomnia’s to parasomnias.

Often times, this inability to rest results in sleepless nights. Although there are a plethora of causes linked to difficulty sleeping, integrative practitioners are able to pinpoint the most popular ones, while finding potential solutions.

Causes & Common Conditions

As previously mentioned, the causes that influence the lack of sleep are numerous, but doctors and experts alike have been able to narrow these down to ones backed by science, such as brain function, which could be the root of the problem.

“There are cycles of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (non-REM),” said Jeremy A. Holt, associate director of Ajinomoto North America’s health services section in New Jersey. “REM is typically 25 percent of the sleep period. Non-REM is divided into four stages. Stage One is the period between being awake and falling asleep. Stage Two is the onset of sleep and becoming disengaged from your surroundings. Stages Three and Four are the deepest and most restorative sleep, where muscles are relaxed, blood pressure drops and breathing becomes slower.