Do you ever find yourself wide awake long after you go to bed at night? Well, you're not alone. An estimated 40 million Americans are bothered by insomnia. They either have trouble falling asleep at night, wake up in the middle of the night, or wake up too early and can't get back to sleep. And when they're not asleep, insomniacs worry about whether or not they'll be able to sleep. They are also irritable and feel fatigued during the day.

An occasional sleepless night is nothing to lose sleep over. But, if insomnia bothers you for three weeks or longer, it can be a real medical problem. Some medical problems that lead to insomnia include:

• Over-activity of the thyroid gland.
• Heart or lung conditions that cause shortness of breath when lying down.
• Depression, anxiety disorders.
• Allergies and early-morning wheezing.
• Any illness, injury or surgery that causes pain and/or discomfort, such as arthritis, which interrupts sleep.
• Sexual problems (Example: Impotence).
• Hot flashes that interrupt sleep.
• Any disorder (urinary, gastrointestinal or neurological) that makes it necessary to urinate or have a bowel movement during the night.
• Side effects of certain medications (Examples: Decongestants, cortisone medications).

Other things that lead to insomnia:

• Emotional stress.
• Too much noise when falling asleep. This includes a snoring partner.
• The use of stimulants such as caffeine from coffee, tea or colas, and stay awake pills such as NoDoz.
• A lack of physical exercise.
• Lack of a sex partner