An occasional sleepless night is nothing to worry about. But nothing saps your energy like night after night of insomnia. If you frequently lie in bed for hours, unable to fall sleep – or wake up early and can’t fall back to sleep – you’re going tired and frazzled.

Short daytime naps to ”catch up” aren’t always practical, and they can actually prolong the problem. Asthma, hay fever or any other allergy related discomfort can keep you awake, and controlling those problems will probably help you sleep better. But insomnia may also be a separate allergic reaction to a food or inhalant eaten or inhaled a few hours before bedtime.

Anything to which you’re allergic can give your brain unsolicited wake up calls – or prevent you from nodding off in the first place. If you’ve tired all the sleep inducing tricks in the book and still find yourself wide awake at night – no matter how tired you are – it may be time for you to consider allergy as a cause.

Anyone with insomnia should also avoid coffee, tea, cola and cigarettes, which act as stimulants for most people, as well as alcohol, which disturbs sleep patterns. See also Anxiety, DDepression, Fatigue, and Hyperactivity.