According to a study out by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and published in the journal Sleep, child abuse, parental divorce and parental death were shown to be associated with higher rates of adult insomnia. Mild insomnia was uniquely predicted by childhood abuse and divorce, and moderate-severe insomnia was uniquely predicted by childhood abuse and parental death.

“Good quality sleep is an important part of health. People who don’t sleep well are more likely to have worse physical and mental health,” said one researcher. “In particular, insomnia can lead to decreased quality of life, increased rates of depression, and even increased risk of heart disease. The fact that events that happen during childhood can have an impact on sleep many years later can help us better understand how sleep is related to health and better target our efforts addressing sleep problems in the real world.”

The data from the story was from the Sleep and Healthy Activity Diet Environment and Socialization (SHADES) study. The study included adults from the age of 22 to 60 years of age and used the insomnia severity index. The participants self-reported psychosocial stressors including child abuse, parental divorce, death of a parent, or having a parent suffering from depression or anxiety disorder.

If any of these things happened to you, be on the lookout for insomnia, it could have been a trigger.

Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self-proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.