Guilt being the cause of Insomnia theme have any common basis from real life?
Insomnia and The Machinist both works with the theme of guilt being the cause of insomnia. But is it based on any real facts? Is there any recorded case of guilt being the cause of insomnia? Or is it just made for fictional purpose?
Best Answer
Yes it does. Depression is is strongly correlated with guilt and insomnia since both are indications for depression. There are actually many psychological studies which proves this, but you may read about in Huffington Post:
Insomnia is often related to depression or anxiety. People with depression may have early morning awakenings and spend more time lying in bed than is needed, thus causing a worsening of insomnia. Symptoms of depression include sadness, feelings of guilt, poor attention and concentration, decreased libido, increased crying, lack of desire to do things that are enjoyable and lack of pleasure when doing things that you used to enjoy. - Article
Now, you don't have to actually have depression to have some of its symptoms, like insomnia...
That's not to say insomnia or other sleep problems are caused only by depression. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in the U.S., affecting nearly one out of every three adults at some point in life. More women suffer from insomnia than men, and as people get older, insomnia becomes more prevalent. - Article
... but most of the causes of depression, cause insomnia.
Are there more emotional insomnia causes? Absolutely. The six I have mentioned are really just the beginning. Don’t forget, there’s also guilt, regret, remorse, grief, confusion, shame, embarrassment, unrequited love, lust, longing, discontentment, and possibly one of the most important ones in the insomnia world–frustration! And especially, the frustration at not getting the sleep we so desperately want! - Article
EDIT
I found an actual Psychological Study by Max Hamilton which scales depression's symptoms and progression. As we may see in his table CORRELATION MATRIX OF THE SCALE FOR DEPRESSION, he specifies that Guilt is just two steps ahead of Insomnia in the Depression progress.
Image taken from: A Rating Scale For Depression by Max Hamilton
Pictures about "Guilt being the cause of Insomnia theme have any common basis from real life?"
Can guilt give you insomnia?
Regardless of where the guilt comes from, the stress of the guilt itself can have a serious effect on some people. While mostly psychological, some physical effects can include insomnia, a loss of appetite, and an overall dreary feeling.What causes feelings of guilt?
In its true sense, guilt is a feeling of remorse or sadness over a past action, experienced when we think we've caused harm or breached our moral code. It's our moral compass. Our values and how we process our emotions will all inform the way we react to certain situations.How does insomnia affect daily life?
People with insomnia report a lower quality of life compared with people who are sleeping well. Complications of insomnia may include: Lower performance on the job or at school. Slowed reaction time while driving and a higher risk of accidents.What are the root causes of insomnia?
Common causes of insomnia include stress, an irregular sleep schedule, poor sleeping habits, mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, physical illnesses and pain, medications, neurological problems, and specific sleep disorders.What causes insomnia? - Dan Kwartler
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Maël BALLAND, cottonbro, Ketut Subiyanto, Julia Volk