What Is Insomnia?
Insomnia is the perception or complaint ofinadequate or poor-quality sleep because ofone or more of the following:
- difficulty falling asleep
- waking up frequently during the nightwith difficulty returning to sleepn
- waking up too early in the morning
- unrefreshing sleep
Insomnia is not defined by the number ofhours of sleep a person gets or how long ittakes to fall asleep. Individuals vary normallyin their need for, and their satisfactionwith, sleep. Insomnia may cause problemsduring the day, such as tiredness, a lack ofenergy, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.
Insomnia can be classified as transient (shortterm), intermittent (on and off), and chronic(constant). Insomnia lasting from a singlenight to a few weeks is referred to as transient.If episodes of transient insomniaoccur from time to time, the insomnia is saidto be intermittent. Insomnia is consideredto be chronic if it occurs on most nights andlasts a month or more.
What Causes Insomnia ?
Certain conditions seem to make individualsmore likely to experience insomnia.Examples of these conditions include:n advanced age (insomnia occurs more frequentlyin those over age 60)n female gendern a history of depressionIf other conditions (such as stress, anxiety, amedical problem, or the use of certain medications)occur along with the above conditions,insomnia is more likely
Treatments For Insomnia
Insomnia is not a disease but a disorder caused by other problems. Before you can find a cure for insomnia, you have to learn to deal with your problems. Whether the cause is stress, depression, or other reasons, you will probably need to discus your sleep issues with a doctor. They prescribe medications or treatments that will help with anxiety and depression. However, be aware that these medications, if taken over extended periods of time, may interfere with your sleep as well and could be addictive. Medications may have side effects such as drowsiness and lack of focus during the day. Remember that insomnia is a symptom brought on by other problems. Medication may prove effective for short term but to get a healthy night’s sleep, you need to find and treat the cause of the problem. Besides your family doctor, a psychologist might be able to help with insomnia. They can give you techniques to help you relax and ease stress.
Other than professional help, there are some common methods you can use to help deal with insomnia. One of the most important is to keep regular bedtime and waking hours. Go to bed at the same time every night and try to wake up at the same time every morning. What this does is resets your body clock and trains your body to sleep regularly. If your daytime and nighttime hours are erratic, you will naturally have problems sleeping. Try not to nap during the day because that will only throw your body’s clock off. You want to train to sleep for a period of eight hours, not in blocks of a few hours at a time. Avoid napping during the day if you aren’t sleeping at night.
Being healthy is a key to a good night’s sleep and exercising can help with that. Try to exercise regularly but do it during the day or several hours before bedtime. Exercising right before bed will only interfere with sleep because your heart rate will be increased and it will only keep you awake.
Speaking of being healthy, don’t snack right before bedtime. Your last meal should be two or three hours before you go to sleep. Watch what you eat at night, too. A big, heavy meal at night is more difficult to digest. If you eat a huge meal right before you lay down, it can upset your digestive tract. If you are hungry and need a snack before bedtime, eat something healthy like fruit or yogurt. It is also a good idea not to drink any liquids before bedtime or else you may have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night which will interrupt your sleep.
Above all else, don’t use excessive amounts of stimulants like caffeine. Too much coffee or sodas during the day (or at night) can make it difficult to go to sleep at a decent hour and stay asleep. Energy drinks are also a bad idea at night. Also, there are some medications such as diet pills and cold medications that actually speed up your body’s metabolism. These medications will only interfere with getting to sleep. And never use alcohol as a remedy for insomnia. While moderate amounts of alcohol might make you relaxed, the continued use of alcohol will only end up having the opposite effect by keeping you up at night. As your body adjusts to the alcohol levels in your blood, you will have to consume more in order to get drowsy enough to get to sleep. Before too long, the alcohol will become a problem all its own.
There are alternative treatments also available to cure insomnia naturally a part from medications and other over the counter treatments.
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