What is Insomnia?
Insomnia is a persistent disorder that can make you both hard to fall asleep and stay asleep. With this kind of disorder, you usually awaken feeling tired, and this can takes a toll on your ability to work during the day. Aside from that, this can sap your energy level and mood, not only that, it can sap also your health, performance and worst your quality of life. This is often thought as a medical sign and a symptom which can accompany with medical, several sleep, and psychiatric disorders known as a persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. This can of disorder can occur at any age, but it is common in the elderly. Actually, this can be a short term that is curable within three weeks, or it can be long term that lasts above 3-4 weeks and might ends up to depression, memory problems, and an increased risk of heart disease, automobile accidents and irritability. It is not advisable to take sleeping pills, though it can help, but when used oftentimes, it can lead to substance dependency or addiction. You have to keep in mind that this is not defined by the number of hours of sleep, or how long it takes for you to fall asleep; this is measure of satisfaction with sleep.
Types of insomnia
Insomnia can be classified into three types, acute, transient or chronic.
Transient insomnia – this kind of insomnia lasts for less than a week. This can be caused by another disorder such as by changes in timing of sleep, stress, changes in the sleep environment and depression. Keep in mind that the consequences of this type are impaired psychomotor performance, sleepiness and sleep deprivation.
Acute Insomnia – this is the inability to consistently sleep well and this lasts for less than a month. It is known as short term insomnia or stress related insomnia. You will have a difficulty in maintaining or initiating sleep or the sleep that you had is of poor quality. As you can see, it occurs despite adequate circumstances for sleep and worst it may result in problems with your daytime function.
Chronic insomnia – this kind of insomnia lasts for longer than a month. This can be caused by a primary disorder or by another disorder. Those people who have high levels of stress hormones are more likely to have this kind of insomnia. The effects of this kind can vary according to its causes.
Common causes of insomnia
Stress – this is very common especially if you are concern about your school, health of family, and work. This can be the reason that you might not have a satisfied sleep. As you can see, stressful events like illness of your loved ones, divorce, job loss or death can cause insomnia.
Depression and Anxiety – keep in mind that, if you are depressed, you might either sleep too much or have trouble sleeping. And everyday anxieties such as post traumatic stress may interrupt your sleep, and worrying about going to sleep can make it harder for you to fall back asleep
Medical conditions and medications – there are lots of medical conditions that may lead to insomnia; some are breathing difficulties, chronic pain or a need to urinate frequently. Aside from that, if you have arthritis, lung disease, cancer, heart failure, stroke, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and Alzheimer’s disease, overactive thyroid, and Parkinson’s disease etc. now, when it comes to medications, many prescription drugs can interfere with sleep such as heart and blood pressure medications, stimulants (such as Ritalin), and others. Aside from that, many over-the-counter (OTC) medications decongestants and weight-loss products which are rich in caffeine and other stimulants.
Change in your work schedule – it is very important that you should know how to manage your work schedule. Keep in mind that working a late or early shift can disrupt your sleep and your body’s circadian rhythms. Remember that this circadian rhythms act as an internal clock; it is your guide for your sleep-wake cycle, and body temperature.
Eating too much late in the evening and foods which are rich in caffeine, nicotine and alcohol – it is important to note that having a light snack before bedtime is fine, but if you eat too much this can cause you to feel uncomfortable while lying down, and this can disrupt your sleep. You may experience a back flow of acid, heartburn that keep you awake. Aside from that, coffee and cola containing caffeine are stimulants. If you will drink coffee in the late afternoon or later, this can keep you from falling asleep. As well as using tobacco and alcohol. These can cause you to waken in the middle of the night.
Some remedies for your insomnia
It is very important to keep in mind that no matter what your age, this kind of disorder is treatable. What you need to do is to make sure that you change your routine during the day, as well as when you go to bed. So, here are some of the best ways.
Proper exercise – it is important that even how busy you are, you need to take at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise daily. This can promote a good sleep.
Check your medications – medications can be one of the reasons why you have this kind of disorder. That is why; if you take medications regularly, it is very important that you should check with your doctor to determine it may be contributing to your insomnia. Aside from that, make sure that you check the labels of OTC products to see if they contain caffeine.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol and nicotine. It is important that you should avoid caffeine after lunchtime. Keep in mind that if these products are avoided, these can help prevent restless sleep and frequent awakenings.
Avoid heavy meals and beverages before going to bed – if you have a light snack, that is bearable, but if you eat too much late at night you can have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Find ways to relax – your bedroom is good only for sleeping or sex. Make sure to avoid working, eating and reading. Aside from that, you have to avoid TV, video games, computers before bed. It is best that you should make your bedroom comfortable for sleep. Make sure to keep your bedroom temperature comfortable. Most importantly, put your worries away. Keep in mind that a warm bath before bedtime can help you for sleep. You have to consider a relaxing bedtime ritual, such as yoga or prayer.
Alternative idea for insomnia
It is a fact that a lot of people never visit their doctor, and they tried to cope up on their own. Here are some of the therapies although safety and effectiveness have not been proved:
Herbs tea – Is known to have various benefits. Valerian tea is especially effective against insomnia. It can be purchased easily at most supermarket.
Mediation – Empty your mind. Learn the art of keep calm.
Yoga and exercises – it is a fact that regular practice of yoga can help improve sleep quality, but before you try this kind of activity, it is important that you should start slow and always keep in mind to work with an instructor who listens to you and to your needs and limitations.
It is still best that you should talk to your doctor before trying any to manage insomnia. This is because there are some products or activities that can interact with medications, which can be very dangerous on their own.
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