Steps On How To Get Rid of Insomnia
This assistance and guidance should in no way replace any medical advice your physician or other medical examiner has told you. If the symptoms persist then please visit a professional. These are merely alternative ways of alleviating insomnia.
What is Insomnia?
To put it bluntly, insomnia is a condition where you either cannot fall asleep or, when you’re asleep, you might have trouble staying that way. Regardless of whether you’ve got chronic insomnia or acute insomnia, both can be maddening as the body needs a specific number of sleeps to rest and cure itself.
Types of Insomnia That You May Have
Before tell you about types of insomnia, I have a question. Are you sure that are you suffering from this? Let’s see. Do you have difficulty on falling asleep OR staying asleep? In other words, does it last long time until you fall asleep? And, once you fall asleep, do you wake up during the night? Are you still tired after you wake up? If the answer is “yes” for at least one question, you suffer from insomnia.
Now that we established your sleeping disorder, you need to know that insomnia can be classified after many criteria. The first one is the time since you suffer, according to Wikipedia.
1. Transient Insomnia
It lasts from one day to one week. The symptoms are sleepiness and reduced psychomotor performance, similar to sleep deprivation. What are the causes? Well, it may be another disorder, stress, changes in the way of sleeping (environment, timing) or severe depression.
2. Acute Insomnia
You may consider this if your period of insomnia is from one week to one month. Before consider this option, are you sure that do you have the adequate circumstances for sleeping? Are you affected by this, during the day? If it helps you something, acute insomnia is also known as stress related insomnia.
3. Chronic Insomnia
If you have struggled to sleep well, in normal conditions, for over one month, you may suffer from this. Take care with it, because the effects may be muscular fatigue, mental fatigue and even hallucinations or double vision.
4. Idiopathic Insomnia
Have you had troubles with falling asleep since childhood? Then this type may be yours. Unfortunately, the either doctors or scientists don’t know other causes. They just suppose that your awakening system is overactive or that the sleep system is underactive. The doctor puts this diagnostic only if your insomnia doesn’t have any other cause like other sleep disorders, medical or psychiatric problems, stressful events, medication use or other behaviours.
5. Insomnia Due to a Drug
Your inability of staying asleep during the night may be directly related by the consumption of medication, caffeine or alcohol. Also, you may have sleep problems when you stop using them.
6. Insomnia Due to a Medical Condition
In this case, insomnia is just a secondary disorder, while you are having another primary mental disorder. It means that the insomnia depends on the evolution of your mental disorder. How will be the treatment in this case? Well, your doctor will give separate focus for treating the insomnia. In severe cases, you may receive even a separate treatment.
There are two another unspecified types of insomnia. Why unspecified? It is known only if the cause is physical or psychological, but not what it is, exactly.
7. Insomnia Nonorganic
Don’t you suffer from it from physical causes? May the doctors give you a precise diagnostic? Or do they suspect only psychological causes? Then this is your type of insomnia, but not forever. In most cases, you will have part of further evaluation and a new diagnostic.
8. Insomnia Organic
The term “organic” refers to a physical cause, but not a precise one. No one knows if the “culprit” is a substance exposure, medical disorder or physical condition. As like the nonorganic insomnia, you will have part of further evaluation and testing.
Just for your general knowledge, I will write about a very rare type of insomnia, but the most interesting one.
9. Fatal Familial Insomnia
This is not just a type of a sleep disorder, this a brain disease, caused by a mutation to a specific protein. Although, in most of the cases, this mutation is familial inherited, it can appear spontaneously. Unfortunately, there isn’t any cure, so the situation may get only worse. After a period of time, the symptoms are hallucinations and delirium. Worldwide, it has been found 40 families with a total of 100 people affected.
Now that you know different types of insomnia, do you understand better your problem? What type do you think is your suffering one?
Insomnia Effects
In understanding insomnia effects, it is essential to have a good idea of what is necessary for good sleep. The process is very complicated involving brain and body.
The body system is restored, and you are rejuvenated and feeling great. Your brain gets many inputs in the day and continues to process, records, rejects and sorts out data while sleeping. A person needs to have approximately eight hours of sleep each night. It is usually divided into 4 stages including rapid eye movement sleep (REM). REM is essential since during sleep the brain completed the process. Usually during the deep stages of three and four the body processes are successful.
Once the process is not completed, the brain and body are not fitted for day activity. If you or a person feels fatigued and tired the energy level is reduced and the reflexes are slow. The senses are blunted because of its sensitivity. Our ability to concentrate, remember and learn is affected by insomnia. Your performance level is also affected.
Your mind may not function well as it will become slow and lose concentration. The other insomnia effects are lack of attention, mood changes and dizzy spells during the daytime. There is some individual that becomes flare up and very irritable without a reason. It will further lead to depression and emotional problems. For those who are having this condition for a longer time may also experience hallucinations.
It is very dangerous if you operate machinery and driving if you are having insomnia. It will be hard for your colleagues and families to cope with you if you are not having a good night sleep. For a working individual, sleep is an important factor to keep you on the go.
In some cases, insomnia can be a sign of some disorder. It can cause other psychological and physical illnesses when you let it to continue for some time. Millions of people are being affected by this disorder and there are several astounding statistics about the insomnia effects. Based on research 55% of adults face a problem with the effects of insomnia and the statistics is growing every day. The number is much higher in adults that can affect the performance of their work the next day.
Most of the individual suffering from insomnia side effects are said to be more prone to accidents than others. They are also having a hard time to adjust socially.
Many of them claim that they cannot have the right relationships. 80% of individuals suffering from the side effects of insomnia have other health problems that arise because of this. Statistics also show that America has the largest number of insomniacs followed by United Kingdom and Germany.
The age group affected by the direct effect of insomnia is between fifteen to fifty five years old, mostly women. The best way to deal with insomnia is to understand the underlying effects and the reasons why such condition is occurring. Statistics and other important data can help you out understand what insomnia all about is.
Don’t take insomnia seriously but you need to find ways to combat it before it will lead to a serious health disorder.
Prevention is Best
Just how will you alleviate insomnia? Well there are tons of things you can try but first let’s look at the lifestyle you have.
Difficult Conditions
Should you drink tons of caffeine or alcohol, or perhaps you’re distressed and do little or no exercise then these are conditions which could change the sleep you’ve got at nights so attempt to lessen the alcohol and caffeine consumption, exercise a little and lose any or all of this anxiety.
Anxiety, I’m NOT Distressed!
Losing anxiety is an excellent way not only to assist you to sleep at night but also lowers the risk of heart attacks, cardiovascular disease or strokes. Exercising, yoga or even meditation can lessen the pressure in your system and in turn alleviate insomnia.
Natural Treatments
There are numerous treatments in the marketplace all claiming to assist you to sleep but attempting an all-natural treatment can save money to you and work better than an over the product.
Milk and Honey
Before you go to bed drinking warm milk with honey will allow you to sleep and relax or you might try honey and water, both cause sleep and are amazing natural treatments.
Lettuce
Yes lettuce! There is something in the lettuce called lectucarium that induces sleep. Either make a sandwich greatly laden with lettuce leaves or boil the seeds in water. Both have the desired effect and that’s to assist you to nod off and alleviate sleeplessness and sleep.
Listen or Read
2 other wonderful means of helping you to sleep are listening to audio books and reading. Some people say a book will work while others say a brand new and enjoyable story, whatever you determine it should enable one to sleep.
No More Sleepless Nights
Should you suffer from sleepless nights and desire to lessen insomnia then the preceding treatments ought to be worth a go. It doesn’t cost much and you might discover that not only do you sleep you are really making your body fitter also.
Please note the preceding treatments aren’t a replacement to any medical advice you’re given. In Addition, if any symptoms do continue please go see your physician.
Foods to Help Cope with Insomnia and Get a Better Night’s Sleep
1. Almonds
The Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine found that when the body’s magnesium levels are too low, it is harder to stay asleep. Almonds also supply enough protein to help stabilize your blood sugar level while sleeping.
2. Bananas
Bananas contain high levels of tryptophan, an amino acid that makes you sleepy, so they can be a great help in combating insomnia. They also have natural muscle relaxants, magnesium and potassium, that help promote sleep. The fruit is also a good source of vitamin B6, which the body needs to make the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin.
3. Herbal Tea
It’s well known that you should always avoid caffeine before bed, but Herbal Teas are a fantastic option. Chamomile tea is one of the best herbal teas to help ease insomnia. Chamomile chemicals relax nerves and muscles and act like a mild sedative.
This list of foods that can help you cope with insomnia are all great and do work for some people, these aren’t the only foods that can help you just our top.
5 Steps for Overcoming Insomnia
The following five measures to help overcome insomnia aren’t guaranteed to succeed on those “nights before,” but they’ll help on a nightly basis to prevent insomnia:
1. Take a walk after dinner. Walk for about a half hour. This walk should occur about four hours before bedtime.
2. Don’t take a shower at night. Showers are exciting. Then take a bath, if you have to bathe and add some lavender essential oil to the water. Don’t take a hot bath… warm is more relaxing.
3. Read something which is not a page turner or hair raising mystery or listen to music (not hard rock) for about one hour before your bedtime.
4. Don’t eat or drink anything within two hours of your bedtime. In case the body is not having to process food or beverage you’ll go to sleep easier.
5. Create a routine for preparing to go to bed. Do things is just the same sequence every night. Brush your teeth, bathe your face, get into your jimmies, get into bed, turn off your light — and do not alter the arrangement. You’ll be training your brain to get ready for sleep.
These measures will establish a routine for sleep. Your brain will receive and process the info, and you’ll find that you’re nearly nodding off before you turn out the light, in case you do the same things each night.
Insomnia Tips – Tips to Fall Asleep Sooner
Searching for tips to fall asleep faster? Well, you’re not alone there. The truth is that millions upon millions of people suffer from sleeping problems, all of whom want nothing more than to just get a good night’s rest. Luckily, by following these few insomnia tips, any insomnia sufferer can do just that!
Tips To Fall Asleep…
1. Avoid Caffeine: Caffeine is a stimulant that keeps your body going, even if you want it to slow down so that you can get some sleep. Be sure to ingest NO caffeine before going to bed.
2. No More Alcohol or Tobacco: Studies show that alcohol and tobacco abuse upset a person’s natural sleeping rhythm. Stop smoking and drinking during the day if you want to sleep better at night.
3. Sleep in a firm bed. A soft, squishy bed may feel comfortable and nice, but a firm bed is the best choice for sleeping. A firm bed will give your body the support it needs so that you can fall asleep faster.
4. Make a sleeping routine. Of all the tips to fall asleep faster, this is one of the most important. By going to bed the same time each night, your body will be able to program itself to know precisely when “bed time” comes a ’knocking.’ 5. Bed equals sleep. You need to program your body to know that the bed means sleep; not working, not TV watching, not day planning, and not book reading. If your body & mind connects bed with sleep, you won’t have any trouble getting a good night’s rest.
6. Don’t sleep in. Sleeping in, no matter how much you want to, will throw your bed time schedule completely out-of-whack. Even if it’s the weekend, make it a goal to get up at the same time each day.
7. Warm Milk and a Bath. Have a class of warm milk and take a warm bath 20-30 minutes before bed. The bath will relax you, while the warm milk will sooth jagged nerves, thereby relaxing you even further. It’s a highly effective relaxation combo, so use it whenever you really need a good night’s rest.
Will these 7 tips to fall asleep faster cure your sleeping disorder? Maybe, maybe not; but one thing is for sure, you’re not going to find out unless you try them!
Insomnia Cures – Insomnia Treatments that Work
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder that plagues millions of people all around the world. When it comes to dealing with this particular problem and searching for a cure for insomnia, it is important to know what your options are in order that it does not infringe upon your life.
Insomnia Treatment
There are several suggested approaches in curing this sleeping disorder. However, before you can decide which one you will take, a proper diagnosis is in order since there are many causes of insomnia and finding out what is causing yours is imperative.
Hypnotherapy for Insomnia
Hypnosis is considered one of the most effective treatments for many types of sleep disorders. Basically, it is a series of sessions in which the patient’s subconscious is subjected to suggestion in order to achieve the state of consciousness that is much more conducive to sleep.
This type of treatment is much like any other kind of therapy except that the main goal is to stimulate that part of the brain that controls sleeping and maintain its status quo. There are other insomnia cures that may be explored, such as those that involve natural remedies.
Will homeopathy Help Insomnia?
Alternative medicine has always been the subject of scrutiny. However, when it comes to treatment insomnia, homeopathic remedies have been proven to be effective and very reliable.
Massage Therapy Using Chamomile Oil
One of the most neglected forms of cure for sleep disorders is tough therapy. Most of the time, sleeplessness or premature waking is caused by undue stress and unreleased tension inside the body. Massaging the entire body with chamomile oil will help relax the muscles as well as the mind. The aroma of the chamomile has a very calming effect that is very important in preventing sleep disruptions.
Jasmine Tea Therapy
Jasmine tea, much like chamomile, has excellent calming effects. It smells very sweet but the taste is not too overpowering. It makes for very good night cap because it does not have any caffeine or have diuretic effects, which will make you wake up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet.
Staying away from Sleeping Pills
Many people prefer to pop sleep aids rather than try homeopathic cures. While this practice might yield faster effects (since you can most definitely fall asleep immediately after taking a sleeping tablet), it also has some very serious ramifications.
Natural Sleeping Aids for the Insomniac
Natural sleeping aids are represented by many supplements that have little regulation in production. This isn’t to say that all supplements are bad, but it doesn’t hurt to study the ingredients of each one closely. In most cases, the hormone or herb that the supplement contains is good for sleeping problems, but other filler ingredients might be suspect.
Melatonin
For many years, melatonin has been championed as a great sleep inducer. Produced in the pineal gland inside the brain, melatonin regulates cycles within the body. The sleep cycle is a natural rhythm in the body, and taking melatonin before bedtime presents one of the better natural sleeping aids.
According to body cycles, more melatonin is produced prior to bedtime, which is why people get sleepy in the evenings. A misbalance in the pineal gland can cause melatonin to be produced in smaller increments, which in turn affects sleep patterns. Supplements of melatonin have been used for years without any known side effects.
Scientific studies indicate that melatonin increases a person’s desire to sleep and it decreases the time necessary to go to sleep. There are indications that it also adds to the duration of the sleep cycle. Testing continues to determine what other effects melatonin has in the way of natural sleeping aids including how it may improve cycles for those suffering from depression.
Valerian
Tests on the herb valerian have not proven conclusively that it ranks well in natural sleeping aids. Although it has a long history of use before bedtime, only a few studies indicate it gives measurable improvement in the time to fall asleep as well as sleep quality. Valerian is also considered helpful in decreasing anxiety.
Valerian’s true worth in natural sleeping aids may be determined by the frequency of use. It is much harder to determine the effect an herb has on the individual when it is cumulative. Even though taking valerian for one night might not produce any substantial difference, its use for several weeks might bring better results. Valerian is most probably more of an aid to those who are poor sleepers than those with limited sleep disorders.
Kava
This herb was often used for anxiety and stress relief along with insomnia. Kava is known to provide relaxation, but unfortunately kava is believed to be the cause of liver toxicity. Many cases of hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver failure in Europe have been associated with the use of kava.
Chamomile
For hundreds of years, chamomile has been used by those in need of natural sleeping aids. Chamomile is believed to calm the body and make it more prepared for sleep. Roman chamomile is rather bitter, and it is primarily used to make a tincture. German chamomile, on the other hand, is more palatable and is consumed in tea.
Audio for Sleep
Sounds have often been deemed a deterrent or an aid to sleep depending on the nature of the sounds. Pre-recorded ocean sounds have tested well to induce sleep. Soft music mixed with other sounds has also proven to be of some value to aid with sleep. Audio seems to have a cumulative effect on sleep patterns, and it may not work well at its inception.