Insomnia
From Drug Rehab Wiki
Just about everyone has an occasional night in which getting to sleep or staying asleep is difficult. Those nights can be very frustrating, leaving you tired and unfocused the following day. It can wreak havoc with your work performance and make even basic tasks seem much harder than usual.
Insomnia affects millions of people every year. For some, it is a chronic condition that, over time, can lead to the development of both physical and emotional health issues. Our bodies need regular, restful sleep in order to rejuvenate. Even though science can’t yet fully explain all the functions of sleep, we know that sleep deprivation can take a serious toll.
Recent statistics on insomnia suggest that this is a very serious problem, not only in the U.S., but in Europe as well. In fact, insomnia affects somewhere between one out of 10 to one out of 5 people in both places. A few other statistics regarding insomnia and sleep:
• In the U.S., only about one in every 3 people gets at least 8 hours of sleep on regular work nights.
• Nearly twice as many women than men struggle with insomnia.
• Sleep becomes less restful with age equally for both men and women, and insomnia is a problem for many as 6 out of 10 people aged 60 or older.
• Women often have problems with sleep due to hormonal issues (e.g., during their periods, while pregnant, or due to menopause.)
• Older people often have problems with insomnia due to lack of regular exercise, medical conditions which can disrupt sleep, medication side effects, hormonal issues (e.g., less melatonin), or emotional issues such as grief, anxiety, or depression.
• About one out of three people will struggle with insomnia at some point in their life.
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Signs of insomnia
Insomnia can manifest in different ways. For some people, falling asleep happens readily, but they wake up multiple times over the course of the night. For others, they fall asleep and even stay asleep, but they wake up earlier than desired. Some people may sleep continuously but they never get into a deep sleep. Each scenario leads to problems with feeling tired and sleepy the next day.
Causes of insomnia
Insomnia can be caused by a variety of different things. Emotional issues, physical or health problems, such as an illness or injury, or factors related to one’s environment can cause you to experience insomnia. Many times it is caused by a combination of several things. Quite often insomnia is a side effect, so to speak, of something else happening in your life.
Physical and health factors
There are many different physical and / or health factors which can disrupt your sleep. For example, if you have an injury that requires you to sleep in an uncomfortable position, or that causes a lot of pain, you may find sleep very difficult. Breathing disorders such as asthma, allergies, or sleep apnea can significantly impact the quality of your sleep or cause you to wake up during the night.
Gastrointestinal problems such as heartburn, thyroid problems, and high blood pressure are several medical conditions which can trigger insomnia. Individuals who suffer from restless leg syndrome often have sleep problems, as the disorder causes their legs to twitch or move as they lie in bed trying to sleep. Any type of health condition which causes frequent or chronic pain, such as arthritis, can make sleep seem impossible at times.
There are many medications which can also cause sleep problems. These can include both over the counter drugs as well as ones prescribed by your doctor. Caffeinated and alcoholic beverages can adversely affect your sleep, particularly if you drink them shortly before going to bed. Nicotine can disrupt your sleep, and eating certain types of food before bedtime can also cause insomnia.
Psychological factors
As mentioned above, emotional or psychological issues such as depression or anxiety can cause insomnia. If you have major depressive disorder, you may find it very difficult to sleep. This may be due to imbalances in your brain chemistry. Anxiety, which often accompanies depression, typically manifests in fearfulness, worry, and / or physical tension, making it difficult to relax enough both physically and emotionally in order to get a good night’s sleep.
If you have a lot of stress in your life, you may find it particularly difficult to sleep. Unfortunately, when stress increases your body needs more rest than ever. Stress and anxiety can make it challenging to calm your mind when you lay down to sleep. Conflicts with your spouse or someone at work, or concerns about money can both create sleep problems for many individuals. A traumatic event or significant loss can also cause restful sleep to elude you.
Environmental factors
Many environmental factors can lead to problems with insomnia. For example, if you try to sleep in a room which is too warm or too cold, you may find it difficult. Too much light or noise can also affect your sleep. If your bed is uncomfortable you may find it difficult falling asleep. If you do shift work you may find that you battle insomnia. Shift work can adversely affect your circadian rhythms, which are your body’s natural rhythms. Staying awake through the night and attempting to sleep during the day goes against those rhythms. Research has shown that shift workers have difficulties staying awake on the job. Shift work can lead to chronic fatigue and insomnia, as well as an increased risk for accidents and health issues in general.
Other environmental factors which can lead to insomnia include doing things which stimulate your brain shortly before going to bed, such as watching TV or working on the computer. Exercising late in the day can also make falling asleep difficult. Allowing yourself sufficient “wind down” time before you go to bed can help prepare your mind and body for restful sleep.
Having an erratic sleep schedule can also make you more vulnerable to insomnia. Sleep experts recommend that you go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on the weekends.
Remedies for insomnia
Chronic insomnia can begin to take a serious toll on your health after awhile. A bout of insomnia once in awhile is one thing, but when it’s ongoing it can impact every aspect of your life. Your work, relationships, and health may all begin to suffer when you don’t sleep well. This is why it is crucial to find an insomnia remedy which works for you.
There are several things you can do to treat your insomnia. If your insomnia is chronic, short term solutions such as medication are probably not the best approach. Those treat only your symptoms, and will not impact the underlying cause of your insomnia. Additionally, many prescription medications for sleep are highly addictive. Not only that, while medications may help you to go to sleep and stay asleep, the quality of your sleep is often compromised.
There are four basic areas to look at (and make some changes) if insomnia is a problem. These are: exercise habits, sleep hygiene, the amount of stress in your life, and your overall health. If any of these areas are out of balance, other remedies may prove to be minimally effective at best.
Exercise
Regular exercise, particularly aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming or cycling, is very beneficial to sleep. Many people make the mistake of thinking, “I don’t have time to exercise”. The reality is you don’t have time to not exercise. Exercise will not only improve your sleep, it will increase your energy levels, make you more alert, and improve your focus. As a result, you will be more productive. Think about how much time you waste due to feeling fatigued or not sleeping well. When you are more energetic and productive you will have more time for other things, such as exercise.
The one caveat here in general but particularly if insomnia is a problem – don’t exercise late in the day or it may cause problems with sleep. If possible, exercise first thing in the morning or early in the day.
Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.
Sleep hygiene
Good sleep hygiene – in other words, good sleep habits - can make a significant difference in how well you sleep, particularly if your current sleep hygiene is poor. Following are some recommended sleep hygiene tips:
• Use your bedroom for sleep (and sex) only. This means no TV, studying, reading, working or other activities.
• Develop a nighttime ritual, such as meditating, listening to soft music, doing some type of relaxation exercise, or reading something relaxing for a few minutes. This will help signal your brain that you are going to sleep soon.
• Don’t sleep during the day.
• Develop a consistent sleep schedule.
• Make sure your room and bed are comfortable and conducive to good sleep.
• Don’t have any alcohol, caffeine or nicotine 4 to 6 hours prior to going to bed. Each of these can interfere with your sleep.
• If you eat before bedtime, keep it very light.
• If you are still awake after 20 minutes in bed, get up and do something boring for a short while. Don’t turn on any bright lights, as that will tell your brain it’s time to wake up.
• Don’t have heated or emotionally charged conversations shortly before bed or while in bed.
• Try not to drink any liquids at least 2 hours prior to bed time. This can disrupt your sleep by causing you to wake up to urinate during the night.
Developing good sleep hygiene can significantly improve your sleep and help reduce or even eliminate insomnia, depending on the underlying cause.
Stress management and reduction
The third basic area to address if you are plagued with insomnia is to find ways to manage and reduce the stress in your life. Since this is a topic on which entire books have been written, I’ll just touch on a few basics here in terms of how to reduce and manage stress.
• Exercise is one of the best remedies for stress reduction. The more stress you are under, the more imperative it is that you make time for regular exercise, preferably at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. (As mentioned earlier, always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program).
• Meditate regularly. Meditation doesn’t require any special skills or equipment. While there are many different types of meditation, in its simplest form it merely involves finding a quiet place where you can sit, undisturbed, and close your eyes for at least 10 minutes. One of the main goals of meditation is to allow your mind to be quiet. Focus on taking slow, deep breaths while you sit still. It may seem completely foreign at first, and emptying your mind for a few minutes may be challenging. Many health experts, including Dr. Oz, highly recommend meditation as a way to keep yourself healthy and reduce stress. Less stress equals better sleep!
• Journal. Taking a few minutes every day (and not right before bedtime) to write out your feelings and thoughts is very therapeutic for many people.
• Do yoga. Yoga is a great stress-reducer. Take a class or get a DVD and learn some basic yoga poses. Yoga stretches your body and requires you to breathe more deeply. These will help you release tension from stress.
• Talk to a therapist. If you are experiencing problems at work or at home, struggling with low self-esteem, or feeling depressed or anxious, you may find that a few sessions with a therapist can be very helpful. Having a neutral person to talk to who isn’t going to judge you can give you an opportunity to address issues which you may be keeping pent up inside – and those may be affecting your sleep. A therapist can also advise you as to whether or not you may need to consider medication for depression, anxiety, or another mental health disorder.
Physical health issues
Since there are many health conditions which can cause insomnia, you may want to consider getting a thorough physical. If there is an underlying health condition, the sooner it is detected and treated, the better. Many health issues are “silent”, like high blood pressure. If nothing shows up, then that is one less thing to worry about and you can focus on the other 3 basic areas listed above to help reduce and eventually alleviate your insomnia.
Good sleep is essential to optimal health and well being. If you are battling insomnia don’t ignore it, as the long-term effects can be serious. Most likely, in order to overcome it you will need to make some changes in your lifestyle. While those changes may seem difficult at first, they are usually well worth it in the end!
