Insomnia

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a disorder characterized by persisting difficulty falling or staying asleep despite the opportunity. It is typically followed by some type of functional impairment while awake.

What causes insomnia?

Insomnia is the body's way of saying that something isn't right. Things that may cause insomnia include stress, too much caffeine or other drugs, depression, changes in work shifts, and pain from medical problems, such as arthritis.

Many people have insomnia. People who have insomnia may not be able to fall asleep. They may wake up during the night and not be able to fall back asleep, or they may wake up too early in the morning.



A list that shows some drugs that can cause or worsen insomnia is showed below:

1. Alcohol
2. Anticonvulsants
3. Asthma Medication
4. Caffeine
5. Cocaine
6. Estrogen
7. Parkinson's medication Levodopa
8. Ritalin
9. Antidepressants
10. Steroids
11. Pseudoephedrine and other cold medicines
12. Thyroid hormones

Is insomnia a serious problem?

It's not really a serious problem for your health, but it can make you feel tired, depressed and irritable, thus impacting your life. It can also make it hard to concentrate and work during the day.

How much sleep do I need?

Most adults need about 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. You know you're getting enough sleep if you don't feel sleepy during the day. The amount of sleep you need stays about the same throughout adulthood. However, sleep patterns may change with age. For example, older people may sleep less at night and take naps during the day.

What can my doctor do to find out why I'm not sleeping?

Your family doctor may ask you and your bed partner some questions about your sleep habits (such as when you go to bed and when you get up), any medicine you take, and the amount of caffeine and alcohol you drink. Your doctor may also ask if you smoke.

Other questions may include how long you've been having insomnia, if you have any pain (such as from arthritis), and if you snore while you sleep. Your doctor may also ask about events or problems in your life that may be upsetting you and making it hard for you to sleep.

What is a sleep diary?

If the cause of your insomnia is not clear, your doctor may suggest that you fill out a sleep diary. The diary will help you keep track of when you go to bed, how long you lie in bed before falling asleep, how often you wake during the night, when you get up in the morning and how well you sleep. A sleep diary may help you and your doctor identify patterns and conditions that may be affecting your sleep.

How is insomnia treated?

The treatment of insomnia can be simple. Often, once the problem that's causing the insomnia is taken care of, the insomnia goes away. The key is to find out what's causing the insomnia so that it can be dealt with directly. Simply making a few changes in their sleep habits helps many people.


What can I do to improve my sleep habits?

Here are some things you can do to help you sleep better, this is called sleep hygiene:

1. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends, even if you didn't get enough sleep. This will help train your body to sleep at night.
2. Develop a bedtime routine. Do the same thing every night before going to sleep. For example, take a warm bath and then read for 10 minutes every night before going to bed. Soon you'll connect these activities with sleeping, and doing them will help make you sleepy.
3. Use the bedroom only for sleeping or having sex. Don't eat, talk on the phone or watch TV while you're in bed.
4. Make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark. If noise is a problem, use a fan to mask the noise or use ear plugs. If you must sleep during the day, hang dark blinds over the windows or wear an eye mask.

5. Wind down prior to bedtime. No active sports, action movies or action books 1 hour prior to sleep.
6. If you're still awake after trying to fall asleep for 30 minutes, get up and go to another room. Sit quietly for about 20 minutes before going back to bed. Do this as many times as you need to until you can fall asleep.
7. Do not smoke (nicotine is a stimulant) or consume caffeine
8. Try warm milk or a light snack before bed (if this doesn't interfere with another treatment you are using)
9. Exercise daily, but not right before bedtime
10. Take a warm bath, but not right before bedtime
11. Get in the habit of going to bed when you are sleepy and sleeping where you sleep best
12. Don't have any clocks visible to you
13. Schedule worry time during the day and put worries out of your head when it is time to sleep; you can write them down on 3x5 cards, and then let go of them
14. Get up if you have not fallen asleep in 15 minutes and practice a relaxing activity (e.g. handwork, reading a boring book) until you feel sleepy


Will sleeping pills help?

Sleeping pills can help in some cases, but they are not a cure for insomnia. They're only a temporary form of relief. They're best used for only a few days. Regular use can lead to rebound insomnia. This occurs when a person quits taking sleeping pills and his or her insomnia comes back.

Sleeping pills can be unsafe to use if you have certain health problems. Ask your doctor if sleeping pills would be helpful for you.

Non-prescription medications for insomnia are usually antihistamines and may have significant side effects including:

1. "Carry over sedation" (fatigue and tiredness the day after taking them).
2. Falls, specially in the elderly
3. Difficulty with urination (especially in older men).

Alternative Medicine

The following are some of the recommended herbals that might help with insomnia:

5-Hydroxytryptophan ( DO NOT TAKE IF TAKING ANTIDEPRESSANTS ), Melatonin, Passionflower, Valerian, Calcium and Magnesium and Vitamin B12.

Please watch this video about how to help insomnia with a simple EFT