- If you experience difficulty in getting to sleep even when you are very tired, or not being able to go back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night, you are suffering from insomnia. Insomnia is a common problem that can affect your overall health and quality of life. It can aggravate diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. It can also make you feel exhausted throughout the day.
- Insomnia is not defined by the number of hours of sleep a person gets, as different people vary in the amount of sleep that they need. People with insomnia do not feel rested and refreshed even with a full night's sleep. While the cause may be as minor as having ingested too much caffeine, it can also be a symptom of excessive stress or an undiagnosed medical problem. In most cases, you would be able to cure your insomnia by making healthy adjustments to your lifestyle.
- The first thing you have to do is to find out the exact cause of your insomnia. You can only apply the appropriate treatment if you find out the true cause of your sleeplessness. Analyze yourself if you have been feeling depressed lately, or if you are experiencing a lot of stress. If you are currently taking medications, find out if sleeplessness is one of the side effects. Assess your sleep environment if it is conducive to sleep or not. If you have other health problems, check to see if it can cause sleeplessness. Check to see if you have a regular sleep schedule, or you're constantly changing your sleep routine. Lack of exposure to daylight can also ruin your biological rhythm and your sleep patterns.
If the cause of your insomnia is something temporary, like jet lag, stress over a project at work, or interpersonal relations, the insomnia will usually resolve itself in a matter of days. However, for cases brought about by physical or psychological problems, then it can be chronic. Some medical conditions that can cause insomnia include asthma, allergies, cancer, hyperthyroidism, acid reflux and chronic pain. Underlying psychological conditions include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety and chronic stress. Some medications that cause insomnia include antidepressants, alcohol-containing cold and flu preparations, caffeine in pain relievers, diuretics and blood pressure lowering medications.
- To find out if some of your personal habits are causing your insomnia, use a sleep journal. Jot down all of your daily activities. This will enable you to objectively assess activities that are unconsciously contributing to your sleeplessness. For instance, you might find out that your morning coffee keeps you awake even at night. You may also discover that your television viewing and Internet usage late in the evening are disrupting your sleep. Aside from your activities, record also your sleep routine and the symptoms you observe regarding your insomnia.
Appraise your bedroom on whether it is conducive to sleep or not. If there's too much noise from outside your room, you can probably use earplugs or a sound machine to block the noise. If the room is too bright, you can use curtains or an eye mask to lessen the light. See to it that your room is comfortably ventilated.
Aline Heller writes about health and medical conditions. To learn more on how to cure insomnia, go to Natural Insomnia Program. Another resource is Effective Sleep Solutions.
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