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Insomnia
Insomnia
Since years and years I have Insomnia symptoms. I am hyper , more talkative ,energetic and active night time. I do not like to sleep as I feel it is wastage of the time. If I m very dead sleepy still I love to keep awake myself till the last drop. Today, I was reading about insomnia and thought to share with all my beloved readers. Hope you will enjoy it.
Over 90 percent of people experience some degree of insomnia at some point in their lives. In general, insomnia is more common in women than men. However, older men have more disrupted sleep than older women. People who have arthritis, ulcers, urinary disorders, heart conditions, and other conditions that cause pain or discomfort, are more likely to get insomnia. In addition, insomnia is a side effect of many common medications, including over-the-counter medicines that contain caffeine. People who travel frequently and cross time zones, as well as night-shift workers, are at higher risk. Smoking, overuse of alcohol or other stimulants, and high caffeine intake also contribute. A new phenomenon that is contributing to insomnia is Internet addiction.
What is Insomnia? It is a symptom of a sleeping disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity. It is typically followed by functional impairment while awake. Insomniacs have been known to complain about being unable to close their eyes or "rest their mind" for more than a few minutes at a time. Both organic and non-organic insomnia constitute a sleep disorder.
Causes of Insomnia
* Jet lag
* Changes in shift work
* Excessive or unpleasant noise
* Uncomfortable room temperature (too hot or too cold)
* Stressful situations in life (exam preparation, loss of a loved one, unemployment, divorce, or separation)
* Presence of an acute medical or surgical illness or hospitalization
* Withdrawal from drug, alcohol, sedative, or stimulant medications
* Insomnia related to high altitude (mountains)
* anxiety,
* stress,
* schizophrenia,
* mania (bipolar disorder), and
* depression.
* Chronic pain syndromes
* Chronic fatigue syndrome
* Congestive heart failure
* Night time angina (chest pain) from heart disease
* Acid reflux disease (GERD)
* Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
* Nocturnal asthma (asthma with night time breathing symptoms)
* Obstructive sleep apnea
* Brain tumors, strokes, or trauma to the brain
There are three types of insomnia:
* Transient, or mild, insomnia - sleep difficulties that last for a few days; there is little or no evidence of impairment of functioning during the day
* Short-term, or moderate, insomnia - sleep difficulties that last for less than a month, that mildly affect functioning during the day, together with feelings of irritability and fatigue
* Chronic, or severe, insomnia - sleep difficulties that last for more than a month, that severely impair functioning during the day, and cause strong feelings of restlessness, irritability, anxiety, and fatigue.
How Is Insomnia Treated?
Sleep research has led to major advances in the treatment of insomnia. Many experts now consider sleeping pills to be overused, as well as dangerous because they can become addictive. They suggest that medication be used a last option, after other treatments have been tried.
Non-medicine treatment options include:
* Physical relaxation
* Mental relaxation
* Other techniques
Physical Relaxation
If you are anxious about falling asleep, certain muscles in your body become tense and sometimes painful, interfering with sleep. Physical relaxation techniques can help.
Find a quiet, peaceful place in which to practice the following technique about 30 minutes a day:
* Lie perfectly still until you find the most comfortable position for yourself. Now deliberately tense up the muscles in your arms and legs as tightly as you can. Try to hold this tension for about a minute and then let the muscles relax gradually-first your legs, and then your arms.
* Now let your whole body feel as relaxed as it possibly can. Take a rest for five minutes and then repeat the procedure twice more.
* At the end of the session, try to concentrate on the feeling of your muscles and let them go as limp and relaxed as possible for the rest of the period. Try to make your breathing slow and steady as you relax.
This technique is designed to teach individuals how their body relaxes and how to control relaxation and tension.
Mental Relaxation
Since stress and worry, including the worry about not being able to fall asleep, are often at the core of insomnia, many people have found that mental relaxation techniques can help them to feel less anxious and therefore sleep better.
This method also requires finding a peaceful, quiet place to practice this technique for about 30 minutes a day:
* Try to relax your body first, by finding the most comfortable position for yourself. Then empty your mind of all thoughts by concentrating on one particular object in the room or a particular part of the room.
* After a minute, sit up, and then walk around for a bit. Then return to your position and repeat the exercise.
* Now think of a particularly happy time in your life that you really enjoyed. If you cannot immediately think of something, find a poster of some exotic place or beautiful scenery. Concentrate on imagining yourself in this place for about five minutes.
* Try to feel the sensations first in your neck muscles, and then in your arm and leg muscles, as they gradually become relaxed. After another few minutes, get up and walk around the room a bit. Then repeat the process.
This exercise differs from the physical technique in that it emphasizes controlling the psychological components of anxiety before attempting to relax your body.
Other Techniques
Other relaxation techniques to try include:
* Yoga or meditation
* Exercise (shown in studies to be an effective way to achieve a healthy sleep)
* Mind-body therapies such as guided imagery or hypnotherapy
* Reading while lying in a relaxed position
* Listening to music while lying in a relaxed position
* Having a soothing bath or shower before bed
* Massage, especially of the neck, shoulder, and leg muscle
Tips to help improve your sleep:
* Learn to use physical and mental relaxation techniques.
* Establish a regular sleep schedule. This involves setting a regular bedtime and wake-up time and making every attempt to stick to it, including on the weekends. This will help to set the body's clock in a way that will make nighttime sleep deeper and more consistent.
* Avoid taking naps, especially in the afternoon.
* Exercise regularly during the day.
* Use the bed only for sleep and sex, not reading or watching television.
* If you do not fall asleep fairly quickly, get out of bed. Do not return until you are feeling drowsy.
* Try to reduce stress in your life, or find better ways to cope with stress.
For more detailed information about coping with stress, go to Stress And How To Manage It.
* If it is noisy in your bedroom, introduce some form of "white noise" such as a rotating fan.
* Do not over-focus on falling asleep by watching the clock.
* Create a bedroom environment that is quiet, relaxing and peaceful.
* Set up a regular bedtime routine that revolves around an activity that helps you unwind.
* Avoid caffeine, and other stimulants, especially late in the day.
* Eliminate smoking. It has a detrimental effect on the lungs, heart, sinuses, and circulation, and it also interferes significantly with sleep, as nicotine is a stimulant that prevents the brain from resting. Cutting back on cigarette smoking may lead to nicotine withdrawal in the middle of the night, which can awaken you, so it is important to stop smoking completely.
* Avoid alcohol. Even if it helps you fall asleep quicker, it actually worsens insomnia An ongoing inability to sleep or to remain asleep throughout the night. by causing shallow, unrefreshed sleep.
God bless & keep smiling!
Posted byIrum Khan
Hi Irum,
It is truly nice to see some of your article after ages. I do have two more techniques to overcome insomnia. These are:
1) Start to read Ait ul Kursi, as many times as one can.
2) Just lie down in a relaxing position (the one you use in sleeping)close your eyes and start counting backwards from 500.
More and more people should know where such wonderful articles can be accessed. Have a little excerpt placed on your Facebook page every time you place a new article or update an old one here. Wish you the best.
Hi There,
We are friends on Facebook and I came across your blog. I have to admit it is very good effort on the subject "Management". I wish I could line by line but whatever I read was very well put. Keep up the good work and if there is anything I can do to help, pls do let me know.
Rahat