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What is Insomnia?Tired of feeling tired? Take heed, you may be an insomniac. BEWARE THAT TOO LITTLE SLEEP CAN BE HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH. Some mistakenly use the old adage "life is too short" to justify the reason why we should also sleep less. To the contrary, if you want to increase the odds of living a longer, more healthful life, and get the most out of your wakeful time, you should get more quality sleep, not less. A proper night's sleep allows the body to heal, helps the immune system to function at an optimal level, and helps improve metabolism, among its myriad benefits. When well-rested and you sleep well, a person has better clarity of mind, more energy, improved mood and fewer cold viruses, studies show. A distinct link has been shown between insomnia and depression. Lack of better sleep also can stand in the way of weight loss, as hormones can get out of balance when one doesn't get enough sleep. OK, but how does one achieve blissful rest when warm milk and counting backwards prove useless? Even in today's busy world many risk-free ways exist to combat insomnia or to simply pave the path for a peaceful night's sleep. Sure, life boasts an endless list of chores and duties and busy work schedules that can leave a person drained, push back his or her bedtime, and, ironically, leave the mind racing making it even more difficult to fall asleep. Yet normalizing your schedule and sleep hours goes a big way toward helping. So, too, does working on stress relief and relaxation methods, exercising routinely (never before bedtime), and modifying the sleep environment and one's evening diet. A Word about Insomnia It's helpful to start with a basic understanding of sleep interrupted. Insomnia is a sleep disorder defined as difficulty maintaining or falling asleep, or both. It can last days, a month, or longer. Less than 10 percent of the general population consists of chronic insomniacs. Yet most people experience some insomnia during their lifetime — just a lack of good, restorative sleep. The condition is not defined by how long a person sleeps, but rather by the quality of the sleep, by how rested he or she feels while awake. Different people need different amounts of sleep; there is no golden, set number of hours. Symptoms
Getting started nodding off Attain much needed rest by first examining the causes of your insomnia or restlessness, whether a matter of lifestyle choices, fitness levels, or mental and physical condition. Here are some tips. Get in balance:
In addition to these sleep tips, consider various factors that affect your drowsiness and your sleep's soundness. Eating late causes restless slumber. So does imbibing late into the night, whether caffeinated drinks, alcohol or juices. Smoking and some prescription medicines can interrupt sleep. And studies show a hunger-stimulating hormone, Ghrelin, increases in people who do not get adequate sleep. So too does the hormone, Cortisol, responsible for increased appetite and weight gain over time, which puts a halt to effective weight loss. The key to sound sleep is to normalize one's sleep cycle and nightly wind-down routine. Without relying on addictive or medicinal substances, many strategies can help combat insomnia. Environmental Controls Darken the room before turning in. It might be too bright for a good night's sleep. Cut back on noise, too. You might even consider wearing dark shades to help you sleep more soundly. A cool room is a sleepy room, to boot. Stress management It is important to learn to handle stress, manage the strains of the day and deal with anger in a positive way, so that they don't contribute to sleep deprivation. Practice redirecting your thoughts, so stressful worries, whether conscious or subconscious, don't nag you at bedtime. Try to resolve them or set them aside for the time being before turning in. Avoid over-stimulation just before lying down. Meditation or guided relaxation techniques can help. Also learn to identify stressors before they develop into anger. Notice tense muscles, a pounding heartbeat, growing anxiousness and other symptoms brought on by fight-or-flight moments a person faced earlier in a day. Physical Remedies Exercise at least 20 minutes a day, doing so hours before bedtime. Try to workout four times a week. Learn abdominal breathing. This technique takes practice but allows one to breathe more deeply — from the belly and lower back as well as the chest. It is proven to relax, and is useful as a natural sleep aid technique. More relaxation strategies Visual imagery involves envisioning a calm and peaceful place or activity. By focusing on how relaxed this place makes a person feel, he or she can remain "there" until the body winds down enough to get drowsy. Meditation focuses on breathing, on a word or an object, and on other techniques that bring on deep relaxation. One also might consider developing a stress management plan. It involves effectively managing your time, maintaining an upbeat focus and spending time with others you enjoy. You might also look into cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of psychotherapy that helps to change a person's thoughts associated with sleep, or other matters. These various techniques take practice but can pay off in big sleep benefits. Supplements and Hormones Various herbal aids are touted as beneficial to insomniacs, or to anyone battling sound sleep. From chamomile to kava kava, many non-Food and Drug Administration-approved remedies and natural sleep aids exist to promote relaxation and sleep. One should check with a health-care provider before starting such a regimen, as some of these supplements can have negative interactions with some prescribed medications. Some others who've researched sleep science tout Melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone triggered by darkness, as an aid to sleep inducement. It is usually taken in tablet form 20 to 40 minutes before sleep. A tailored combination of these strategies should make for a sweet night's sleep…finally!  |