Filed under: sleeping problems
Do you have difficulty falling asleep? Do you wake up in the middle of the night and have difficulty falling back to sleep? Do you wake up earlier than your alarm and have difficulty falling back to sleep? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you might have Insomnia.
Insomnia is defined as difficulty falling asleep. There are two main categories of insomnia: sleep onset and sleep maintenance insomnia.
Sleep onset insomnia is a difficulty falling asleep at the beginning of the night. It is usually triggered by a stressful event, like a death in the family or before a hard test at school. Normally it should resolve when the trigger is no longer present (after you have taken the test), but in some people the insomnia becomes a chronic problem. With sleep onset insomnia, it is always important make sure that other sleeping disorders, like restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea are adequately treated, as they can exacerbate it.
Sleep maintenance insomnia occurs when a person has difficulty falling asleep after waking up in the middle of the night. The most important point about sleep maintenance insomnia is that there is often an underlying physiologic problem of sleep (like Sleep Apnea) that is leading to the awakenings in the first place. If this problem is not adequately addressed, then it can be very difficult to treat sleep maintenance insomnia.
Who Gets Insomnia?
Anyone can get insomnia. Most people experience at least once in their lives. It is estimated that approximately 10% of the general population have chronic insomnia. Insomnia is considered a problem when it has not resolved in a reasonable period of time.
I Think I Might Have Insomnia, How Do I Find Out If I Have It?
Make an appointment with your primary care physician, or if your insurance allows it, go straight to a sleep specialist. If your physician thinks you might have insomnia, then he/she will either treat you with a medication or refer you to a sleep specialist for further evaluation.
How Is Insomnia Treated?
The treatment of insomnia with medications has become a multibillion-dollar industry, but the best treatment methods are actually behavioral methods. Behavioral treatments range from developing good sleep habits to group cognitive behavioral therapy. For the short-term, most of the newer sleeping pills, including Ambienâ?¢, Sonataâ?¢, Lunestaâ?¢, and Rozeremâ?¢ can provide immediate relief. Ask your doctor about what option is right for you.
Scott
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/what-is-insomnia-58158.html
8 Comments so far
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I am also an insomniac. things you can do is submerge yourself in a very hot bath, your body trying to cool off while you're in there will make you sleepy. try to go to bed at the same time everynight. Don't drink caffeine within 12 hours of bedtime. breath slow and count your breaths, each time you exhale starting at 99 and count down because it takes your attention away from thinking about the day.
References :
I know sometimes I can't sleep because I have too much on the brain.
Stress can keep you awake just as much as caffiene. Warm milk actually helps. When you warm milk, it releases something that helps induce sleep (though I can't remember what exactly), but if you're lactose intolerant, skip that.
Do you have any lights on? Even a sliver of light can keep you from going to sleep.
Anyway, a good night's sleep to you (hopefully soon)
References :
Sleep hygiene is an approach to sleep problems in a systematic way.
Some things: long naps during the daytime (> 1 hr) may limit your ability to sleep later.
Limit caffeine intake, although green tea (which has a little caffeine) may also contain some sleep promoting properties.
Don't go to bed unless you are tired. If you find yourself tossing and turning, get up, sit in a chair and try reading something (watching TV is direct light stimulation and may end up keeping you up later).
Keep the bed for sleep and sex only. Some people with insomnia read, do homework, etc so the bed becomes associated with activities rather than sleep.
Try winding down from the day by sitting quietly before going to bed. If you can take up yoga, morning exercises and evening meditation may also help with sleep.
If you can afford it or it's covered by insurance, consider getting a sleep study. They may identify behavioral or physical reasons for your insomnia.
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hey,studies prove that when patients similar o one another with insomnia take a placebo(fake drug) over a real drug, they have better sleeping trends, and no side effects.
i guess u should see a phychologist who studies the cognative approach ( how our minds control our bodies, stress, tension etc.
Cognitive therapy helps you control the excessive preoccupation and worry concerning sleep.
other options:
Good sleep hygiene is important to ensure a good night's sleep (i.e. cutting down on caffeine or alcohol at bedtime, avoiding light and noise, increasing exercise
Behavioral treatment helps you change poor sleep habits and regulate the sleep schedule (i.e. what to do when you can't sleep, when to go to bed and when to get up).
Relaxation techniques reduce bedtime mental and physical
tension.
how afftective
Research demonstrates that between 70% and 80% of people with insomnia benefit significantly from short-term (4 to 6 weeks), sleep-focused psychological treatments
References :
http://www.apns.ca/prob_insomnia.html
u should go to a phycholgist. best of luck in the future.
Comment by kashmir 05.27.09 @ 7:14 pmalong with relaxation techniques like the one mentioned above, (very good, by the way) you can try herbal remedies. some that can help are valerian root, alone or in combo with hops and skullkap. others that may work for you are Passion Flower, california poppy, kava-kava, (read the warning labels for this one, but it does help), lemongrass and more.
you could combine these with aromatherapy, i don't know much about it, but let your fingers do the keying. Good luck, i feel for you, having had this problem myself since forever or so.
References :
Insomnia is often caused by fear, stress, anxiety, medications, herbs, caffeine, depression or sometimes for no apparent reason. Make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark. Soak a tablespoon of mint leaves in a cup of water for an hour, drink every night. Check out http://useinfo-insomnia.blogspot.com/ for more info
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It's good that you haven't started taking sleeping meds- they'll only do more harm in the end.
There's lots to consider when dealing with insomnia. It's important to pay attention to your sleep habits. Getting yourself mentally and physically active in the day can help you fall into deeper sleep.
Eat healthily and ensure that you are getting a lot of fruit, veg, wholegrain and foods that are slow releasing in carbs will help keep your energy levels up in the day. Expose yourself to sunlight in the day.
If you're suffering from depression (common for insomniacs) consider taking st johns wort which is a natural remedy for moderate depression.
Make sure you wind down in the evenings, try a relaxing bath, avoid doing anything stimulating. Try a glass of warm milk, Valerian, meditation or progressive relaxation.
If you're interested in more info sign up for the free newsletter at http://www.howtobeatinsomnia.com
References :
http://www.howtobeatinsomnia.com
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I have a severe case of insomnia and i’ve always had it. Any ideas on what i can do to get more sleep?
Comment by musiclov3r17 05.27.09 @ 2:06 pmFor as long as i can remember i've been an insomniac, and I avoid prescription pills like the plague because i don't want to become Dependant on them. Any ideas on alternative ways to lessen the severity of my insomnia?