Thursday, October 8, 2009
Insomnia
Insomnia is such a common condition, affecting millions of Americans, yet many people are not aware of the serious consequences of Insomnia. Commonly referred to as sleeplessness, or lack of sleep, insomnia can lead to severe fatigue, anxiety, depression and lack of concentration. Insomnia is serious, although unlike other diseases it does not kill. But only a sleep deprived person knows how lonely and how terrible this state can be.
Sleeplessness, or Insomnia, is something of an epidemic in the US right now. The National Sleep Foundation says that 47 million American adults may be at risk of injury and physical and emotional difficulty because they do not get enough sleep. Recently, the National Institutes of Health estimated that 50 million to 70 million Americans of all ages suffer sleep-related problems.
All of us, at some time or the other, found ourselves wide-awake at night, when the whole world is sleeping. Even though we try desperately to sleep, it evades us, leaving us feeling tired, frustrated and drained out the next day. For most people this is a temporary phenomenon, triggered by some stress, anxiety or illness in our lives.
But there are many millions of people who go through this turmoil, night after night. These poor souls are just unable to fall asleep, try as hard as they might. Some do fall asleep for a few hours, only to get up frequently during the night. Restless sleep leaves them severely fatigued. These people are called insomniacs. Medical Insomnia is classed as not being able to sleep (or sleeping for less than 4 hours at a time) for 144 hours straight. Deliberately staying awake does not constitute insomnia.
What happens if you have insomnia?
If you have insomnia or trouble falling asleep, and have this condition for several weeks in a row then you are likely to suffer from one of the following conditions:
Extreme fatigue
Lack of concentration
Lethargy
Depression
Stress and anxiety.
A person can have primary or secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia is sleeplessness that is not attributable to a medical or environmental cause. Secondary insomnia means that a person is having sleep problems because of something else, such as a health condition, an example of which would be generalized anxiety disorder.
Some of the most common causes of insomnia are:
Sleep Apnea is a condition that occurs when a sleeping person's breathing is interrupted, thus interrupting the normal sleep cycle. With the obstructive form of the condition, some part of the sleeper's respiratory tract loses muscle tone and partially collapses. People with obstructive sleep apnea often do not remember any of this, but they complain of excessive sleepiness during the day. Central sleep apnea interrupts the normal breathing stimulus of the central nervous system, and the individual must actually wake up to resume breathing. This form of apnea is often related to a cerebral vascular condition, congestive heart failure, and premature aging.
Circadian rhythm sleep disorders cause insomnia at some times of the day and excessive sleepiness at other times of the day. Common circadian rhythm sleep disorders include jet lag and delayed sleep phase syndrome. Jet lag is seen in people who travel through multiple time zones, as the time relative to the rising and falling of the sun no longer coincides with the body's internal concept of it. The insomnia experienced by shift workers is also a circadian rhythm sleep disorder.
Parasomnia includes a number of disorders of arousal or disruptive sleep events including nightmares, sleepwalking, violent behavior while sleeping, and REM behavior disorder, in which a person moves his/her physical body in response to events within his/her dreams. These conditions can often be treated successfully through medical intervention or through the use of a sleep specialist.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease causes repeated awakenings during the night due to unpleasant sensations resulting from stomach acid flowing upward into the throat while asleep.
Mania or Hypomania in bipolar disorder can cause difficulty falling asleep. A person going through a manic or hypomanic episode may feel a reduced need for sleep. Sleep deprivation can worsen a manic episode, or cause hypomania to develop into mania.
Some simple and easy to do steps for curing insomnia
Many who have cured their insomnia have done so by reviewing and experimenting with many different cures. Often, a combination of dietary and lifestyle changes can prove to be the most helpful approach. As with many similar health problems, a determined, across-the-board holistic approach to sleeping problems is often advisable.
Cut down on Caffeine: Unlike popular perception, it is not just the nighttime cup of coffee that can leave you awake. Caffeine is present in several food things like tea, colas, and even some medications such as Anacin and Excedrin. Some people are very sensitive to Caffeine and even a little bit of caffeine can leave them awake for a long time. Some people take as many as 20 hours to flush the caffeine out of their system. So if you have chronic insomnia, it may be worthwhile to stay away from caffeine and see if it makes any difference.
Cut down on alcohol: Especially close to bedtime, is also bad for a good sleep. Although alcohol works like a sedative initially, it can wake you up at mid night (most often around 3.00 am) and leave you tired and groggy next day.
Stay away from large meals: Eat three to four hours before dinner time and preferable eat a light meal at nights. Too much food can make you sleepy but like alcohol can disturb with your sleep later in the night. Make sure that your dinner includes lots of carbohydrates as they stimulate the production of amino acid called tryptophan and other chemicals like serotonins, which have a calming and relaxing effect on our brains.
Foods that have this calming effect include warm milk, chicken, turkey, whole grain breads, cereals and banana. Stay away from fat and spicy food.
Stop smoking: The chemical found in cigarettes, Nicotine, raises blood pressure, heart rate and acts as a stimulant exciting the brain and the body. What you need before sleeping is to calm down and not excite your brain.
Check your medication: Some medicines, which you take regularly, may be leaving you sleepless. Check with your doctor who will prescribe other drugs. Check your medicine labels to see if it contains caffeine, which may be acting as a stimulant.
Do something about your sleep environment: Many people are very light sleepers and even the slightest sound can disrupt their sleep. If your mate snores then ask him to sleep on his side rather than on the back as this cuts down the snoring noise. If you cannot drown out the noise in your environment then try ear plus, or a humming fan or other white noises.