Want to Know About Causes Of Insomnia?

In broad terms, insomnia refers to difficulty experienced in falling asleep or maintaining restoring/refreshing sleep. It is a topic of great debate whether insomnia is a symptom or disorder. Whether disorder or symptom, different kinds of insomnia have been recognized and are described here.

Kinds of Insomnia

Sleep Onset Insomnia is also called Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome because the patient delays the major sleep episode and this delay causes sleeplessness and difficulty in getting up at the desired time. Psycho-Physiological Insomnia is caused due to anxiety or psychological problem which creates physical symptoms and prevents sleep. In Idiopathic type of insomnia, the nervous system becomes incapable of controlling the sleeping and waking mechanism of the body. The result is a lifelong failure to get proper sleep. It usually starts in early childhood.

Childhood insomnia in children is of two types- Limit- Setting Sleep Disorder and Sleep-Onset Association Disorder. Altitude Insomnia is an acute version of insomnia, short-lived but intense, accompanied by symptoms of headache, fatigue, and loss of appetite, all occurring when you move to high altitudes. Insomnia that results as an allergic response to certain foods is called Food Allergy Insomnia. Toxin-Induced Sleep Disorder is insomnia caused due to poisoning with toxins like heavy metals or certain organic compounds. Environmental Insomnia is sleep difficulty caused by the presence of certain environmental factors in the surrounding e.g. noise, smell, smoke etc. Stimulant-Dependent Sleep Disorder is insomnia resulting from using substances (drugs for example) that stimulate the nervous system. The person becomes addicted to their use and fails to get sleep when abstinence from the drug is practiced.

Alcohol and Insomnia

Many people believe that alcohol and insomnia are not related since alcohol actually puts a person to sleep when it is consumed in excess. Yes, it is true that initially a person who consumes large amounts of alcoholic drinks would fall asleep or pass out as it is popularly known. However, if such binges are happening often enough, the effect will be drastically reversed and the person is bound to have a very fitful sleep. People who suffer from diseases such as blood pressure, indigestion and gastric or kidney or heart problems, and the like are prone to develop insomnia if alcohol is introduced in the diet on a regular basis. It would be good to stay away from alcoholic beverages at least 3-4 hours before bedtime

Anxiety and Insomnia

Anxiety and insomnia have been found as causally related in people who remain excessively worried about some problem or coming event. While sleeplessness on account of mild anxiety for a couple of nights is normal in many cases, prolonged sleeplessness accompanied by constant worrying is clearly a case related to the causal relation between anxiety and insomnia. Anxiety is not a single disorder but a group of psychological disorders called Anxiety Disorders. These include generalized anxiety, panic and phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Different approaches treat anxiety and related insomnia differently. These include psychological counseling, psychotherapy, prescribed medication, nutritional treatment, herbal formulas, and alternative treatments like acupuncture.

Stress Related Insomnia

There are so many people all over the world who are so stressed out during the day that they find it almost impossible to sleep at night. If you are one of those people who have been losing sleep because of stress, you should try to find some solutions to your stress and insomnia problems. Studies show that stress and insomnia are so closely related that when one is present, the other is more likely to follow. For instance, if you have some emotional problems that have been bugging you for sometime, you will find it difficult to take your mind off of your problem. There are many prescription drugs that can help you with your stress and insomnia problem. There are many natural cures for treating stress related insomnia. Most cases of stress related insomnia can be cured by simply taking a break from your daily routine. Taking a walk in the park and breathing some fresh air can help you relax and calm your nerves.

Depression and Insomnia

Depression and insomnia seem to feed off on one another. A person becomes depressed and cannot stop worrying, living in fear, or having anxiety attacks. This does not end when the day does, and the night only continues the barrage of voices that carry over from the day. Insomnia then sets in, and the physical strain on the body weakens the mind and body further until depression sets in again. Relief comes when one identifies the source of the insomnia, whether it is clinical depression or something altogether different. Counseling may prove to be quite helpful in dealing with cases of depression and anxiety. It is important to know that options are available in the form or medications, herbs and supplements in order to help someone suffering from depression and insomnia.

Depression Anxiety Insomnia

One of the most common causes for sleeping disorders is depression and anxiety. In most cases, depression anxiety and insomnia would go hand in hand that people often find themselves dealing with two types of disorders at the same time. According to experts, depression anxiety and insomnia usually go together because the more stressed out and disturbed the person, the more he or she will find it difficult to sleep at night. There are so many people who experience depression anxiety and insomnia for a long period of time simply because they refuse to admit the real cause of their problems. If you really want to help yourself cope with depression anxiety and insomnia, learn to be honest with yourself.

Stopping insomnia

Sleep Maintenance Insomnia - Critical Information on a Lesser Know Variation of Insomnia

About one third of the American population suffers from insomnia. These statistics help us understand the gravity of the problem. Insomnia is one of the most commonly occurring human ailments characterized by symptoms such as difficulty in falling asleep, waking up too early and unable to fall back asleep, frequent awakenings during nights or waking up in the morning feeling tired. Depending on these symptoms, insomnia can be categorized into various types such as sleep onset insomnia and sleep maintenance insomnia.

In most cases, treatment of insomnia involves treating symptoms related to sleep onset insomnia. Recent evidences suggest that improving sleep maintenance is equally important in treating insomnia. Sleep maintenance insomnia is one of the most common forms of insomnia observed primarily elderly people, where individuals tend to wake up at the middle of the night and then find it extremely difficult to fall asleep. As a result, they end up with frequent and prolonged awakenings in the night.

Sleep disturbances often go unrecognized and untreated. This is because people are not even aware that they are suffering with insomnia and related complications. In addition to this, many of the currently available insomnia medications that are used as insomnia aids like antidepressants such as Trazodone and Amitriptyline, non-benzodiazepine hypnotics like Lunesta, Sonata, Ambien and some of the benzodiazepines like Restoril, Dalmane, Halcion, Estazolam have not consistently proved their efficacy in promoting sleep maintenance and controlling sleep disorders.

Furthermore, the benzodiazepines and other insomnia medications with established sleep maintenance efficacy are associated with some serious side effects such as sedation, drowsiness, the risk of drug tolerance, drug dependence and rebound insomnia. If medication is stopped abruptly, withdrawal symptoms such as nausea and sweating may be developed.

Hence, these medications that are used as insomnia aids should always be taken under the efficient guidance and consultation with medical professional. These medications often as it creates drowsiness should not be taken while driving. One should refrain from alcohol consumption while they are under these medications

Herbs such as chamomile, lemon balm, poppy seeds, honey are few insomnia aids which induce sleeps in a natural way without causing any major side effects. Also, certain treatment methods such as relaxation therapy, cognitive behavior therapy and stimulus control therapy can be used for treating insomnia. Insomnia treatment is also possible by following some effective insomnia tips. Some of these insomnia tips are as follows:


Develop a regular sleeping schedule.
Avoid stimulating drugs, such as caffeine and alcohol, particularly before going to bed.
Avoid smoking
Exercise regularly.
Yoga and meditation helps in curing insomnia as it calms our mind and makes us peaceful aiding sleep.
Have a warm, cozy sleeping environment
Minimize light and noise when trying to sleep.
Avoid heavy meals before bedtime

A good uninterrupted refreshing sleep is very necessary for the overall well being of an individual. However, Sleep maintenance insomnia hinders a person from getting a good night's sleep, thereby resulting in fatigue and irritable mood swings. If the condition gets prolonged for a long time, it can even result in some physiological and psychological problems. So, if you want to treat sleep maintenance insomnia, medications along with positive lifestyle changes and behavioral therapies can go a long way towards achieving that goal.

Stopping insomnia

Natural Insomnia Treatments - How to Get Help for Chronic Insomnia

Insomnia is defined as difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep long enough to feel rejuvenated and function efficiently the next day. It can happen to people of all ages and both genders, although it seems to be higher in women than men.

Further symptoms include waking up frequently or after a little sleep and then inability to fall sleep again. Normal sleep requirements vary according to the age group but an adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep a day.

Types of Insomnia

Many people experience some insomnia, usually lasting for short durations of a few days to a month - this is transient or acute type. Other people suffer long-term insomnia lasting several months or years - chronic insomnia. Chronic insomnia is the most serious sleep disorder among other types of insomnia.

Causes & Treatments of Chronic Insomnia

How to get help for chronic insomnia is through different methods. To apply insomnia treatments in chronic cases, one must understand the causes to begin with.

Stress

Stress and worry is possibly the number one reason for insomnia. This is because the body reacts to stress in ways that increase alertness and wakefulness. Relaxation programmes such as meditation, yoga and deep-breathing exercises are good insomnia remedies that work to lower the stress and anxiety.

Noise and Activities

An interrupted sleeping environment from noise can affect one's sleep. So insomnia relief can be as simple as a quiet, noise-free bedroom. Certain activities also contribute to sleeplessness - watching television, doing office work or intense exercise just before bed or while in the bed. Some athletes suffer insomnia due to excessive exercise regimes. Home remedies of insomnia can be just to avoid these activities.

Sleep Routine, Menopause and Pregnancy

Paying attention sleep routines provides a non-medicated method of insomnia remedy. The body functions best on regularly patterns of waking up and going to bed. Changing this regularity can lead to chronic sleeping problems. Some women also experience menopausal insomnia related to hormones. Additionally, incidents of pregnancy insomnia are also due to the hormonal changes that take place at this time.

Mental and Body Health

Poor body health can also contribute to disturbed sleep. Disease such as gastrointestinal illnesses, asthma, cardiac conditions, overactive thyroid, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, arthritis and other joint problems and enlarged prostate are connected to poor sleeping. Mental health problems sometimes have insomnia-like symptoms. These include depression, post-traumatic stress, and schizophrenia among others. In such cases both the main illness and the secondary sleeplessness are dealt with in the treatment for insomnia.

Narcotics and Stimulants

Narcotics and stimulants can also lead to insomnia. In treating insomnia doctors advise against taking caffeine, cigarette smoking, alcohol and use of recreational drugs. Some insomnia remedies, both over-the-counter and prescribed, have side effects of disturbed sleeping patterns. Examples are drugs for high blood pressure, epilepsy and asthma, non-steroid anti-inflammatory treatments, antidepressants and certain hormone therapies.

Medical Treatment

Medications can be given by insomnia doctors. According to research, 95% of cases are treated with medications such as sedatives and sleeping tablets. For people who associate sleep or the bedroom with negative feelings, remedies for insomnia through psychotherapy may be prescribed. Chronic insomnia can be treated with hypnotic meditation for controlled durations. Whatever the case, often several methods are used to get help for chronic insomnia.

Stopping insomnia

Live Better By Paying Attention to Your Insomnia Symptom

The debate and controversy about insomnia have shown no signs of letting up. Common sense would tell you though that regardless of the true nature of insomnia, it pays to pay attention to your insomnia symptom.

Primary Insomnia

Experts are still debating the issue but some hold the opinion that insomnia may be a condition all on its own. This means that a person may be manifesting an insomnia symptom simply because he has insomnia.

Supporters of this theory contest that in some cases, looking at an insomnia symptom as a primary condition is essential to avoid relegating it to another theoretical condition. Subordinating an insomnia symptom may be a way of trivializing the condition. In such a case, primary insomniacs run the risk of not receiving proper care and attention. If you are certain that you do not suffer from any other medical condition, find a doctor who respects the possibility of insomnia as a primary condition.

Secondary Insomnia

The more common notion about the cause of an insomnia symptom is that a person is suffering from one because of a much serious underlying medical condition. This view has perhaps grown in popularity simply because it offers an explanation for insomnia whereas the causes of primary insomnia cannot be completely determined.

In secondary insomnia, you could be suffering from a major physical or psychological condition that could be causing the insomnia. A person for example with an anxiety disorder will normally manifest an insomnia symptom simply because of his worries and anxieties. Physical illnesses such as breathing disorders, sciatica, fibromyalgia and other painful conditions also cause insomnia because of the pain or discomfort that accompany such illnesses. Even a sleeping disorder like sleep apnea may naturally lead to an insomnia symptom.

Medication for Secondary Insomnia

A secondary insomnia symptom may be more difficult to treat than primary insomnia. Medication for a secondary insomnia symptom should be chosen carefully. Otherwise, an individual could end up suffering even more. The usual over the counter antihistamine for a simple insomnia symptom for example may not be safe medication for people with breathing disorders. Depressed individuals under medication may also end up more depressed after taking over the counter insomnia medication.

There have been many medical cases showing the alleviation of insomnia once the primary condition has been treated. Other individuals however may need insomnia medication together with the treatment for the primary condition. A doctor's opinion in this case should always be sought if an individual feels that there is a need for insomnia medication.

A Good Night's Sleep

Sleeping eight hours a night should not lead you into concluding that you are sleeping well and that you are free from insomnia. Some people sleep for eight hours or more and still wake up exhausted. This may be a sign that you are suffering from some form of insomnia. The best indication that you have had a good night's sleep is if you wake up energized, can stay up for most of the day and can function properly.

Stopping insomnia

Three Treatments for Insomnia Without Taking Medications

Insomnia, being very prevalent and affecting our lives in many ways, has numerous promising treatments for those who suffer with this condition. There are pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for insomnia. We will explore three non-pharmacological treatments and discuss why these treatments might be more effective in the long-term. We will explain, in detail, these three different types of non-pharmacological treatments as we define or describe each of them. You do not have to suffer any longer with insomnia; there are treatments available to you without taking medications.

Once you know the cause of your insomnia, there are therapies available to you long before your insomnia progresses to the point it has a negative effect on your life. The main focal point in treating and curing insomnia is to find the cause of your insomnia. Once identified insomnia is often eliminated when those triggers, that keep you awake at night, are removed. The success rate of curing your insomnia increases when the source for your insomnia is addressed. Whether you cure your insomnia or not, you can treat your insomnia, with the methods explored in this article, before your insomnia gets out of hand.

Educating yourself is the key to a good night sleep. Knowing how your body responds to certain stimuli, such as a large meal just before bed, offers you information so you can adjust your behavior. Becoming aware of what your natural rhythms are and what sleeping habits work, or do not work, for you is valuable information which allows you to alter what you do? The more you know about what keeps you awake at night the better chance of curing your insomnia and getting that rest you need.

Although prescribed sleeping medications are available, non-pharmacological therapies have an advantage even though some might say both therapies are equally effective especially when used together. Often times, after taking a medication for a period of time, intolerance develops to that medication. That medication is no longer as effective as it was, and the condition will return without another medication being prescribed. Another disadvantage to prescribed medications is a person can become dependent on that medication and once discontinued they can have a withdrawal effect. Non-pharmacological treatments improve your insomnia, and have a longer lasting effect. It is for the above reasons that non-pharmacological therapies have the upper hand in curing insomnia.

Non-pharmacological therapies include a variety of effective methods to aid you in curing your insomnia. The treatments are forms of cognitive behavioral therapy, also known as cognitive therapy or behavioral therapy. The whole goal, of these types of treatments, are for you to become aware of what you are thinking and how you behave, as it relates to sleep, so you sleep well again. This effective form of treatment teaches you new ways of thinking and behaving, regarding your sleeping patterns, and has a longer lasting effect for insomnia than taking medication.

Included in the list of non-pharmacological therapies, for insomnia, are several effective modalities that we will investigate in detail. Three of these modalities, explored in this article, include muscle relaxation, stimulus control, and sleep restriction. There are other modalities for treating insomnia that will be explored in a later article. These three non-pharmacological therapies can be effective in treating your insomnia.

One such modality is using relaxation as a method to calm the body and quite the mind. One way to use the relaxation modality is through meditation. Meditation can be used in a variety of ways and one simple way to use meditation is to sit in a comfortable position and focus on your breath as you inhale and exhale. You can use imagery to help you achieve relaxation by imaging you are somewhere calming to you like a factitious place, a place you have been before or a place you would like to go provided you feel tranquil there. A second way to use meditation to relax is using a meditation tape/CD, with calming music that allows you to unwind and relax. If you have difficulty achieving relaxation on your own, a third method is a guided relaxation tape/CD where someone is taking you through a relaxation session. Whether you use a guided meditation tape or not, this relaxation technique suggests you relax one area of your body at a time. While in a comfortable position, gently tighten, without creating pain, the muscles in one area of your body and hold these tighten muscles for a few seconds and then relax the muscles. While maintaining relaxation to the original area, continue focusing on a new area until you have relaxed every part of your body. It does not matter what area of your body you begin with however, make sure you are able to go to the next part of your body without much thought. An example of moving to the next part of your body without much thought is to begin at the top of your head and go down to your toes or begin at your toes and go up to your head. You can also quite your mind, while using this form of relaxation, by not allowing your mind to focus on anything else while you relax your body. Relaxation therapy is useful in quieting the mind and relaxing the body in order to achieve sleep.

A second modality for achieving a better night sleep is stimulus control. Stimulus control has many facets, however, the theory of stimulus control is your bed is for sleeping and sex activity and nothing more. Watching TV, reading the newspaper or a book, doing any kind of work or eating, while in bed, is counterproductive to getting a good night sleep. Another facet of stimulus control is the idea that you go to bed only when you are tired and if you do not fall asleep within 20 minutes then get up and do something else until you are tired as long as what you are doing is calming. Avoiding taking long naps, during the day, is another facet to stimulus control. Naps that are 10 to 20 minutes long can be invigorating while longer naps during the day affect how much sleep you need at night. Still another aspect of stimulus control is to get up at the same time every day, including Saturday and Sunday, regardless of how many hours of sleep you had. To accomplish this goal, you might have to set an alarm clock to wake you up at the same time every day, provided you do not hit the snooze button. Sleeping longer then your usually time to get up will decrease the effectiveness of stimulus control. Stimulus control limits the time you are awake in bed and this method helps you relearn your bed is for sleep and sexual activity only.

A third modality for achieving a better night sleep is sleep restriction. This third method may sound similar to stimulus control however, sleep restriction limits the amount of time you are in bed down to 4 to 5 hours of sleep a night. The amount of time you are in bed is based on taking the average of the time you sleep, while in bed, and set the time you go to bed and the time you get up accordingly. Basically, sleep restriction deprives you of some sleep for one night so you are more tired the following night and the sleep you do get is more quality sleep. Sleep restriction needs to be used cautiously meaning sleep deprivation has a diminishing effect on a person and their ability to function during the day. The recommendation is for to you get at least 7 hours of sleep again before you engage in activities that require your full attention such as driving or operating machinery. You are the only person who can determine whether you feel safe enough to reintroduce these more demanding activities. Keeping this schedule of sleep and forcing yourself to get out of bed, at the designed time, even when you are still tired allows you the time you sleep is quality sleep. When your quality of sleep improves, you can slowly increase the time you are in bed actually sleeping. Sleep restriction, a method by which you restrict the amount of sleep you get a night, has helped some people who suffer from insomnia and needs to be used with awareness of what works best for you.

There are several avenues available to you to help you get a better night sleep and the three we explored in this article are relaxation, stimulus control and sleep restriction. These three methods of treating insomnia assist you in becoming more aware of what works and what does not work for you in relationship to getting quality sleep. The key to getting the sleep you need is to educate yourself about what is keeping you awake at night, what are the methods that are effective for you and how does your body respond to the stimuli in your life. Each of these non-pharmacological methods are more effective and longer lasting than medications. These three methods, of treating insomnia, only require you to learn the method and be willing to use that method in a way that benefits you. The main focal point to treating and curing insomnia, as discussed in the second paragraph, is to find the cause of your insomnia. Finally, you can treat your insomnia with these three methods however, curing your insomnia requires deeper personal work on the cause of your insomnia. It is possible to eliminate insomnia all together and sleep well again.

Stopping insomnia