Insomnia is a sleep disorder that results in sleep deficiency due to the inability to fall asleep. Insomnia leads to various day time activity impairments and much discomfort. This is the reason why the great Sophocles said, perhaps rightly, that “sleep is the only medicine that calms down.” Everyone desires peaceful sleep, but unfortunately many are deprived of it due to multiple factors ranging from workload, caffeine intoxication, to a serious underlying medical condition. Insomnia can strike people of all ages, but it usually increases with age.
The good part of the story is that many people can beat insomnia simply by making certain lifestyle changes or following certain tasks before bed. They may not even have to rely on a doctor’s prescription or resort to sleeping pills. Since the amount of sleep required by one varies from person to person, insomnia is assessed by the quality of sleep and not by the quantity or hours of sleep. However, insomnia is often roughly classified based on sleep duration: transient insomnia is a type that lasts less than a week, short-term insomnia lasts between one and three weeks, insomnia chronic or long-term lasting for more than a week. Women are more prone to insomnia than men.
Causes of insomnia
1. Stress
2. Depression and anxiety
3. Post-traumatic experience
4. High caffeine intake
5. High alcohol consumption
6. Noisy and uncomfortable sleeping environment.
7. Daytime naps
8. Changes in work shifts
9. Sexual dissatisfaction
10. Medications such as certain antidepressants, cold and flu medications that contain alcohol, pain relievers that contain caffeine, diuretics, high blood pressure medications, and certain corticosteroids.
11. Medical problems such as asthma, Parkinson’s disease, acid reflux, allergies, urinary disorders, circulatory disorders, hyperthyroidism, and excruciating pain.
12. Sleep disorders such as restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, etc.
symptoms of insomnia
1. Difficulty sleeping despite being tired.
2. Waking up several times in the middle of sleep.
3. Difficulty getting back to sleep once awake.
4. Unrestful sleep
5. Waking up too early in the morning
6. Taking help from sleeping pills or alcohol to fall asleep.
7. Daytime sleepiness
8. Daytime fatigue
9. Irritability
10. Impaired memory
11. Difficulty concentrating during the day.
Tips to treat insomnia or insomnia effectively
1. Avoid naps during the day
2. Limit the use of caffeine, tobacco and alcohol
3. De-stress by practicing meditation and yoga.
4. Listening to soft music before going to bed will calm your mind.
5. Go to bed and get up at a set time every day.
6. Stick to a bedtime routine. You can take a warm bath, massage or drink a cup of warm milk every night before going to bed.
7. Do not overeat before bed
8. Exercise during the day
9. Make sure the sleeping environment is quiet and dark.
herbal remedies for insomnia
1. Passion flower rich in sedative and analgesic properties, it helps to sleep. Also check for muscle spasms.
2. Valerian is a sedative and antihypertensive herb. Helps sleep peacefully by calming the mind.
3. Jamaica dogwood is a calming and pain-relieving herb. Effectively promotes sleep.
4. Hops have relaxing and sleep-inducing properties.
5. Kava kava is also an effective sleep inducing herb.
6. California poppy soothes the troubled mind, combats menopausal insomnia, and drowsiness
7. Chamomile tea or chamomile oil in the bath water is extremely calming of the mind and body and helps in falling asleep.
8. The balm relieves stress, reduces blood pressure and eradicates digestive disorders. Therefore, it promotes sleep.