Bring Me a Dream, Mister Sandman
Tock-Tock. You count sheep, you say the alphabet backwards and you toss and turn only to find you can’t drift into a deep slumber. The next day, you go about your day as if you are a walking zombie, unable to concentrate on anything of real importance. You wonder – what causes this? How can I make the restlessness stop? Its mind over matter and it may be easier than you think.
What is Insomnia?
Describing the scenario above is an indication of a condition called insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder which results from a lack of quality sleep and lack of time for quality sleep. Some common symptoms may include one or more of the following:
- Trouble falling asleep
- Waking up often and then not being able to fall back asleep
- Waking up earlier than you normal time
- Feeling tired after you wake up
- Feeling sleepy during the day
- Poor concentration or memory loss
- Irritability and lack of social interaction
- Impaired motor coordination
While you may suffer from insomnia from time to time on a less serious basis, more chronic symptoms may occur as well. Such symptoms may include:
- Nighttime pain
- Depression or spells of anxiety
- Chronic Stress
There are two types of insomnia that a person can have – Primary and Secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia is when the condition occurs all by itself. Secondary insomnia is a condition that is caused by another medical condition; for example a reaction to a medication for allergies. Both types can be either short or long-term and can vary by person depending on their lifestyle or environment. In many cases, short-term insomnia or acute insomnia are characterized by the following experiences:
- Stress (caused by job loss, death of a loved one, divorce, or medical illness)
- Emotional, mental, or physical discomfort
- Environmental factors (temperature, noise, light) and bedding (sheets, blankets, mattress quality)
- Medications (some medications may have side effects such as increased alertness )
- Sleep schedules (changes in job schedule or jet lag)
- Treating Insomnia the Easy Way
Next time you suffer from insomnia, try one of these helpful tips and see if it helps put the Zzzzz back into your slumber. Changing lifestyle and behaviors over time will help you gain more quality sleep.
Limit your naps: Regular sleep habits are necessary for training your body to associate sleep with cues; i.e. darkness. While you think napping helps you catch up on lost sleep, it actually affects the quality of sleep you may have. A short 20 minute nap during mid to late day is usually acceptable.
Wake up at the same time every day: Can’t wait to sleep in during the weekend? If you have insomnia, you need to keep waking up around the same time as you would during the week to train your body in waking up consistently.
Eliminate nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol: By limiting or eliminating these items, you may avoid the difficulty of falling sleep. For example, caffeine can stay in your body for up to 24 hours, which may also cause you to wake up at various times during the night. And while most people become sleepy form alcohol, it can eventually cause you to awaken restlessly throughout the night as well.
Exercise: While exercising on a regular basis should be a staple in everyone’s life, exercising right before bedtime can stimulate your body and cause you to not fall asleep. A good rule of thumb is to complete your exercise routine approximately 3 hours before bedtime. Vigorous daily exercise is a great sleep aid.
Make your sleeping environment comfortable: In order to fall and stay asleep, your environment (lighting, noise and temperature; including the temperature on your electric blanket) needs to be varied to a comfortable setting. Ensure your mattress is the right comfort for your body as well as checking to see when the last time you replaced you mattress. Ensure your sheets and blankets are not too scratchy for your body.
Do not eat or drink before going to bed: Think twice before eating that extra slice of chocolate cake before going to bed. Eating or drinking can stimulate your digestive system and bladder, which may keep you awake. If you suffer from heartburn or gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), these conditions may also keep you from getting the quality sleep your body needs.
Limit stress: Try relaxation therapies, such as progressive muscle relaxation using audio tapes, deep breathing techniques, and imagery. These therapies help you body wind down and relax to help you fall asleep faster.
Don’t go to bed with worry: How many times do we go to bed and worry about what the new day will have in store for us? Rather than taking your worries to bed. Find some time early in the evening and prepare a list of the items you need to get done the next day. By doing this, you leave the worry out of your sleep space and you feel like your next day can be addressed with control.
Medicinal Treatment: There are many new sleep aids on the market that may be taken with very few side effects and with almost no risk of dependency. Many doctors may prescribe these drugs for temporary use. In the unusual case that insomnia is chronic and all non-medical treatments have failed, several drugs are FDA approved for long-term use.
Happy Slumber!