Chronic insomnia — do you have it?
October 28th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Insomnia means the lack of adequate quality sleep. There are three categories that insomnia is divided into: transient, intermittent and chronic insomnia.
Approximately 10% of people who suffer from insomnia have chronic insomnia. This is a very complex condition with no simple explanation for its cause. It is usually a symptom of some underlying physical or mental disease. Once the root cause is discovered, it is prudent to refer these people to specialists who can help them manage their chronic insomnia.
Some of the physical ailments that cause chronic insomnia include:
Arthritis
Asthma
Parkinson’s disease
Hyperthyroidism
Prostate problems
Some types of neurological disorders
Kidney problem
Heart failure
Various types of sleep apnea
Of course, there are also mental health disorders that cause this type of insomnia, too. These include:
Stress
Anxiety
Grief
Depression
Schizophrenia
Panic disorder
Mania
These are just some of the many causes of this form of insomnia. There are also some behavior patterns that can lead a person to have insomnia, including:
Smoking
Alcohol
Caffeine
Shift work
Certain medications
Once you know what is causing your insomnia, you are going to need holistic management instead of just a simple treatment plan. While health professionals can help and guide you to these practices, the patient themselves must be in charge of managing the condition. The health professional’s role is to simply treat the underlying physical or mental disorder so that the patient can then work on getting over their insomnia.
Some of the treatments that are available to help a patient overcome their insomnia are:
Modifying life style habits
Creating the proper environment for sleeping
Mild aerobics exercises
Snacking on milk, figs, bananas, dates or tuna before bedtime
Relaxation therapy
Yoga
Meditation
Music
Aromatherapy
Teaching the person who suffers from insomnia to only use their bed for sleep
If you are a person who suffers from this form of insomnia and you are not managing it properly, then you should know that this can lead to a lot of very serious consequences. First of all, you should know that it is dangerous to drive or handle machinery, especially if you are feeling sluggish or dizzy. This will also cause you to have poor performance on your job because of your low energy level and lack of concentration. You will also have problems with your family and friends because you are irritable.
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Good sleep tips
October 17th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Are you getting restful sleep? A new book suggests that most of us are actually getting MORE sleep than we need.
However, you should ensure that the sleep you get is completely restful, so that you wake up refreshed.
This article contains some great tips to help you to sleep well. How much sleep do you really need? Probably a lot less than you think, says an expert | Mail Online suggests:
“Your bed: Don’t scrimp - this is where you will spend 25 years of your life. The typical person sweats half a pint of liquid during the night and changes position 40-60 times. Dr Neil Stanley, from the British Sleep Society, recommends choosing a good, supportive bed base with a firm, thick mattress. Your mattress should be changed every 12 years and a futon should be kept for a maximum of three years.
Bed linen: Cotton and linen are best as they absorb more moisture.
Lavender: You could sprinkle a tiny amount of lavender oil on your pillow or spray some in the air. Extensive research shows it can improve the quality of sleep by 20 per cent.
Nightwear: Loose and made of natural fibres. Bed socks are a good idea as warm feet signal healthy blood flow to the brain, inducing restful sleep.
Alarm clock: Turn it down or preferably off. Dr Neil Stanley says: ‘Anticipating a shrill alarm clock is stressful and will make insomnia worse.’ “
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Sleep center insomnia story
July 8th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Got insomnia? Here’s one woman’s story of her experience at a sleep center.
It turns out that exercise helps you to sleep.
One woman’s agonising, FIVE-year battle to get a good night’s sleep | Mail Online reports:
“I feel excellent after exercising. Maybe there is method in the madness. My sleep diaries have revealed that I sleep best after kung fu. I’m scared to suggest it’s a turning point though. Apparently, patients get to a stage where they think they are better and start having lie-ins and afternoon naps - and the whole brain re-programming process slides down the drain. “
Technorati Tags: insomnia, sleep, sleep center
Related Tags: insomnia, sleep disorders, sleep disorder, children, sleep center, snoring, adolescent sleep disorder, adults, allergies, anxiety, anxiety sleep disorder, behavior, causes, cures for snoring, depression, menopause, mental health, night terrors, nightmares, overweight, RLS, sleep apnea, sleep apnea psychotherapy, sleep disorder and sleep diaries, sleep disorder studies, sleep problems, sleepwalking, sound, stress, teenage sleep disorder, testing, tips, toddler sleep problems, toddlers, treatment
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