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What are the treatments & cures for insomnia? @ BillDoll.com
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Cures for Insomnia
There are people with specific illnesses that prevent them from having a peaceful nights sleep. The best suggestion for these people is to figure out a way of getting rid of their illness in order for them to sleep well too.
But there are lots of others who are healthy insomniacs. This section is for them.
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Keywords: Insomnia cure, Sleeplessness treatments, lack of treat medicine, treatment
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Types of Insomnia
Insomnia Cure Behavioural Methods
1. Avoid eating large, heavy meals before going to bed.
2. Try to be regular in your bed habits. For instance, go to bed at the same time every night. This helps condition your body to sleep during the sleep phase of your biological clock.
3. Cut back on caffeine. Caffeine is the most commonly used mood-altering drug in the world. Caffeine is found in numerous plants, the most widely consumed being coffee, tea, cola nut, cocao pod, guarana, and matι. It is estimated that in North America between 80 and 90 percent of adults and children habitually consume caffeine.
Caffeine can interfere with your sleep, and hence be moderate in your consumption of coffee, tea and soft drinks that contain caffeine. Clear soft drinks such as 7-Up and Sprite however do not contain no caffeine. Many studies have proved that the more caffeine consumed by people, the more their sleep patterns are affected. (see Effects of Caffeine, Info about Caffeine Independence).
4. Deep physical relaxation can greatly enhance your ability to fall asleep when you want and to stay asleep once you are there. Try to relax every part of your body. As you relax each successive part of your body, the next part will become easier to relax. Focus on your muscles becoming just loose and limp. As you do these, your body will drift into a deep state of physical relaxation.
5. Have a glass of warm milk about 30 minutes before bed-time. Milk contains L-tryptophan and that boosts the serotonin in your brain. The serotonin causes you to become sleepy and to fall asleep easily.
6. Don't use your bedroom as a place to work. It conditions your body to become alert and stressed instead of relaxed.
7. Avoid alcoholic drinks in the evening. Alcohol may help you fall asleep easily but it leads to erratic sleep that is not restful and may also lead to early morning wakefulness.
8. Listen to calm, soothing music that will transform your mind and body into a deeply relaxed state. There are all kinds of cassette tapes and CDs geared to help you relax and sleep. Try some and find the ones that work for you.
9. Take a warm bath before bedtime. It will relax your body and prepare it for sleep. Research indicates that cold or very hot baths tend to energize and wake you.
10. Buy a comfortable mattress and pillow. Being physically uncomfortable can lead to serious wakefulness.
11. Practice deep breathing exercises. It will help you be calm and stay relaxed all day and will help you fall asleep and stay asleep at night.
12. Avoid short naps. This might not be advisable for everyone, since for some short naps in the afternoons do help in their overall well-being, but if you feel that short naps are making you less sleepy at nights and they interfere with your normal sleeping, cut back on these naps.
13. Moderate exercise on a daily basis appears to help with normal sleep patterns. Just don't exercise within an hour before going to bed. The exercise will stimulate your adrenaline and will wake you up.
14. If you are still awake after 30 minutes, get up and do something until you feel sleepy and then try again. Staying in bed while you feel awake conditions your body as well as your mind to associate your bed with wakefulness and/or anxiety.
15. Once you are in bed and comfortable, visualize that you are someplace very peaceful and safe. To do this, you visualize or see in your mind's eye, someplace you consider safe and relaxing. It can be someplace real or someplace you just imagine. It can look anyway you want because it's your fantasy place. Now visualize that you are there and allow yourself to let go and relax.
16. Establish a bedtime ritual before going to sleep in order to key your body to relax. Follow the ritual every night. This helps to condition your brain to sleep at a specified time.
17. Sleep in a well-ventilated room. Let the temperature be in the range of 60 degrees F. This is a temperature that is cool enough to cool your body.
18. Keep your bedroom dark, at least dim lighted. Light coming through our eyelids interferes with our normal sleep cycle by sending signals to our brain that its daylight and time to wake up. If you can't keep your bedroom dark, you can accomplish the same thing by wearing a mask over your eyes.
19. Don't watch TV, read or do any other mentally stimulating activities before going to bed. Anything that stimulates your mind should be avoided prior to going to bed unless you want to lay their thinking about what you saw or read.
20. Sleep on your back. Research indicates that sleeping on your back is the best position for relaxing. It allows for the deepest, restful breathing. Try to avoid sleeping on your stomach, since this can cause pressure on your lungs and result in shallow breathing.
21. Breathe deep during your normal day activities. The deeper you breathe, the greater the relaxation, and usually better the sleep.
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References
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Content derived from Wikipedia article on Insomnia
Insomnia is characterized by an inability to sleep and/or to be incapable of remaining asleep for a reasonable period. Insomniacs typically complain of being unable to close their eyes or "rest their mind" for more than a few minutes at a time. Both organic and nonorganic insomnia constitute a sleep disorder. It is often caused by fear, stress, anxiety, medications, herbs, caffeine or sometimes for no apparent reason. An overactive mind or physical pain may also be causes. Finding the underlying cause of insomnia is usually necessary to cure it.
Types of insomnia
Three different types of insomnia exist. Insomnia may be classified as transient, acute, and chronic. Insomnia lasting from one night to a few weeks is referred to as transient. Most people occasionally suffer from transient insomnia due to such causes as jet lag or short-term anxiety. If this form of insomnia continues to occur from time to time, the insomnia is classified to be intermittent. Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months. Insomnia is considered to be chronic, the most serious, if it persists almost nightly for at least a month, and sometimes longer.
Common causes of insomnia
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:
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.
Stimulants like caffeine, nicotine, sugar, certain medicines, or other pills/drugs
Lack of exercise - Exercise makes people tired/sleepy.
Dehydration causes stimulants, hormones, and cellular waste to build up in the blood rather than being flushed out, causing irritation, aches, and headaches (and hyperactivity in the case of stimulants). Drinking a cup or two of water can cause sleepiness within an hour or two.
Pain can produce insomnia and finding effective ways to treat pain can provide relief. A common misperception is that the amount of sleep one requires decreases as he or she ages. The ability to sleep for long periods, rather than the need for sleep, appears to be lost as people get older. Some elderly insomniacs toss and turn in bed and occasionally fall off the bed at night, diminishing the amount of sleep they receive.
Insomnia is a common side-effect of some medications, and it can also be caused by stress, emotional upheaval, physical or mental illness, dietary allergy and poor sleep hygiene. Insomnia is a major symptom of mania in people with bipolar disorder, and it can also be a sign of hyper-thyroidism, depression, or other ailments with stimulating effects.
In addition, a rare genetic condition can cause a prion-based, permanent and eventually fatal form of insomnia called Fatal familial insomnia.
Insomnia versus poor sleep quality
Poor sleep quality can occur as a result of sleep apnea or major depression. Poor sleep quality is caused by the individual not reaching stage 4 or delta sleep which has restorative properties. There are, however, people who are unable to achieve stage 4 sleep due to brain damage that still lead perfectly normal lives.
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. Major depression leads to alterations in the function of the hypothalamus and pituitary causing excessive release of cortisol which can lead to poor sleep quality.
Nocturnal polyuria or excessive nighttime urination can be very disturbing to sleep. Urination produces strong signals to the brain to wake up. Nocturnal polyuria can be nephrogenic (related to kidney disease) or it may be due to prostate enlargement or hormonal influences. Deficiencies in vasopressin, which is either caused by a pituitary problem or by insensitivity of the kidney to the effects of vasopressin, can lead to nocturnal polyuria. Excessive thirst or the use of diuretics can also cause these symptoms.
Treatment for insomnia
In many cases, insomnia is caused by another disease or psychological problem. In this case, medical or psychological help may be useful. All sedative drugs have the potential of causing psychological dependence where the individual can't psychologically accept that they can sleep without drugs. Certain classes of sedatives such as benzodiazepines and newer non-benzodiazepine drugs can also cause physical dependence which manifests in withdrawal symptoms if the drug is not carefully titrated down.
Many insomniacs rely on sleeping tablets and other sedatives to get rest. The most commonly used class of hypnotics prescribed for insomnia are the benzodiazepines. This includes drugs such as temazepam, diazepam, lorazepam, nitrazepam and midazolam. These medications can be addictive, especially after taking them over long periods of time.
Non-benzodiazepine prescription drugs, including Ambien and Lunesta, have a cleaner side effect profile than the older benzodiazepines; however, there are controversies over whether these non-benzodiazepine drugs are superior to benzodiazpines. These drugs appear to cause both psychological dependence and physical dependence, and can also cause the same memory and cognitive disturbances as the benzodiazepines along with morning sedation.
Melatonin has proved effective for some insomniacs in regulating the sleep/waking cycle, but lacks definitive data regarding efficacy in the treatment of insomnia.
Melatonin agonists, including Ramelteon (Rozerem), seem to lack the potential for abuse and dependence. This class of drugs has a relatively mild side effect profile and lower likelihood of causing morning sedation.
The antihistamine diphenhydramine is widely used in nonprescription sleep aids, with a 50 mg recommended dose mandated by the FDA. In the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and other countries, a 50 to 100 mg recommended dose is permitted. While it is available over the counter, the effectiveness of these agents may decrease over time and the incidence of next-day sedation is higher than for most of the newer prescription drugs. Dependence does not seem to be an issue with this class of drugs.
Some antidepressants such as mirtazapine, trazodone and doxepin have a sedative effect, and are prescribed off label to treat insomnia. The major drawback of these drugs is that they have antihistaminergic, anticholinergic and antiadrenergic properties which can lead to many side effects. Some also alter sleep architecture.
Low doses of atypical antipsychotics such as quetiapine (Seroquel) are also prescribed for their sedative effect but the danger of neurological and cognitive side effects make these drugs a poor choice to treat insomnia.
Some insomniacs use herbs such as valerian, chamomile, lavender, hops, and passion-flower. Valerian has undergone the most studies[citation needed] and appears to be modestly effective.
Alcohol may have sedative properties, but the REM sleep suppressing effects of the drug prevent restful, quality sleep. Middle-of-the-night awakenings due to polyuria or other effects from alcohol consumption are common, and hangovers can also lead to morning grogginess.
Some traditional remedies for insomnia have included drinking warm milk before bedtime, taking a warm bath in the evening; exercising vigorously for half an hour in the afternoon, eating a large lunch and then having only a light evening meal at least three hours before bed, avoiding mentally stimulating activities in the evening hours, and making sure to get up early in the morning and to retire to bed at a reasonable hour.
Pomegranates are also believed to be able to help insomniacs sleep.
Warm milk contains high levels of tryptophan, a natural sedative. Using aromatherapy, including lavender oil, Mahabhringaraj and other relaxing essential oils, may also help induce a state of restfulness.
Adding honey to warm milk helps get the tryptophan in your system faster. Tryptophan absorption is normally inhibited or deterred by other amino acids but in the presence of sugar tryptophan is absorbed more quickly.[citation needed] The more relaxed a person is, the greater the likelihood of getting a good night's sleep. Relaxation techniques such as meditation have been proven to help people sleep. Such techniques can lower stress levels from both the mind and body, which leads to a deeper, more restful sleep.[citation needed]
Alternative approaches
Traditional Chinese medicine has included treatment for insomnia throughout its history. A typical approach may utilize acupuncture, dietary and lifestyle analysis, herbology and other techniques, with the goal of resolving the problem at a subtle level. Although these methods have not been scientifically proven, some insomniacs report that these remedies are sufficient to break the insomnia cycle without the need for sedatives and sleeping tablets[citation needed].
In the Buddhist tradition, people suffering from insomnia or nightmares may be advised to meditate on "loving-kindness", or metta. This practice of generating a feeling of love and goodwill is claimed to have a soothing and calming effect on the mind and body[4]. This is claimed to stem partly from the creation of relaxing positive thoughts and feelings, and partly from the pacification of negative ones. In the Mettā Sutta, Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, tells the gathered monks that easeful sleep is one benefit of this form of meditation.
There are a number of alternative cures for this disorder that are currently marketed. Often, a combination of dietary and lifestyle changes is claimed to be the most helpful approach. However, it should be noted the reason they are considered "alternative" medical treatments is the lack of empirical evidence to back up such claims. There are always studies going on to either confirm or deny the effectiveness of such medicine, but in many cases even if no effect is shown to exist in a treatment, proponents will still believe in their effectiveness.
Statistics for insomnia
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 60 million Americans suffer from insomnia each year. Insomnia tends to increase with age and affects about 40 percent of women and 30 percent of men. The average American gets 7 hours of sleep, instead of the 8 to 10 hours recommended by doctors.
Related Topics
Fatal familial insomnia Sleep deprivation Actigraphy
Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insomnia
End of Wikipedia content
Synonyms & Misspellings:
Synonyms & related words: unsleeping, insomnolence, sleeplessness, wakefulness, insomniac, somnambulism, somnambulist
Common Misspellings: Imsomnia, imsomnia, inaomnia, imsomniac
Insomnia Related Terms Glossary
A: Advanced sleep phase syndrome (ASPS), Altitude insomnia, Anesthesia, Antihistamines, Arousal, Arousal, Arousal threshold
B: Benzodiazepine; B: benzodiazepines, Benzodiazepines include Diazepam (brand names Valium, Ducene) , Oxazepam (Alepam, Murelax, Serepax), Nitrazepam (Alodorm, Mogadon), Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), and Temazepam (Normison, Euhypno). Benzodiazepines (ben-zoe-dye-AZ-e-peens) belong to the group of medicines called central nervous system (CNS) depressants (medicines that slow down the nervous system).; biological clock; brain waves; bruxism
C: Chronic or Long-term Insomnia, Class of Drugs; cataplexy; cerebral cortex; circadian; circadian rhythm; Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders; CPAP - Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
D: Dose, Decongestants; delayed sleep phase syndrome, deep sleep, delayed sleep phase, delta sleep, delta waves, desynchronization, diagnostic sleep study, diurnal, drowsiness
E: Eszopiclone; electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyogram (EMG), electrooculogram (EOG), endocrine system, entrain, Enuresis, epworth sleepiness scale, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), endogenous rhythms, exogenous rhythms
F: Fatigue
G: GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid)
H: hallucination, homeostasis, homeostatic regulation of sleep, hypersomnia, hypnagogic hallucination, hypnogram, hypothalamus, hypnotics, hypocretin
I: imidazopyridines, insomnia
J: jet lag
L: light sleep, light therapy, luteinizing hormone
M: Melatonin, micro-arousal, micro-sleep, multiple sleep latency test (MSLT)
N: Nap, Narcotic, nap, narcolepsy, natural short sleeper, neurotransmitter, nightmare, night terrors, nocturia, nocturnal, nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder (NS-RED), nocturnal Enuresis, NREM
O: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), orexin, obesity-hypoventilation syndrome, obstructive apnea
P: Pain Relievers, photoperiod, photoreceptor, pons, parasomnias, phase advance, phase delay, polysomnogram (PSG), Polysomnograph
R: Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), rebound insomnia, REMS latency, REMS Motor Atonia, REM period, REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD), rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, REM Sleep Rebound, restless legs syndrome (RLS)
S: Sleep Apnea, Sleep Maintenance, Sleep Onset, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), sedatives, sleep, sleep apnea, sleep architecture, sleep cycle, sleep debt, sleep deprivation, sleep disorders, sleep fragmentation, sleep hyperhidrosis, sleep hygiene, sleep inertia, sleep hyperhydrosis, sleep latency, sleep maintenance, sleep paralysis, sleep talking, speech or utterances during sleep, sleep behavior disorder, sleepiness, sleepwalking, somniloquy, snoring, Stanford Sleepiness Scale, suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
T: Tolerance, Transient or Short-term Insomnia, thalamus, thermoregulation
U: ultradian rhythm, unihemispheric sleep, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)
Z: zeitgebers
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