Sleep is equally as important to your health as a healthy diet and regular exercise. Insomnia (lack of sleep) can cause harm both physically as well as psychologically. On an average you need to get around 8 h of sleep every night although some individuals can do with far less sleep while some people need more than 8 h of sleep each night.
You will know you slept well if you do not feel sleepy during the day. | |
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Insomnia has serious health implications which can affect your quality of life. Here are some of the problems associated with the disorder: - Low-energy levels.
- Feeling tired all the time.
- Inability to concentrate on things you do.
- Mood swings.
- Vulnerability to illness. This happens because poor sleep affects your body’s capacity to fight off infections.
- Poor sleep can lead to accidents because of lack of alertness, on road or at work.
| | Symptoms of insomnia | | Trouble falling asleep at night | | Waking up during the night | | Waking up too early | | Tired and drowsy during the day | | Irritability and mood swings |
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What causes insomnia?
Some of the most common factors that can lead to insomnia are:
Stress:
If you get overly worried about everyday problems, it can stress you out and you will find it difficult to keep your mind relaxed. On the other hand, boredom can also lead to sleeplessness. This is quite common with people who suffer a long illness or injury. | |
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Anxiety and depression:
Constant worry about the future or other forms of everyday anxiety can rob you of quality sleep. Similarly, sleep disturbances can also occur due to depression. With depression, you may either sleep too little or too much.
Erratic travel or working hours:
Irregular working hours or too much of travel can confuse or disrupt your body clock and interfere with your regular sleep pattern.
Illness:
Certain illnesses or injuries can disturb your sleep. Having problems like arthritis, migraine headaches or even a bad injury can prevent you from being relaxed and deplete you of sleep. | |
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Medication:
Certain medications can induce insomnia. These can be prescription drugs such as high blood pressure or antidepressant medications or other kinds of medications that are available at the drugstore without prescription for conditions such as pain, fever or weight loss. | |
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Trying too hard to sleep:
This condition is called behavioral insomnia. Individuals suffer from this type of insomnia because they worry too much about their incapability to fall asleep and try too hard to sleep.
Too much dinner:
Eating too much at dinner time or eating too much just before you go to bed can make you very uncomfortable when you lie down. You may also undergo other discomforts such as heartburn or a bloated stomach which may hinder your sleep. | |
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Age:
As you age your ability to sleep well gradually diminishes. Older people may engage themselves less in physical or social activities. An active lifestyle promotes good sleep. Other coexisting factors in older people such as depression, anxiety, arthritis, back pain etc. can also hinder healthy sleep.
Insomnia in children:
Children and teenagers can also suffer from insomnia for most of the same reasons that adults suffer from it.
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Managing insomnia
Insomnia is treatable, whatever
your age. Some simple changes in your daily routine and lifestyle
habits can help you sleep better. Here are a few tips that will help
you doze off into dreamland. |  |
- Follow a regular discipline of going to bed and waking up.
- Do not struggle to fall asleep. The harder you try to fall asleep, the wider you will be awake. Watch TV or read a book until you feel sleepy.
- Exercise regularly. Exercise not only promotes good sleep, it is also a great way to keep in shape.
- Drinks that contain caffeine : A drug that stimulates the central nervous system . This is found naturally in coffee, tea, and chocolate .', WIDTH, 450, TITLE, 'Glossary', '', true, FADEIN, 300, FADEOUT, 300, STICKY, 1, OFFSETX, -20, CLOSEBTN, true, CLICKCLOSE, true)" href=# >caffeine or alcohol can affect your sleep. Alcohol can make you drowsy initially, but it can also dehydrate you and lead to disturbed sleep.
- Certain medications can cause insomnia. Your doctor will help you know if it is the medication that is causing sleeplessness.
- A warm shower coupled with a fragrant sleeping area can have a soothing effect and can help induce sleep faster.
- Do not sleep in the daytime.
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Seeking your doctor’s help
If you have tried your best and still find insomnia unconquered, it is about time you visited your doctor. Tell your doctor about your sleep patterns, your lifestyle habits such as smoking or alcohol consumption, your work schedule and other health disorders if any. Your doctor will find out the cause of your sleep problem and how it can be treated. |