Cures for Insomnia
May 10, 2011 by admin
Filed under Diseases And Conditions
Juliet Cohen asked:
Insomnia, defined as trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, is a common problem. Insomnia can occur in people of all ages. Most individuals just experience a night or two of poor sleep, but sometimes the sleep disturbance can last for weeks, months, or even years. Insomniacs typically complain of being unable to close their eyes or “rest their mind” for more than a few minutes at a time. Insomnia is most common among women and older adults. Transient insomnia lasts from one night to a few weeks. Most people occasionally suffer from transient insomnia due to such causes as jet lag or short-term anxiety. Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months. Chronic insomnia is regarded as the most serious; persists almost nightly for at least a month. Most adults have experienced insomnia or sleeplessness at one time or another in their lives. Insomnia is a common problem that may be temporary or chronic. An estimated 30-50% of the general population are affected by insomnia, and 10% have chronic insomnia. Stress most commonly triggers short-term or acute insomnia.
Most people over 70 need less than 6 hours sleep per night; and they tend to be light sleepers. Insomnia is a common problem that may be temporary or chronic. As many as one in 10 Americans have chronic insomnia, and at least one in four has difficulty sleeping sometimes. But that doesn’t mean you have to just put up with sleepless nights. Some simple changes in your daily routine and habits may result in better sleep. Insomnia affects all age groups. Among older adults, insomnia affects women more often than men. The incidence increases with age. Stress most commonly triggers short-term or acute insomnia. Chronic insomnia can lead to mental health problems such as depression, or misuse of alcohol or other medicines in order to gain sleep. Newborn babies can sleep for 16 hours a day, while children of school age need an average of 10 hours. Adults usually need, on average, 7 to 9 hours sleep a night. As we get older, its normal to need less sleep.
Insomnia that lasts for less time is known as short-term or acute insomnia.Insomnia affects all age groups. Among older adults, insomnia affects women more often than men. The incidence increases with age. Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep. Insomnia may cause problems during the day, such as tiredness, a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. Insomnia can be classified as transient (short term), intermittent (on and off), and chronic (constant). Insomnia lasting from a single night to a few weeks is referred to as transient. Insomnia may be a symptom of magnesium deficiency, or lower magnesium levels. A healthy diet containing magnesium, can help to improve sleep in individuals without an adequate intake of magnesium. Short-acting benzodiazepines or the newer hypnotic ‘Z medicines’ are the current preferred medicines for insomnia and are only available on prescription. Benzodiazepines are tranquillisers and are designed to reduce anxiety and promote calmness, relaxation and sleep.
Insomnia Treatment Tips
1. Using aromatherapy, including jasmine oil, lavender oil, Mahabhringaraj and other relaxing essential oils, may also help induce a state of restfulness.
2. Relaxation techniques such as meditation have been shown to help people sleep.
3. Traditional Chinese medicine has included treatment for insomnia.
4. A healthy diet containing magnesium, can help to improve sleep in individuals without an adequate intake of magnesium.
5. Melatonin has proved effective for some insomniacs in regulating the sleep/waking cycle.
6. Avoid or limit your use of caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas, chocolate), decongestants, alcohol and tobacco.
7. Exercise more often, but don’t exercise within a few hours before going to bed.
8. Behavioral treatments teach you new sleep behaviors and ways to make your sleeping environment more conducive to sleep.
9. Antidepressant trazodone (Desyrel) also may help with insomnia.
8. Avoid or limit tea, coffee, chocolate, and cold remedies containing caffeine.
9. Avoid drinking alcohol and smoking as these are also stimulants.
Insomnia, defined as trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, is a common problem. Insomnia can occur in people of all ages. Most individuals just experience a night or two of poor sleep, but sometimes the sleep disturbance can last for weeks, months, or even years. Insomniacs typically complain of being unable to close their eyes or “rest their mind” for more than a few minutes at a time. Insomnia is most common among women and older adults. Transient insomnia lasts from one night to a few weeks. Most people occasionally suffer from transient insomnia due to such causes as jet lag or short-term anxiety. Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months. Chronic insomnia is regarded as the most serious; persists almost nightly for at least a month. Most adults have experienced insomnia or sleeplessness at one time or another in their lives. Insomnia is a common problem that may be temporary or chronic. An estimated 30-50% of the general population are affected by insomnia, and 10% have chronic insomnia. Stress most commonly triggers short-term or acute insomnia.
Most people over 70 need less than 6 hours sleep per night; and they tend to be light sleepers. Insomnia is a common problem that may be temporary or chronic. As many as one in 10 Americans have chronic insomnia, and at least one in four has difficulty sleeping sometimes. But that doesn’t mean you have to just put up with sleepless nights. Some simple changes in your daily routine and habits may result in better sleep. Insomnia affects all age groups. Among older adults, insomnia affects women more often than men. The incidence increases with age. Stress most commonly triggers short-term or acute insomnia. Chronic insomnia can lead to mental health problems such as depression, or misuse of alcohol or other medicines in order to gain sleep. Newborn babies can sleep for 16 hours a day, while children of school age need an average of 10 hours. Adults usually need, on average, 7 to 9 hours sleep a night. As we get older, its normal to need less sleep.
Insomnia that lasts for less time is known as short-term or acute insomnia.Insomnia affects all age groups. Among older adults, insomnia affects women more often than men. The incidence increases with age. Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep. Insomnia may cause problems during the day, such as tiredness, a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. Insomnia can be classified as transient (short term), intermittent (on and off), and chronic (constant). Insomnia lasting from a single night to a few weeks is referred to as transient. Insomnia may be a symptom of magnesium deficiency, or lower magnesium levels. A healthy diet containing magnesium, can help to improve sleep in individuals without an adequate intake of magnesium. Short-acting benzodiazepines or the newer hypnotic ‘Z medicines’ are the current preferred medicines for insomnia and are only available on prescription. Benzodiazepines are tranquillisers and are designed to reduce anxiety and promote calmness, relaxation and sleep.
Insomnia Treatment Tips
1. Using aromatherapy, including jasmine oil, lavender oil, Mahabhringaraj and other relaxing essential oils, may also help induce a state of restfulness.
2. Relaxation techniques such as meditation have been shown to help people sleep.
3. Traditional Chinese medicine has included treatment for insomnia.
4. A healthy diet containing magnesium, can help to improve sleep in individuals without an adequate intake of magnesium.
5. Melatonin has proved effective for some insomniacs in regulating the sleep/waking cycle.
6. Avoid or limit your use of caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas, chocolate), decongestants, alcohol and tobacco.
7. Exercise more often, but don’t exercise within a few hours before going to bed.
8. Behavioral treatments teach you new sleep behaviors and ways to make your sleeping environment more conducive to sleep.
9. Antidepressant trazodone (Desyrel) also may help with insomnia.
8. Avoid or limit tea, coffee, chocolate, and cold remedies containing caffeine.
9. Avoid drinking alcohol and smoking as these are also stimulants.
Types of Insomnia and Their Causes
May 10, 2011 by admin
Filed under Depression Drug, Diagnosis, Mindset
Nick Mutt asked:
Insomnia or sleeplessness is the difficulty experienced in falling asleep. There are several reasons that may cause this condition. Knowing the different type of insomnia will help you to better understand the responsible factors.
Types of Insomnia
1. Sleep Onset Insomnia – It is also called delayed sleep phase syndrome. In this case, the patient feels sleeplessness because he delays the major sleep episode and this delay causes sleeplessness and difficulty in getting up at the desired time.
2. Psycho-Physiological Insomnia – It is caused due to anxiety or psychological problem which creates physical symptoms and prevents sleep.
3. Childhood Insomnia – This type of insomnia is further divided into two types – limit- setting sleep disorder and sleep-onset association disorder.
4. Altitude Insomnia – This type of insomnia is an acute version of insomnia, short-lived but intense, accompanied by symptoms of headache, fatigue, and loss of appetite, all occurring when you move to high altitudes.
5. Stimulant-Dependent Sleep Disorder – This type of insomnia is caused by using drugs that stimulate the nervous system. The person becomes addicted to their use and fails to get sleep when abstinence from the drug is practiced.
6. Food Allergy Insomnia – This type of insomnia results as an allergic response to certain foods.
7. Idiopathic Insomnia – In this type of insomnia the nervous system becomes incapable of controlling the sleeping and waking mechanism of the body. The result is a lifelong failure to get proper sleep. It usually starts in early childhood.
8. Toxin-Induced Sleep Disorder – This type of insomnia is caused by the presence of certain environmental factors in the surrounding e.g. noise, smell, smoke etc.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.
Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.
Here is an excellent Anti stress herbal supplement that will give you stress free life you were longing for. Also read Home remedies for insomnia at Natural cures website – a health guide to make you and your family fit and healthy.
Insomnia or sleeplessness is the difficulty experienced in falling asleep. There are several reasons that may cause this condition. Knowing the different type of insomnia will help you to better understand the responsible factors.
Types of Insomnia
1. Sleep Onset Insomnia – It is also called delayed sleep phase syndrome. In this case, the patient feels sleeplessness because he delays the major sleep episode and this delay causes sleeplessness and difficulty in getting up at the desired time.
2. Psycho-Physiological Insomnia – It is caused due to anxiety or psychological problem which creates physical symptoms and prevents sleep.
3. Childhood Insomnia – This type of insomnia is further divided into two types – limit- setting sleep disorder and sleep-onset association disorder.
4. Altitude Insomnia – This type of insomnia is an acute version of insomnia, short-lived but intense, accompanied by symptoms of headache, fatigue, and loss of appetite, all occurring when you move to high altitudes.
5. Stimulant-Dependent Sleep Disorder – This type of insomnia is caused by using drugs that stimulate the nervous system. The person becomes addicted to their use and fails to get sleep when abstinence from the drug is practiced.
6. Food Allergy Insomnia – This type of insomnia results as an allergic response to certain foods.
7. Idiopathic Insomnia – In this type of insomnia the nervous system becomes incapable of controlling the sleeping and waking mechanism of the body. The result is a lifelong failure to get proper sleep. It usually starts in early childhood.
8. Toxin-Induced Sleep Disorder – This type of insomnia is caused by the presence of certain environmental factors in the surrounding e.g. noise, smell, smoke etc.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.
Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.
Here is an excellent Anti stress herbal supplement that will give you stress free life you were longing for. Also read Home remedies for insomnia at Natural cures website – a health guide to make you and your family fit and healthy.
Are Sleep Aids Safe and Effective in Treating Insomnia?
May 10, 2011 by admin
Filed under Insomnia Cure
Antonio LeMaire asked:
Whether you’re the occasional victim of insomnia or a chronic insomniac, the effects of this annoying condition can affect your health and happiness. Insomnia involves much more than just not being able to sleep properly.
If left unchecked, insomnia can wreak havoc in many areas of your life such as job productivity, academic performance, driving, and both personal and business relationships. People who frequently suffer from sleep deprivation due to insomnia have a difficult time dealing with and adjusting to the challenges of everyday life.
Definition of Insomnia
Doctors often separate insomnia patients into two different categories, temporary and chronic insomnia.
Temporary insomnia is short-term and can sometimes flare up or recur when stressful events happen. Patients with temporary insomnia may be able to remedy the problem without the use of sleep aids or a great deal of physician intervention.
Chronic insomnia is a more serious and debilitating problem. Patients with chronic insomnia are those who have had the condition on an ongoing basis for six months or longer.
Treating and Diagnosing Insomnia
Although insomnia is often a normal, natural response to a stressful event or a short-term reaction to illness or pain, patients who have ongoing difficulty obtaining a restful nights sleep should seek a physician’s assistance. Ignoring the problem or trying to treat insomnia on your own can often aggravate or prolong it.
Self-prescribed over the counter sleep aids are a popular method for treating insomnia. Many adults rely on caffeine or other stimulants to keep them awake and alert after an all night bout with insomnia. Instead of dealing with the actual problem and trying to determine the cause, they become victim to a vicious cycle of stimulants and sleep aids.
The First Step Towards Better Sleep
While sleep aids can be beneficial when properly prescribed, the first step in treating insomnia is to determine a cause for the condition. Today’s insomnia sufferers are frequently referred to a sleep clinic where the degree and nature of the sleep condition can be determined.
Patients’ sleep patterns are carefully monitored and doctors can often pinpoint whether the condition is due to stress or a breathing disorder, which is common in both sleep apnea and narcolepsy.
Tips for Insomnia Sufferers
After assessing a patient’s individual sleep pattern, a doctor may recommend a number of self-help suggestions and/or the use of sleep aids. The following tips can be beneficial to patients experiencing temporary or long-term insomnia.
1. Avoid caffeine and other stimulants for at least three hours before bedtime.
2. Try to set a regular sleep schedule. Altering your sleep pattern by just an hour or two a night is enough to throw some people’s sleep cycle off balance.
3. Exercise on a regular basis to alleviate stress and tire your body.
4. Keep an ongoing journal of your sleep schedule. If you have more difficulty sleeping on some days than others, make a note of the foods you consumed and any stressful events that may have contributed to the insomnia.
5. If you’re a light sleeper, purchase a “white noise machine” to drown out annoying background noise and disruption. Simple ear plugs can also work wonders, once you get used to wearing them.
6. Keep bedroom lighting to a minimum and don’t leave the television on while trying to fall asleep. Better yet, remove the TV set from your bedroom and listen to music or read for relaxation instead.
Traditional Sleep Aids
For decades, doctors have been prescribing sleep aids to treat insomnia. Although sleep aids are beneficial in some instances, it is important not to overlook the harmful side effects that can sometimes occur.
One of the most common disadvantages of traditional sleep aids is they can become habit forming and addictive. Once a patient becomes reliant on the drug, his body actually becomes dependent upon it to sleep.
Other common annoying side effects are daytime drowsiness, memory problems, and a general state of confusion. While the patient may be sleeping well at night, his or her body may experience trouble adjusting to the effects of the medication during the day.
Headaches, irregular or loss of menstrual periods and lack of *** drive can also occur. Some patients may find the side effects of sleep aids to be nearly as troubling as the insomnia itself.
Whether you’re the occasional victim of insomnia or a chronic insomniac, the effects of this annoying condition can affect your health and happiness. Insomnia involves much more than just not being able to sleep properly.
If left unchecked, insomnia can wreak havoc in many areas of your life such as job productivity, academic performance, driving, and both personal and business relationships. People who frequently suffer from sleep deprivation due to insomnia have a difficult time dealing with and adjusting to the challenges of everyday life.
Definition of Insomnia
Doctors often separate insomnia patients into two different categories, temporary and chronic insomnia.
Temporary insomnia is short-term and can sometimes flare up or recur when stressful events happen. Patients with temporary insomnia may be able to remedy the problem without the use of sleep aids or a great deal of physician intervention.
Chronic insomnia is a more serious and debilitating problem. Patients with chronic insomnia are those who have had the condition on an ongoing basis for six months or longer.
Treating and Diagnosing Insomnia
Although insomnia is often a normal, natural response to a stressful event or a short-term reaction to illness or pain, patients who have ongoing difficulty obtaining a restful nights sleep should seek a physician’s assistance. Ignoring the problem or trying to treat insomnia on your own can often aggravate or prolong it.
Self-prescribed over the counter sleep aids are a popular method for treating insomnia. Many adults rely on caffeine or other stimulants to keep them awake and alert after an all night bout with insomnia. Instead of dealing with the actual problem and trying to determine the cause, they become victim to a vicious cycle of stimulants and sleep aids.
The First Step Towards Better Sleep
While sleep aids can be beneficial when properly prescribed, the first step in treating insomnia is to determine a cause for the condition. Today’s insomnia sufferers are frequently referred to a sleep clinic where the degree and nature of the sleep condition can be determined.
Patients’ sleep patterns are carefully monitored and doctors can often pinpoint whether the condition is due to stress or a breathing disorder, which is common in both sleep apnea and narcolepsy.
Tips for Insomnia Sufferers
After assessing a patient’s individual sleep pattern, a doctor may recommend a number of self-help suggestions and/or the use of sleep aids. The following tips can be beneficial to patients experiencing temporary or long-term insomnia.
1. Avoid caffeine and other stimulants for at least three hours before bedtime.
2. Try to set a regular sleep schedule. Altering your sleep pattern by just an hour or two a night is enough to throw some people’s sleep cycle off balance.
3. Exercise on a regular basis to alleviate stress and tire your body.
4. Keep an ongoing journal of your sleep schedule. If you have more difficulty sleeping on some days than others, make a note of the foods you consumed and any stressful events that may have contributed to the insomnia.
5. If you’re a light sleeper, purchase a “white noise machine” to drown out annoying background noise and disruption. Simple ear plugs can also work wonders, once you get used to wearing them.
6. Keep bedroom lighting to a minimum and don’t leave the television on while trying to fall asleep. Better yet, remove the TV set from your bedroom and listen to music or read for relaxation instead.
Traditional Sleep Aids
For decades, doctors have been prescribing sleep aids to treat insomnia. Although sleep aids are beneficial in some instances, it is important not to overlook the harmful side effects that can sometimes occur.
One of the most common disadvantages of traditional sleep aids is they can become habit forming and addictive. Once a patient becomes reliant on the drug, his body actually becomes dependent upon it to sleep.
Other common annoying side effects are daytime drowsiness, memory problems, and a general state of confusion. While the patient may be sleeping well at night, his or her body may experience trouble adjusting to the effects of the medication during the day.
Headaches, irregular or loss of menstrual periods and lack of *** drive can also occur. Some patients may find the side effects of sleep aids to be nearly as troubling as the insomnia itself.
All about Insomnia Symptoms, Tips, Relief and Treatment
Cindy Heller asked:
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder among all ages, especially among senior citizens. The patient should remember or write down all the insomnia symptoms he/she experiences and discuss with the physician to help in making a correct diagnosis. The most typical of all insomnia symptoms is difficulty in sleeping. Encounters with anxiety and/or depression are two main symptoms associated with insomnia. Insomnia symptoms include poor concentration and short memory. Insomniac people usually awake prematurely during sleep and have trouble falling asleep again. Insomniacs feel irritability without any obvious cause. It is especially experienced during the day. People suffering from insomnia frequently experience decreased alertness and mental sluggishness.
Insomnia symptoms may last for a little or longer time, depending on the type of insomnia. In case of Transient Insomnia, the symptoms last for a few nights. In Short-Term Insomnia, the symptoms stay for two to three weeks. If they last more than three weeks, the patient is suffering from Chronic Insomnia. Health experts also sometimes distinguish between primary and secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia is characterized by symptoms of difficulty in falling asleep, waking several times during sleep, and fatigue. These symptoms last for a month and has unknown cause. In secondary insomnia, there is a known underlying medical condition. Depression is major cause of secondary insomnia.
To diagnose the condition of sleeplessness as insomnia, the physician makes sure that the symptoms are not being caused by other sleep disorders or other disease or side effects of any medication. Along with the symptoms of insomnia, other disorders may be detected in the same patient; these include mania, depression, phobias, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Help for Insomnia
It is often possible to fight insomnia with simple home remedies; however, when the insomnia crosses two weeks and you start feeling groggy, disoriented, acutely irritated and totally lost, it is time you go for professional insomnia help.
The treatments available for insomnia are varied and very efficient. Reaching at the right diagnosis is quite problematic, which involves a battery of tests and long-drawn assessment studies. This is why people usually avoid asking for professional insomnia help unless it becomes too much to bear otherwise. Most of the times, the homemade cures will dramatically improve your condition; however, in case you still experience this problem, it could be an indication of some serious health problem which would necessitate a doctor’s opinion. You should always keep in mind that prevention is better than cure. A timely medical intervention may save your life.
Tips for Insomnia
Insomnia tips no 1 – Do not sleep or even take a cat nap (those 10-20 minutes forty winks), if you are prone to insomnia attacks. Maintain strict timings both for sleep and for your meals.
Insomnia tips no 2 – Eat your dinner at least four hours ahead of your bed time. For example, if you normally retire at 10:30 pm, have your dinner at 6:30 – 7:00 pm latest. Often insomnia is aggravated by digestive problems, and hence, it is best to avoid the problem altogether.
Insomnia tips no 3 – Avoid any drink that influences sleep, such as coffee in any form, alcohol, and even tea (unless it is medicated). In case you must have your regular cup of coffee, at least ensure that you take it before a minimum of four hours from your bedtime.
Insomnia tips no 4 – Introduce daily exercise in your routine. In case you are not too fond of physical exercise, you can simply take a walk for about 30 minutes daily; try to gradually increase it to one hour or so for best results.
Insomnia tips no 5 – If you find that you cannot sleep, do not fight it. Sleep usually comes after your body relaxes completely. The best thing to do is get up from the bed and do something that you enjoy (reading, listing to music, writing letters to dear ones, etc) aiming to relax your mind and body.
Treatment for Insomnia
Majority of people suffering from sleep disorders turn to pills and medications. This proves to be working at first, but gradually some problems arise that need serious consideration before one starts with a particular kind of sleeping pills or medication. These days, both over the counter medications and prescriptions pills are used for insomnia treatment.
Over the counter medications for insomnia are usually ineffective in log term insomnia treatment. First of all, they do not ensure the quality of sleep enjoyed by healthy people. They give about 5 % duration of deep sleep while in healthy sleep this duration is 10 % to 25 %. Secondly, over the counter drugs for insomnia mostly work by the action of antihistamines (anti-allergic chemicals) present in them. These include chemicals like diphenhydramine citrate, diphenhydramine hydrochloride, and doxylamine succinate. While antihistamines do cast a sedating effect, they are not to be used by people with prostate problems, angina, heart problems, and urinary problems. Antihistamines can add to the intensity of these conditions. Finally, over the counter drugs have a number of side effects like: drowsiness and dizziness (that may remain for twenty four hours), memory lapses, dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, and urinary retention.
Various types of medications, collectively called hyptonics, are prescribed for insomnia treatment. Hypnotics generally fall in three categories: benzodiazepines, non-benzodiazepines, and antidepressants. Most of the health experts agree on using insomnia medications for a short period only. In all cases of using over the counter drugs or prescribed medications, it is important that the patient educate him/herself well on the possible side effects.
Insomnia – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
May 10, 2011 by admin
Filed under Alternative Medicine
peterhutch asked:
Insomnia is a symptom of a sleeping disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity. It is typically followed by functional impairment while awake. Insomniacs have been known to complain about being unable to close their eyes or “rest their mind” for more than a few minutes at a time. Both organic and non-organic insomnia constitute a sleep disorder.
Insomnia Causes
The most common psychological problems include anxiety, stress, and depression. In fact, insomnia may be an indicator of depression. Many people will have insomnia during the acute phases of a mental illness.
Many people have insomnia. People who have insomnia may not be able to fall asleep. They may wake up during the night and not be able to fall back asleep, or they may wake up too early in the morning.
Insomnia contributes to excessive daytime tiredness, which in turn may be responsible for accidents, recurrent infections, poor concentration, irritability, work and relationship problems and a general inability to cope.
Anxiety, a condition in which individuals feel increased tension, apprehension, and feelings of helplessness, fear, worry, and uncertainty. This may be due to the effects that other people at work have on us, financial worries, concerns over relationships outside work or numerous other causes.
Symptoms
Insomnia symptoms may include:
Difficulty falling asleep at night
Waking up during the night
Waking up too early
Daytime fatigue or sleepiness
Daytime irritability
It’s common for older adults to sleep less deeply and for less time than they did earlier in life, and to experience fragmented sleep. However, these normal changes in the sleep patterns of older adults do not mean that they should expect inadequate rest and to awaken feeling unrefreshed.8 Routine poor-quality sleep due to health problems, medication use, and major life changes can lead to chronic sleep problems.
Diagnosis of Insomnia
Surprisingly, a sleep study is not routinely recommended for those complaining of insomnia. The reason is that when a sleep study is performed in someone suffering from insomnia, it does not generally give any new information; it simply confirms that the patient is having trouble sleeping. The best way to find the cause for insomnia is by careful history taking. Assessment of recent onset insomnia should focus on acute personal and medical problems.
Treatment
The treatment of insomnia depends on its cause and severity. If insomnia results from another disorder, treatment of that disorder may improve sleep. For most people who have insomnia, some simple changes in lifestyle, such as following a regular sleep schedule and avoiding caffeine after lunch time, can improve sleep.
In addition to daytime tiredness or fatigue, chronic insomnia can be associated with a complaint of compromised intellectual function, mood disturbance, or an increase in physical complaints (e.g., headaches and gastrointestinal problems). Beyond these outcomes, there is now considerable evidence that individuals with chronic insomnia have an increased risk of psychiatric illness (especially major depressive disorder) and substance abuse and there is mounting evidence that insomnia is associated with absenteeism from work, higher health care costs, and reduced quality of life.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Cognitive behavior therapy helps patients change thoughts and behaviors that interfere with sleep. Treatment methods are often used in combination for increased effect.
You may find that if you are unable to fall asleep or wake up in the night, you spend a lot of time in bed trying unsuccessfully to sleep. If so, you may benefit from a sleep restriction program that initially allows only a few hours of sleep during the night. Gradually this time is increased until a normal sleep period is achieved.
Antihistamines
Diphenhydramine (for example, Sominex, Nytol) and doxylamine (for example, Unisom) are antihistamines that are currently marketed as OTC sleep aids. Diphenhydramine is the only agent that is considered to be safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration. The safety and effectiveness of doxylamine has not been evaluated adequately for FDA approval.
Insomnia is a symptom of a sleeping disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity. It is typically followed by functional impairment while awake. Insomniacs have been known to complain about being unable to close their eyes or “rest their mind” for more than a few minutes at a time. Both organic and non-organic insomnia constitute a sleep disorder.
Insomnia Causes
The most common psychological problems include anxiety, stress, and depression. In fact, insomnia may be an indicator of depression. Many people will have insomnia during the acute phases of a mental illness.
Many people have insomnia. People who have insomnia may not be able to fall asleep. They may wake up during the night and not be able to fall back asleep, or they may wake up too early in the morning.
Insomnia contributes to excessive daytime tiredness, which in turn may be responsible for accidents, recurrent infections, poor concentration, irritability, work and relationship problems and a general inability to cope.
Anxiety, a condition in which individuals feel increased tension, apprehension, and feelings of helplessness, fear, worry, and uncertainty. This may be due to the effects that other people at work have on us, financial worries, concerns over relationships outside work or numerous other causes.
Symptoms
Insomnia symptoms may include:
Difficulty falling asleep at night
Waking up during the night
Waking up too early
Daytime fatigue or sleepiness
Daytime irritability
It’s common for older adults to sleep less deeply and for less time than they did earlier in life, and to experience fragmented sleep. However, these normal changes in the sleep patterns of older adults do not mean that they should expect inadequate rest and to awaken feeling unrefreshed.8 Routine poor-quality sleep due to health problems, medication use, and major life changes can lead to chronic sleep problems.
Diagnosis of Insomnia
Surprisingly, a sleep study is not routinely recommended for those complaining of insomnia. The reason is that when a sleep study is performed in someone suffering from insomnia, it does not generally give any new information; it simply confirms that the patient is having trouble sleeping. The best way to find the cause for insomnia is by careful history taking. Assessment of recent onset insomnia should focus on acute personal and medical problems.
Treatment
The treatment of insomnia depends on its cause and severity. If insomnia results from another disorder, treatment of that disorder may improve sleep. For most people who have insomnia, some simple changes in lifestyle, such as following a regular sleep schedule and avoiding caffeine after lunch time, can improve sleep.
In addition to daytime tiredness or fatigue, chronic insomnia can be associated with a complaint of compromised intellectual function, mood disturbance, or an increase in physical complaints (e.g., headaches and gastrointestinal problems). Beyond these outcomes, there is now considerable evidence that individuals with chronic insomnia have an increased risk of psychiatric illness (especially major depressive disorder) and substance abuse and there is mounting evidence that insomnia is associated with absenteeism from work, higher health care costs, and reduced quality of life.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Cognitive behavior therapy helps patients change thoughts and behaviors that interfere with sleep. Treatment methods are often used in combination for increased effect.
You may find that if you are unable to fall asleep or wake up in the night, you spend a lot of time in bed trying unsuccessfully to sleep. If so, you may benefit from a sleep restriction program that initially allows only a few hours of sleep during the night. Gradually this time is increased until a normal sleep period is achieved.
Antihistamines
Diphenhydramine (for example, Sominex, Nytol) and doxylamine (for example, Unisom) are antihistamines that are currently marketed as OTC sleep aids. Diphenhydramine is the only agent that is considered to be safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration. The safety and effectiveness of doxylamine has not been evaluated adequately for FDA approval.
What is Insomnia ?
May 10, 2011 by admin
Filed under Diseases And Conditions
David Stevens asked:
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder whereby the person has the inability to fall asleep or the inability to remain asleep for a normal amount of time. People suffering from insomnia have been known to complain about being unable to close their eyes for more than a few minutes at a time.
Insomnia means a poor-quality sleep because of one or more of the following: difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep, waking up too early in the morning or unrefreshing sleep. It is a condition in which a person has trouble falling or staying asleep. Some people with insomnia may fall asleep easily but wake up too soon. Other people may have the opposite problem, or they have trouble with both falling asleep and staying asleep. The end result is poor-quality sleep that does not leave the person feeling refreshed when they wake up.
At least three types of insomnia exist: transient, acute, and chronic.
1. Transient insomnia lasts from one night to a few weeks. 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 as intermittent.
2. Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months.
3. Chronic insomnia is regarded as the most serious; persists almost nightly for at least a month.
Insomnia can affect any person, of any age, at any time in their life. While it is often a transient condition, many people experience chronic insomnia. When left untreated, insomnia can have many dramatic effects on the body, including physical, psychological and emotional. It is a very common health problem. It can cause excessive daytime sleepiness and a lack of energy. Long-term insomnia can cause you to feel depressed or irritable; have trouble paying attention, learning, and remembering; and not do your best on the job. IT also can limit the energy you have to spend with friends or family.
Insomnia can be mild to severe depending on how often it occurs and for how long. Chronic insomnia means having symptoms at least 3 nights per week for more than a month. Insomnia that lasts for less time is known as short-term or acute insomnia.
There are certain lifestyle habits that can lead to sleeplessness. Caffeine most commonly disrupts sleep. An estimated 10% of chronic insomnia cases result from substance abuse, especially alcohol, cocaine, and sedatives. One or two alcoholic drinks at dinner poses little danger of alcoholism and may help reduce stress and initiate sleep. But excess alcohol or alcohol used to promote sleep, however, tends to fragment sleep and can cause wakefulness a few hours later. It also increases the risk for other sleep disorders.
The good news is that there are different cures for insomnia these days that will help you to deal with this and eventually cure this. You will find various programs and courses online that you should be checking out so you can get help to start dealing with this disorder without delay.
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder whereby the person has the inability to fall asleep or the inability to remain asleep for a normal amount of time. People suffering from insomnia have been known to complain about being unable to close their eyes for more than a few minutes at a time.
Insomnia means a poor-quality sleep because of one or more of the following: difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep, waking up too early in the morning or unrefreshing sleep. It is a condition in which a person has trouble falling or staying asleep. Some people with insomnia may fall asleep easily but wake up too soon. Other people may have the opposite problem, or they have trouble with both falling asleep and staying asleep. The end result is poor-quality sleep that does not leave the person feeling refreshed when they wake up.
At least three types of insomnia exist: transient, acute, and chronic.
1. Transient insomnia lasts from one night to a few weeks. 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 as intermittent.
2. Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months.
3. Chronic insomnia is regarded as the most serious; persists almost nightly for at least a month.
Insomnia can affect any person, of any age, at any time in their life. While it is often a transient condition, many people experience chronic insomnia. When left untreated, insomnia can have many dramatic effects on the body, including physical, psychological and emotional. It is a very common health problem. It can cause excessive daytime sleepiness and a lack of energy. Long-term insomnia can cause you to feel depressed or irritable; have trouble paying attention, learning, and remembering; and not do your best on the job. IT also can limit the energy you have to spend with friends or family.
Insomnia can be mild to severe depending on how often it occurs and for how long. Chronic insomnia means having symptoms at least 3 nights per week for more than a month. Insomnia that lasts for less time is known as short-term or acute insomnia.
There are certain lifestyle habits that can lead to sleeplessness. Caffeine most commonly disrupts sleep. An estimated 10% of chronic insomnia cases result from substance abuse, especially alcohol, cocaine, and sedatives. One or two alcoholic drinks at dinner poses little danger of alcoholism and may help reduce stress and initiate sleep. But excess alcohol or alcohol used to promote sleep, however, tends to fragment sleep and can cause wakefulness a few hours later. It also increases the risk for other sleep disorders.
The good news is that there are different cures for insomnia these days that will help you to deal with this and eventually cure this. You will find various programs and courses online that you should be checking out so you can get help to start dealing with this disorder without delay.
Insomnia Treatment and Causes: to Sleep or not to Sleep
May 10, 2011 by admin
Filed under Mental Health
Dr John Anne asked:
Are you having difficulty getting your sleep during the night? Are you feeling tired but just can not go to sleep? Do you feel like you are already transforming into an own that is very nocturnal? You may be suffering from insomnia.
What Is Insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder. Insomniacs are not able to fall sleep or not able to remain asleep for a reasonable amount of time. There are three types of insomnia, transient, acute and chronic. Transient insomnia could be caused by jet lag, short term anxiety or weariness during the day. This kind lasts from a night to a few days or weeks. Acute insomnia, on the other hand, is measured when the inability to sleep is already lasting for three to six weeks. Lastly, chronic insomnia, the most serious among the three, last for at least a month and become recurrent.
What Causes Insomnia?
As people grow older, the amount of required sleep could become lesser but this should not be mistaken as insomnia. Insomnia can be caused by one or more of the following. More women suffer insomnia than men because they are more susceptible to hormonal imbalances especially before menstruation or menopause. However, the most common cause of insomnia is psychological. Problems like fear, stress and anxiety, emotional and mental tension, work-related problems, financial stress and unsatisfactory *** life can cause insomnia.
Other causes of insomnia include addiction to psychoactive drugs or stimulants, caffeine, cocaine, ephedrine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, methamphetamine and modafinil; disturbances in sleeping cycle or body clock like change of working shift or jetlag; excessive sleep at other times of the day.
Jet lag usually occurs in people who travels on multiple time zones because the internal concept of the body of time is being disturb. As such, it can cause insomnia as the body tries to adjust to another time zone.
History of traumatic brain injury and neurological disorders can also affect the sleeping patterns. Sleeping peels while it could take a person to deep sleep it could also cause rebound insomnia when excessively used. There is also a condition called parasomnia, which is also destructive to sleep. This condition is characterized by moving in response to nightmares, sleepwalking and violent reaction to dreams while sleeping.
Treatments for Insomnia
Though there are a lot of medications that are prescribed to treat insomnia, natural methods of overcoming the disorder is still most effective and could have no trace of side effects caused by drug use.
One effective treatment is organizing sleeping time or patterns. A person could set a definite time to sleep and practice sleeping or at least going to bed when the clock strikes at that time. Relaxation techniques like meditation and aroma therapy can also contribute in overcoming insomnia. Moreover, avoid sleeping during the day and sleep only at the time set.
In terms of using sleeping tablets and other sedatives, it is safer if it is taken with the advice of a physician. These kinds of drugs can also have psychological effects to patients and physical dependence. When taken for a long time, the patient may not be able to accept that he or she can sleep even without the help of drugs.
Antidepressants are also prescribed treatment for insomnia. They have sedative effects. Antihistamines, more than they can treat allergies, they are also good treatment for insomnia.
So do not let your sleeping patterns be a treat to your health. Sleep.
Are you having difficulty getting your sleep during the night? Are you feeling tired but just can not go to sleep? Do you feel like you are already transforming into an own that is very nocturnal? You may be suffering from insomnia.
What Is Insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder. Insomniacs are not able to fall sleep or not able to remain asleep for a reasonable amount of time. There are three types of insomnia, transient, acute and chronic. Transient insomnia could be caused by jet lag, short term anxiety or weariness during the day. This kind lasts from a night to a few days or weeks. Acute insomnia, on the other hand, is measured when the inability to sleep is already lasting for three to six weeks. Lastly, chronic insomnia, the most serious among the three, last for at least a month and become recurrent.
What Causes Insomnia?
As people grow older, the amount of required sleep could become lesser but this should not be mistaken as insomnia. Insomnia can be caused by one or more of the following. More women suffer insomnia than men because they are more susceptible to hormonal imbalances especially before menstruation or menopause. However, the most common cause of insomnia is psychological. Problems like fear, stress and anxiety, emotional and mental tension, work-related problems, financial stress and unsatisfactory *** life can cause insomnia.
Other causes of insomnia include addiction to psychoactive drugs or stimulants, caffeine, cocaine, ephedrine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, methamphetamine and modafinil; disturbances in sleeping cycle or body clock like change of working shift or jetlag; excessive sleep at other times of the day.
Jet lag usually occurs in people who travels on multiple time zones because the internal concept of the body of time is being disturb. As such, it can cause insomnia as the body tries to adjust to another time zone.
History of traumatic brain injury and neurological disorders can also affect the sleeping patterns. Sleeping peels while it could take a person to deep sleep it could also cause rebound insomnia when excessively used. There is also a condition called parasomnia, which is also destructive to sleep. This condition is characterized by moving in response to nightmares, sleepwalking and violent reaction to dreams while sleeping.
Treatments for Insomnia
Though there are a lot of medications that are prescribed to treat insomnia, natural methods of overcoming the disorder is still most effective and could have no trace of side effects caused by drug use.
One effective treatment is organizing sleeping time or patterns. A person could set a definite time to sleep and practice sleeping or at least going to bed when the clock strikes at that time. Relaxation techniques like meditation and aroma therapy can also contribute in overcoming insomnia. Moreover, avoid sleeping during the day and sleep only at the time set.
In terms of using sleeping tablets and other sedatives, it is safer if it is taken with the advice of a physician. These kinds of drugs can also have psychological effects to patients and physical dependence. When taken for a long time, the patient may not be able to accept that he or she can sleep even without the help of drugs.
Antidepressants are also prescribed treatment for insomnia. They have sedative effects. Antihistamines, more than they can treat allergies, they are also good treatment for insomnia.
So do not let your sleeping patterns be a treat to your health. Sleep.
Cure Insomnia With Hypnosis
May 10, 2011 by admin
Filed under Abstinence
Nancy Ho asked:
Insomnia
Individuals will normally vary in their need for and the satisfaction they derive from sleep. Insomnia may cause problems during the day, such as tiredness, a lack of energy, difficulty in concentration and irritability.
Insomnia can be classified as transient (short term), where a person has not been able to get any sleep from the last few days or weeks, intermittent (on and off) or acute.
Transient insomnia lasts anywhere from a single night to a few weeks. If episodes of transient insomnia occur from time to time, insomnia is said to be intermittent.
A person with acute insomnia will either not be able to sleep properly, or will have difficulty sleeping for about 3 weeks to six months. Insomnia is considered to be chronic if it occurs on most nights and lasts for a month or more.
The Causes of Insomnia
Individuals with certain physiological and psychological conditions are more likely to be affected by insomnia. The following are some examples:
Advanced age (insomnia occurs more frequently in those age 60) Female gender A history of depression or having a negative mindset Other conditions (such as stress, anxiety, a medical problem, or the use of certain medications) including the above conditions, insomnia is likely to happen on the individual.
There are many causes of insomnia. Transient and acute/intermittent insomnia usually occur in people who are temporarily experiencing one or more of the following:
Reaction to Stress Environmental noise Extreme temperatures, too old or too warm Change in the surrounding environment i.e bedrooms Sleep/wake schedule problems such as those due to jet lag The side effects of medication Treating Insomnia
Many people with insomnia believe that they need medication to treat it. However, there is no guarantee that these will have long-lasting effects, and even then medication may have undesirable side-effects such as addiction to sleeping pills. There are alternative treatments to medication.
In general, the available treatments for chronic or acute insomnia may consist of:
First, diagnosing and treating the underlying medical or psychological problems Identifying behaviors that may worsen insomnia and stopping (or reducing) them Possibly using sleeping pills, although the long-term use of sleeping pills for chronic insomnia does not solve the problem and there may be health-damaging side effects, such as addiction Trying behavioral techniques to improve sleep, such as relaxation therapy, sleep restriction therapy, reconditioning or hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is by far the most effective tool as it targets the hidden roots of the problems that cause insomnia, especially acute and chronic insomnia.
Relaxation Therapy
There are specific and effective techniques that can reduce or eliminate anxiety and body tension. As a result, the person’s mind is able to stop “racing,” the muscles can relax, and restful sleep can occur. It usually takes much practice to learn these techniques and to achieve effective relaxation.
Sleep Restriction
Some people suffering from insomnia spend too much time in bed unsuccessfully trying to sleep. They may benefit from a sleep restriction program that at first allows only a few hours of sleep during the night. Gradually the time is increased until a more normal night’s sleep is achieved.
Reconditioning
Another treatment that may help some people with insomnia is to recondition them to associate the bed and bedtime with sleep. For most people, this means not using their beds for any activities other than sleep and ***.
As part of the reconditioning process, the person is usually advised to go to bed only when sleepy. If unable to fall asleep, the person is told to get up, stay up until sleepy, and then return to bed.
Throughout this process, the person should avoid naps and wake up and go to bed at the same time each day. Eventually the person’s body will be conditioned to associate the bed and bedtime with sleep.
Hypnotherapy as a treatment for Insomnia
Hypnotherapy can be a rapid technique to break the debilitating habit of sleep deprivation. Using hypnotherapy (usually in two or three sessions) can make getting to sleep easier, getting back to sleep after waking up easy, giving a better quality of life.
In the hypnosis session, we use several techniques, besides relaxing you deeply, which is exactly what you need for your body and mind to ‘tip over’ into sleep. We are also able to reprogram the mind to get normal natural sleep. In some of the chronic cases, we will get to the source of the insomnia and thus freeing you from sleeplessness.
Additionally, hypnosis is excellent for stopping the ‘chattering mind’ that plagues so many insomniacs.
We also teach our clients to use Self-Hypnosis. The following is a quick review of what we do:
How to use Self-Hypnosis to get to sleep Hypnotizing yourself Guided Self-Hypnosis for Insomnia
Here’s a short script for a guided self-hypnosis. Find yourself a quiet and comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed. Make sure that you take of all your accessories, switch off your handphone before you begin so that you won’t be disturbed.
Firstly make sure that your body is relaxed. Relaxation occurs when your body is free from tension in the muscles. A good technique to accomplish this is to want to relax all the muscles in the different areas of your body.
Starting with the area of the feet up through the knees, next relax your thighs then abdomen, back, shoulders arms and hands, all the way to your fingertips, move to your chest, throat, ****** muscle, mouth and jaw areas. All this time feel a wave of calm relaxation flowing through those body parts.
Continue by taking gradual deep breaths through your nose, and then slowly exhale out through your mouth (The brain and body require more oxygen to enter hypnosis). Next, roll your eyes up (eyelids closed, looking up into the forehead). This causes the eyelids to “flutter”, replicating the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) of sleep.
Now concentrate on your breathing and, only on the exhale, mentally repeat “Relax, calm, peaceful, restful, sleep” or “Beautiful, deep, restful, sleep”. You will find yourself drifting off to sleep.
By now, indeed, you have hypnotized yourself, and that state of mind will draw you into unconscious sleep. During a one-on-one session with a Hypnotherapist you will be coached how to correctly do all this, and the success rate is 95%. For more information:
Insomnia
Individuals will normally vary in their need for and the satisfaction they derive from sleep. Insomnia may cause problems during the day, such as tiredness, a lack of energy, difficulty in concentration and irritability.
Insomnia can be classified as transient (short term), where a person has not been able to get any sleep from the last few days or weeks, intermittent (on and off) or acute.
Transient insomnia lasts anywhere from a single night to a few weeks. If episodes of transient insomnia occur from time to time, insomnia is said to be intermittent.
A person with acute insomnia will either not be able to sleep properly, or will have difficulty sleeping for about 3 weeks to six months. Insomnia is considered to be chronic if it occurs on most nights and lasts for a month or more.
The Causes of Insomnia
Individuals with certain physiological and psychological conditions are more likely to be affected by insomnia. The following are some examples:
Advanced age (insomnia occurs more frequently in those age 60) Female gender A history of depression or having a negative mindset Other conditions (such as stress, anxiety, a medical problem, or the use of certain medications) including the above conditions, insomnia is likely to happen on the individual.
There are many causes of insomnia. Transient and acute/intermittent insomnia usually occur in people who are temporarily experiencing one or more of the following:
Reaction to Stress Environmental noise Extreme temperatures, too old or too warm Change in the surrounding environment i.e bedrooms Sleep/wake schedule problems such as those due to jet lag The side effects of medication Treating Insomnia
Many people with insomnia believe that they need medication to treat it. However, there is no guarantee that these will have long-lasting effects, and even then medication may have undesirable side-effects such as addiction to sleeping pills. There are alternative treatments to medication.
In general, the available treatments for chronic or acute insomnia may consist of:
First, diagnosing and treating the underlying medical or psychological problems Identifying behaviors that may worsen insomnia and stopping (or reducing) them Possibly using sleeping pills, although the long-term use of sleeping pills for chronic insomnia does not solve the problem and there may be health-damaging side effects, such as addiction Trying behavioral techniques to improve sleep, such as relaxation therapy, sleep restriction therapy, reconditioning or hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is by far the most effective tool as it targets the hidden roots of the problems that cause insomnia, especially acute and chronic insomnia.
Relaxation Therapy
There are specific and effective techniques that can reduce or eliminate anxiety and body tension. As a result, the person’s mind is able to stop “racing,” the muscles can relax, and restful sleep can occur. It usually takes much practice to learn these techniques and to achieve effective relaxation.
Sleep Restriction
Some people suffering from insomnia spend too much time in bed unsuccessfully trying to sleep. They may benefit from a sleep restriction program that at first allows only a few hours of sleep during the night. Gradually the time is increased until a more normal night’s sleep is achieved.
Reconditioning
Another treatment that may help some people with insomnia is to recondition them to associate the bed and bedtime with sleep. For most people, this means not using their beds for any activities other than sleep and ***.
As part of the reconditioning process, the person is usually advised to go to bed only when sleepy. If unable to fall asleep, the person is told to get up, stay up until sleepy, and then return to bed.
Throughout this process, the person should avoid naps and wake up and go to bed at the same time each day. Eventually the person’s body will be conditioned to associate the bed and bedtime with sleep.
Hypnotherapy as a treatment for Insomnia
Hypnotherapy can be a rapid technique to break the debilitating habit of sleep deprivation. Using hypnotherapy (usually in two or three sessions) can make getting to sleep easier, getting back to sleep after waking up easy, giving a better quality of life.
In the hypnosis session, we use several techniques, besides relaxing you deeply, which is exactly what you need for your body and mind to ‘tip over’ into sleep. We are also able to reprogram the mind to get normal natural sleep. In some of the chronic cases, we will get to the source of the insomnia and thus freeing you from sleeplessness.
Additionally, hypnosis is excellent for stopping the ‘chattering mind’ that plagues so many insomniacs.
We also teach our clients to use Self-Hypnosis. The following is a quick review of what we do:
How to use Self-Hypnosis to get to sleep Hypnotizing yourself Guided Self-Hypnosis for Insomnia
Here’s a short script for a guided self-hypnosis. Find yourself a quiet and comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed. Make sure that you take of all your accessories, switch off your handphone before you begin so that you won’t be disturbed.
Firstly make sure that your body is relaxed. Relaxation occurs when your body is free from tension in the muscles. A good technique to accomplish this is to want to relax all the muscles in the different areas of your body.
Starting with the area of the feet up through the knees, next relax your thighs then abdomen, back, shoulders arms and hands, all the way to your fingertips, move to your chest, throat, ****** muscle, mouth and jaw areas. All this time feel a wave of calm relaxation flowing through those body parts.
Continue by taking gradual deep breaths through your nose, and then slowly exhale out through your mouth (The brain and body require more oxygen to enter hypnosis). Next, roll your eyes up (eyelids closed, looking up into the forehead). This causes the eyelids to “flutter”, replicating the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) of sleep.
Now concentrate on your breathing and, only on the exhale, mentally repeat “Relax, calm, peaceful, restful, sleep” or “Beautiful, deep, restful, sleep”. You will find yourself drifting off to sleep.
By now, indeed, you have hypnotized yourself, and that state of mind will draw you into unconscious sleep. During a one-on-one session with a Hypnotherapist you will be coached how to correctly do all this, and the success rate is 95%. For more information:
How Too Tell If Your Sleep Problem Is Insomnia
May 10, 2011 by admin
Filed under Non Fiction
Mitch Endick asked:
About 35% of adults claim that they have some form of insomnia occasionally and about 12% of these people claim to have severe insomnia. Insomnia complaints often increase with age and are more common in women.
Insomnia is not considered a disease but it is a condition of lack of correct, satisfying sleep. Someone with insomnia will generally have the sensation of daytime fatigue and impaired potential performance. Insomnia relates to the inability to sleep even though one is tired and can include waking up too early and having too fitful of a sleep leaving one tired upon waking. Insomnia can result in irritability, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating and tiredness.
There are two generally recognized types of insomnia, acute and chronic. Both acute and chronic insomnia have many shared characteristics and a combination of symptoms may blur the actual lines.
Acute insomnia is often caused by physical or emotional discomforts that can usually be corrected fairly easily. Acute insomnia may be caused by stress, illness or disturbing loud noise, temperatures too high or low, or unacceptable light levels. Additionally, acute insomnia may be caused by jet lag or disturbances of the daily biological rhythm, such as the night shift.
Chronic insomnia is the more difficult insomnia to deal with and often is associated with many different factors either acting alone or in combination and often includes medical problems.
Chronic insomnia is often associated with medical, neurological and or psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric disorders accounts for about 45% of the cases. Chronic insomnia can be associated with a variety of nonprescription drugs, prescription drugs and drugs of abuse.
There are many causes of insomnia and often an insomniac has more then one cause to blame for this condition. One of the main causes of insomnia are drugs. Some of the drugs associated with insomnia include stimulating antidepressants, steroids, decongestants, beta blockers, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and recreational drugs.
Anxiety and mood disorders can be the cause of insomnia, as well as medical problems such as pain, immobility, menopause, hormonal changes, and difficulty breathing.
Insomnia can be associated with specific sleep disorders such as restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, sleep apnea and circadian rhythm sleep problems. Additional causes of insomnia include poor sleep hygiene, poor sleep surfaces such as bad mattresses, hyper arousal, and behavioral conditioning.
Restless Leg Syndrome or RLS is a condition where the sufferer feels unpleasant sensations in the legs which are temporarily alleviated by moving around. Symptoms are increased during relaxed times and sleeping times. This makes it difficult to fall asleep.
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder describes jerking, rhythmic, repeated movements in the legs and lower extremities every 15 to 90 seconds. Sufferers who have this problem report having less refreshing sleep.
Sleep Apnea which is associated with snoring can cause sleeplessness and insomnia.
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders refer to a mis- match between when a person can sleep and when his body needs and wants to sleep.
Other causes of insomnia include poor sleep hygiene, stress, hyper arousal and negative behavioral conditioning.
Often acute insomnia (insomnia that lasts less than several weeks) may warrant some kind of medical intervention if you can not correct the problem yourself. This is important because good sleepers that suffer just a few hours of sleeplessness may become significantly sleepy during the day and be a danger to him self and others, especially during driving or operating equipment. There is also the danger that acute insomnia may develop into a learned chronic insomnia.
There are two basic approaches to the treatment of insomnia. Basically one approach is to use drugs and the other approach is behavioral.
Behavioral treatment includes correcting poor sleep habits and changing sleep beliefs and attitudes. Several of the therapies include relaxation therapy, sleep restriction therapy, stimulus control therapy, and cognitive therapy.
Pharmacological therapy includes hypnotic medications, antidepressants, antihistamines, melatonin, and other drugs like barbiturates.
In conclusion, there are effective solutions to insomnia and sleep deprivation. The patient can do much to help themselves in this matter and the physician has many tools to aid in this. Improved sleep will help in your quality of life, and health both mental and physical.
About 35% of adults claim that they have some form of insomnia occasionally and about 12% of these people claim to have severe insomnia. Insomnia complaints often increase with age and are more common in women.
Insomnia is not considered a disease but it is a condition of lack of correct, satisfying sleep. Someone with insomnia will generally have the sensation of daytime fatigue and impaired potential performance. Insomnia relates to the inability to sleep even though one is tired and can include waking up too early and having too fitful of a sleep leaving one tired upon waking. Insomnia can result in irritability, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating and tiredness.
There are two generally recognized types of insomnia, acute and chronic. Both acute and chronic insomnia have many shared characteristics and a combination of symptoms may blur the actual lines.
Acute insomnia is often caused by physical or emotional discomforts that can usually be corrected fairly easily. Acute insomnia may be caused by stress, illness or disturbing loud noise, temperatures too high or low, or unacceptable light levels. Additionally, acute insomnia may be caused by jet lag or disturbances of the daily biological rhythm, such as the night shift.
Chronic insomnia is the more difficult insomnia to deal with and often is associated with many different factors either acting alone or in combination and often includes medical problems.
Chronic insomnia is often associated with medical, neurological and or psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric disorders accounts for about 45% of the cases. Chronic insomnia can be associated with a variety of nonprescription drugs, prescription drugs and drugs of abuse.
There are many causes of insomnia and often an insomniac has more then one cause to blame for this condition. One of the main causes of insomnia are drugs. Some of the drugs associated with insomnia include stimulating antidepressants, steroids, decongestants, beta blockers, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and recreational drugs.
Anxiety and mood disorders can be the cause of insomnia, as well as medical problems such as pain, immobility, menopause, hormonal changes, and difficulty breathing.
Insomnia can be associated with specific sleep disorders such as restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, sleep apnea and circadian rhythm sleep problems. Additional causes of insomnia include poor sleep hygiene, poor sleep surfaces such as bad mattresses, hyper arousal, and behavioral conditioning.
Restless Leg Syndrome or RLS is a condition where the sufferer feels unpleasant sensations in the legs which are temporarily alleviated by moving around. Symptoms are increased during relaxed times and sleeping times. This makes it difficult to fall asleep.
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder describes jerking, rhythmic, repeated movements in the legs and lower extremities every 15 to 90 seconds. Sufferers who have this problem report having less refreshing sleep.
Sleep Apnea which is associated with snoring can cause sleeplessness and insomnia.
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders refer to a mis- match between when a person can sleep and when his body needs and wants to sleep.
Other causes of insomnia include poor sleep hygiene, stress, hyper arousal and negative behavioral conditioning.
Often acute insomnia (insomnia that lasts less than several weeks) may warrant some kind of medical intervention if you can not correct the problem yourself. This is important because good sleepers that suffer just a few hours of sleeplessness may become significantly sleepy during the day and be a danger to him self and others, especially during driving or operating equipment. There is also the danger that acute insomnia may develop into a learned chronic insomnia.
There are two basic approaches to the treatment of insomnia. Basically one approach is to use drugs and the other approach is behavioral.
Behavioral treatment includes correcting poor sleep habits and changing sleep beliefs and attitudes. Several of the therapies include relaxation therapy, sleep restriction therapy, stimulus control therapy, and cognitive therapy.
Pharmacological therapy includes hypnotic medications, antidepressants, antihistamines, melatonin, and other drugs like barbiturates.
In conclusion, there are effective solutions to insomnia and sleep deprivation. The patient can do much to help themselves in this matter and the physician has many tools to aid in this. Improved sleep will help in your quality of life, and health both mental and physical.
Want to Know About Causes Of Insomnia?
May 10, 2011 by admin
Filed under Diseases And Conditions
Cindy Heller asked:
In broad terms, insomnia refers to difficulty experienced in falling asleep or maintaining restoring/refreshing sleep. It is a topic of great debate whether insomnia is a symptom or disorder. Whether disorder or symptom, different kinds of insomnia have been recognized and are described here.
Kinds of Insomnia
Sleep Onset Insomnia is also called Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome because the patient delays the major sleep episode and this delay causes sleeplessness and difficulty in getting up at the desired time. Psycho-Physiological Insomnia is caused due to anxiety or psychological problem which creates physical symptoms and prevents sleep. In Idiopathic type of insomnia, the nervous system becomes incapable of controlling the sleeping and waking mechanism of the body. The result is a lifelong failure to get proper sleep. It usually starts in early childhood.
Childhood insomnia in children is of two types- Limit- Setting Sleep Disorder and Sleep-Onset Association Disorder. Altitude Insomnia is an acute version of insomnia, short-lived but intense, accompanied by symptoms of headache, fatigue, and loss of appetite, all occurring when you move to high altitudes. Insomnia that results as an allergic response to certain foods is called Food Allergy Insomnia. Toxin-Induced Sleep Disorder is insomnia caused due to poisoning with toxins like heavy metals or certain organic compounds. Environmental Insomnia is sleep difficulty caused by the presence of certain environmental factors in the surrounding e.g. noise, smell, smoke etc. Stimulant-Dependent Sleep Disorder is insomnia resulting from using substances (drugs for example) that stimulate the nervous system. The person becomes addicted to their use and fails to get sleep when abstinence from the drug is practiced.
Alcohol and Insomnia
Many people believe that alcohol and insomnia are not related since alcohol actually puts a person to sleep when it is consumed in excess. Yes, it is true that initially a person who consumes large amounts of alcoholic drinks would fall asleep or pass out as it is popularly known. However, if such binges are happening often enough, the effect will be drastically reversed and the person is bound to have a very fitful sleep. People who suffer from diseases such as blood pressure, indigestion and gastric or kidney or heart problems, and the like are prone to develop insomnia if alcohol is introduced in the diet on a regular basis. It would be good to stay away from alcoholic beverages at least 3-4 hours before bedtime
Anxiety and Insomnia
Anxiety and insomnia have been found as causally related in people who remain excessively worried about some problem or coming event. While sleeplessness on account of mild anxiety for a couple of nights is normal in many cases, prolonged sleeplessness accompanied by constant worrying is clearly a case related to the causal relation between anxiety and insomnia. Anxiety is not a single disorder but a group of psychological disorders called Anxiety Disorders. These include generalized anxiety, panic and phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Different approaches treat anxiety and related insomnia differently. These include psychological counseling, psychotherapy, prescribed medication, nutritional treatment, herbal formulas, and alternative treatments like acupuncture.
Stress Related Insomnia
There are so many people all over the world who are so stressed out during the day that they find it almost impossible to sleep at night. If you are one of those people who have been losing sleep because of stress, you should try to find some solutions to your stress and insomnia problems. Studies show that stress and insomnia are so closely related that when one is present, the other is more likely to follow. For instance, if you have some emotional problems that have been bugging you for sometime, you will find it difficult to take your mind off of your problem. There are many prescription drugs that can help you with your stress and insomnia problem. There are many natural cures for treating stress related insomnia. Most cases of stress related insomnia can be cured by simply taking a break from your daily routine. Taking a walk in the park and breathing some fresh air can help you relax and calm your nerves.
Depression and Insomnia
Depression and insomnia seem to feed off on one another. A person becomes depressed and cannot stop worrying, living in fear, or having anxiety attacks. This does not end when the day does, and the night only continues the barrage of voices that carry over from the day. Insomnia then sets in, and the physical strain on the body weakens the mind and body further until depression sets in again. Relief comes when one identifies the source of the insomnia, whether it is clinical depression or something altogether different. Counseling may prove to be quite helpful in dealing with cases of depression and anxiety. It is important to know that options are available in the form or medications, herbs and supplements in order to help someone suffering from depression and insomnia.
Depression Anxiety Insomnia
One of the most common causes for sleeping disorders is depression and anxiety. In most cases, depression anxiety and insomnia would go hand in hand that people often find themselves dealing with two types of disorders at the same time. According to experts, depression anxiety and insomnia usually go together because the more stressed out and disturbed the person, the more he or she will find it difficult to sleep at night. There are so many people who experience depression anxiety and insomnia for a long period of time simply because they refuse to admit the real cause of their problems. If you really want to help yourself cope with depression anxiety and insomnia, learn to be honest with yourself.
In broad terms, insomnia refers to difficulty experienced in falling asleep or maintaining restoring/refreshing sleep. It is a topic of great debate whether insomnia is a symptom or disorder. Whether disorder or symptom, different kinds of insomnia have been recognized and are described here.
Kinds of Insomnia
Sleep Onset Insomnia is also called Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome because the patient delays the major sleep episode and this delay causes sleeplessness and difficulty in getting up at the desired time. Psycho-Physiological Insomnia is caused due to anxiety or psychological problem which creates physical symptoms and prevents sleep. In Idiopathic type of insomnia, the nervous system becomes incapable of controlling the sleeping and waking mechanism of the body. The result is a lifelong failure to get proper sleep. It usually starts in early childhood.
Childhood insomnia in children is of two types- Limit- Setting Sleep Disorder and Sleep-Onset Association Disorder. Altitude Insomnia is an acute version of insomnia, short-lived but intense, accompanied by symptoms of headache, fatigue, and loss of appetite, all occurring when you move to high altitudes. Insomnia that results as an allergic response to certain foods is called Food Allergy Insomnia. Toxin-Induced Sleep Disorder is insomnia caused due to poisoning with toxins like heavy metals or certain organic compounds. Environmental Insomnia is sleep difficulty caused by the presence of certain environmental factors in the surrounding e.g. noise, smell, smoke etc. Stimulant-Dependent Sleep Disorder is insomnia resulting from using substances (drugs for example) that stimulate the nervous system. The person becomes addicted to their use and fails to get sleep when abstinence from the drug is practiced.
Alcohol and Insomnia
Many people believe that alcohol and insomnia are not related since alcohol actually puts a person to sleep when it is consumed in excess. Yes, it is true that initially a person who consumes large amounts of alcoholic drinks would fall asleep or pass out as it is popularly known. However, if such binges are happening often enough, the effect will be drastically reversed and the person is bound to have a very fitful sleep. People who suffer from diseases such as blood pressure, indigestion and gastric or kidney or heart problems, and the like are prone to develop insomnia if alcohol is introduced in the diet on a regular basis. It would be good to stay away from alcoholic beverages at least 3-4 hours before bedtime
Anxiety and Insomnia
Anxiety and insomnia have been found as causally related in people who remain excessively worried about some problem or coming event. While sleeplessness on account of mild anxiety for a couple of nights is normal in many cases, prolonged sleeplessness accompanied by constant worrying is clearly a case related to the causal relation between anxiety and insomnia. Anxiety is not a single disorder but a group of psychological disorders called Anxiety Disorders. These include generalized anxiety, panic and phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Different approaches treat anxiety and related insomnia differently. These include psychological counseling, psychotherapy, prescribed medication, nutritional treatment, herbal formulas, and alternative treatments like acupuncture.
Stress Related Insomnia
There are so many people all over the world who are so stressed out during the day that they find it almost impossible to sleep at night. If you are one of those people who have been losing sleep because of stress, you should try to find some solutions to your stress and insomnia problems. Studies show that stress and insomnia are so closely related that when one is present, the other is more likely to follow. For instance, if you have some emotional problems that have been bugging you for sometime, you will find it difficult to take your mind off of your problem. There are many prescription drugs that can help you with your stress and insomnia problem. There are many natural cures for treating stress related insomnia. Most cases of stress related insomnia can be cured by simply taking a break from your daily routine. Taking a walk in the park and breathing some fresh air can help you relax and calm your nerves.
Depression and Insomnia
Depression and insomnia seem to feed off on one another. A person becomes depressed and cannot stop worrying, living in fear, or having anxiety attacks. This does not end when the day does, and the night only continues the barrage of voices that carry over from the day. Insomnia then sets in, and the physical strain on the body weakens the mind and body further until depression sets in again. Relief comes when one identifies the source of the insomnia, whether it is clinical depression or something altogether different. Counseling may prove to be quite helpful in dealing with cases of depression and anxiety. It is important to know that options are available in the form or medications, herbs and supplements in order to help someone suffering from depression and insomnia.
Depression Anxiety Insomnia
One of the most common causes for sleeping disorders is depression and anxiety. In most cases, depression anxiety and insomnia would go hand in hand that people often find themselves dealing with two types of disorders at the same time. According to experts, depression anxiety and insomnia usually go together because the more stressed out and disturbed the person, the more he or she will find it difficult to sleep at night. There are so many people who experience depression anxiety and insomnia for a long period of time simply because they refuse to admit the real cause of their problems. If you really want to help yourself cope with depression anxiety and insomnia, learn to be honest with yourself.
