Thursday, August 2, 2012

Natural Insomnia Cures


More and more people nowadays are at an increased risk of having insomnia. This is more likely due to the nature of most occupations common in the present days. More than 30 percent of the population is known to experience sleeping difficulties. This condition is twice more common in men than in women. The reason behind this is that women are subjected to hormonal changes unlike men. It is characterized by difficulties in initiating or maintaining sleep. Insomnia causes a person to have an impaired daytime functioning. It affects persons of all ages, although the chances of suffering from this condition increase as a person ages. Three common classifications of insomnia include transient, short term, long term and chronic insomnia. With this, people may manifest daytime fatigue and drowsiness, sudden mood changes, lack of focus and concentration, anergia, anxiety, and headaches.

Usually, insomnia is brought about by stressful situations and factors such as working in different shifts, jet lag, drug abuse, cigarette smoking, and excessive caffeine and alcohol intake. Oftentimes the use of certain medications can lead to insomnia. Examples of these are fluoroquinolone antibiotics and psychoactive drugs or stimulants like cocaine, nicotine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, MDMA and modafinil. Inevitable life events including death of a loved one, separation or divorce, losing a job, and preparing for an examination, make a person susceptible to this sleeping disorder. Another possible cause for insomnia involves certain medications. These may include congestive heart failure and other cardiovascular disorder, neurological problems, mental disorders, sleep apnea, gastro-esophageal reflux disease, hyperthyroidism, arthritis, fibromyalgia, urinary problems, Parkinson’s disease and dementia. 

Diagnosing accurately insomnia is vital since the experts need to identify whether there are other possible serious health problems causing this condition. This will also help them know the appropriate treatment and management needed. Successfully treating insomnia includes the combination of pharmacological treatments and non-medical or behavioral treatments, although the treatment for insomnia may also involve only one kind of management. Most people can benefit from improving one’s sleeping habits by maintaining a regular sleeping schedule, avoiding too much caffeine and alcohol intake before bedtime, not forcing yourself to sleep, and adjusting the bedroom environment to be more conducive to sleeping. It is also helpful if the person will avoid going to sleep hungry and also when very full. 

Over the years, experts have used relaxation techniques as a natural insomnia treatment. Before going to sleep, a person is recommended to meditate for at least 30 minutes. Anxieties and other problems will be most likely forgotten when a person spends some time relaxing prior to going to bed.  Experts also suggest to do exercise regularly but not for 3 to 4 hours before bedtime. It is also recommended for a person to sleep when already feeling sleepy.  Some research studies suggest that people should sleep no later than 10 in the evening. Other effective methods involve the use of certain oils for massaging, drinking plenty of glasses of water, and limiting foods that are rich in sugary content. These natural remedies for insomnia have been proven to be effective especially if applied in combination with certain pharmacological treatments.


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