Steps To Help Your Insomnia

Insomnia is a whole lot more than your body telling you that you have had enough sleep. Actually, insomnia is your body's way of letting you know that something is wrong. Insomnia is different in each person, some just can not fall asleep, others wake in the middle of the night and are unable to fall back asleep, and some just wake up much too early. There can be various reasons, perhaps you are drinking too much caffeine, maybe you suffer from anxiety and depression, maybe you have some conflict or inner struggles in your life, or maybe you are in pain from migraines or arthritis.

Whatever the case, there is a problem that needs to be diagnosed before you will get another good night sleep. When your body is not allowing you to sleep there is a problem and your body is telling you that something is wrong with your body and or mind that needs to be addressed.

Most adults require about 7 or 8 hours of sleep each night but that can vary depending on the person. Usually a person knows if they have got enough sleep depending on the way that they feel the next day. If you feel tired and lack energy then odds are that you likely did not get your proper rest. Research has shown that as people age their Stage 4 sleep, which is the deepest sleep, tends to become shorter and eventually can disappear entirely. This result is older people waking more during the night and napping more during the day. This is not always indicative of a sleep disorder such as insomnia.

There are some things that you can attempt on your own in an attempt to rid your insomnia

Caffeine and Insomnia

Caffeine is one of those things that you might ingest even if you make valid attempts not to. It is addictive and it shows up in all types of food and drinks. Caffeine is also found in many prescription medications which many people do not know about. Caffeine as most know it is something that is in cola, coffee, tea, and chocolate. Most people also know that caffeine can cause insomnia which is why many people avoid such drinks as pop and coffee in the evening hours. Yet, millions of Americans begin their day with a fresh hot cup of coffee or tea because they claim it gives them the boost that they need to get going.

Besides being addictive, caffeine stimulates the brain in ways similar to amphetamines and even though it is much milder, it still stimulates the brain similar to that of a drug. Caffeine is linked to many cases of insomnia, as a matter of fact it is the biggest substance linked to insomnia. Another way that caffeine can hinder sleep is because it is a diuretic which stimulates the kidneys causing people to have to urinate more frequently than normal and very often throughout the night.

Alcohol and Insomnia

Many people believe that a few drinks will help them to sleep better when in fact it will help a person fall asleep but it will not help to keep them asleep. Way too often those few nightcaps can cause a person to wake several times during the night and further lead to feeling sluggish, disorientated, and have a lack of concentration the next day. Unfortunately, this can lead to a very unhealthy pattern. Contrary to what many might think alcohol and insomnia do not mix at all. Alcohol causes the body to dehydrate which can make insomnia even worse.

Alcohol is also a contributing factor in keeping people out of the deep sleep cycle which makes them feel even worse the next day. So this is how alcohol and insomnia work, alcohol makes the body fall asleep very quickly while at the same time it is dehydrating your body too. As a result, the body will wake for water because of the dehydration and your body will never get a chance to fall into the REM cycle of sleep, which is the deep important sleep that all people need. No alcohol will ever alleviate a person's insomnia but in fact will make it worse. It is certainly no trade off to become a person with a drinking problem attempting to compensate for an insomnia condition.

Insomnia Tests and Diagnosis

Insomnia Tests and Diagnosis

If you have found it almost impossible to get any sleep lately and believe that you are suffering from insomnia then it is always a good idea to consult your physician. You have to understand that insomnia is not a disease so there is no cures for it, however there are some temporary fixes. Most importantly your doctor will want to do an examination on you and likely screen your medication, if you take any. The doctor should check for things such as thyroid conditions. He may also like for you to keep a log of your sleep patterns over a period of maybe one or two weeks and then discuss it with you. Further, he will likely check to see if your insomnia is related to or causing anxiety or depression.

The doctor knows that if there is an underlying condition that is causing the insomnia then if he can diagnosis and treat that cause, he will likely relieve the insomnia too. In doctor terms there is primary and secondary insomnia. The difference is that with primary insomnia is that there is no medical condition causing it and secondary insomnia is because there is an underlying health concern. The doctor may also refer you to a sleep treatment center for further evaluation.

What Is Insomnia?

What is insomnia? Insomnia is when a person has any sleep related difficulties, mainly falling asleep, staying awake all night, or waking up too early in the morning. Each of these can be extremely irritating and can affect the way that the rest of your day plays out. This is because when you do get up you are still tired and not refreshed. Over a period of time people who suffer from insomnia tend to develop mood disorders, they lack motivation, the inability to concentrate, lack of energy, and constantly being tired.

People need adequate sleep in order to maintain a healthy and productive life. It has been said the people spend about 1/3 of their lifetimes sleeping. That certainly seems like a lot of time but proper sleep is needed for a healthy human body including the vital organs and the brain. The brain really works some magic while a person is asleep. Without sleep the brain begins to lose its ability to function.

While the amount of sleep that a person gets does not seem to be quite as important as the quality of sleep that they get, the two are still completely related. Insomnia has very grave effect over a period of time, both physical and psychological. Impaired mind functioning, accidents, anxiety and depression, stress, heart attacks, and headaches are common consequences of insomnia. Health can deteriorate as the person gets mentally and physically weaker, becomes more irritable, and develops a wakened immune system that can lead to all kinds of illness.