Nights may seem to be your worst foe when you toss and turn in your bed relentlessly trying to get a sleep whilst days are so sleepy and difficult to muddle through. A number of people face this situation which is termed as Insomnia. Insomnia is a dreaded condition because it not only is lack of sleep but is a storm of underlying medical conditions that affect a person due to this condition.
What is Insomnia and what are its causes?
The inability to fall asleep or staying asleep is termed as insomnia. Dissatisfaction after such sleep can lead to fatigue, inability to focus, problems related to moods, reduced performance at workplace or school and depression. Insomnia is classified into 3 types:
- Transient insomnia: Insomnia lasting for 3 nights
- Acute/ Short-term insomnia: It lasts for several weeks
- Chronic Insomnia: Lasting for over months to years
Causes of Insomnia are:
- Disturbance of the daily rhythm due to Jet lag, shift changes of one?s job, changes in the weather (extreme cold or hot) or changes in the altitude.
- Medical conditions involving chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome and major organ related disorders such as congestive heart failure, tumors, etc.
- Psychological disturbances such as depression, anxiety, etc.
- Hormonal fluctuations during menstruation.
- Other Factors like a snoring partner, parasites, pregnancy, etc.
What can be down about Insomnia?
If you have an underlying medical or psychological condition, it needs to be treated first. Only then your sleep can be optimized. If there is no apparent reason, then the following steps can be taken to improve this condition.
- Sleep early if possible and at the same time every day, because our body does the job of re-energizing between 11 pm to 1 am. If you are awake during this time more harm is caused to the body, as the toxins meant for removal get accumulated in the body.
- Try to sleep in complete darkness or with very minimal light because any light can disrupt our internal clock and production of hormones that make you relax (melatonin and serotonin secreted by pineal gland)
- If possible try to keep your room cool, as very warm temperatures might disrupt your sleep.
- Keep all electrical devices and alarm clocks away. Keep clocks away from vision else you will end up watching the time instead of sleeping and there will be a worry lurking around to wake up early. If using an alarm clock that is very loud because when you wake up with a jerk, more damage is done to your body. Or use an eye mask to obstruct the light.
- Do not use your bed for any other activities such as eating, watching TV, etc., apart from sleeping.
- Reduce your fluid intake as much as possible towards the end of the day in order to avoid getting up in the middle of the night to use the washroom. Avoid drinking caffeine and alcohol as they cause a great deal of hindrance in your sleep.
- Never go to bed on an empty stomach and try to have proteins in the evening since they help in the production of the hormones that make you relax. Also, avoid eating sugars in any form before going to bed.
- Reading something that lightens you before sleep is good. Do not stare at screens or use any electronic device before going to bed. In order to de-stress yourself, you may maintain a journal to write down your emotions and whatever you feel like writing.
- A daily exercise is required to maintain fitness. And if you are overweight and suffer from sleep apnea, exercising will help.
Treatment in Homoeopathy
Homoeopathy has marvelous medication to relieve your insomnia within a very short span of time.
Doliosis D76 Nervousness Insomnia (Homoeopathic Medicine) is a creation used for temporary relief of emotional distress, depression, anger and anxiety. It is very useful in cases of disturbed sleep caused due to emotional troubles. It acts on the body by calming one?s senses and relaxing, leading to a good night?s sleep. It is easy to take this product and it does not have any side effects. It can be consumed with other medication, for all age groups.