For some insomniacs, it is hard to fall asleep first with their minds racing. They may be in bed for 10 hours but stay asleep for 5 hours. In this type of therapy, patients are advised to reduce the number of hours they spend in bed to hours they spend in sleeping, until those hours are increased. For more information, go to your nearest sleep center.
V. Melatonin For Insomnia?
Another popular insomnia relief is melatonin, a hormone released by the pineal gland.
Melatonin levels are high during nighttime, and low during daytime. It is stimulated by darkness and is suppressed by light. Advertised heavily on the internet, it is believed to be an effective insomnia cure, especially since it is naturally produced in the body and is responsible behind the body's circadian rhythm. People think that as they get older, their melatonin levels decline. But how effective it really is remains to be thoroughly studied, as findings so far are mixed.
In one small study, however, it was found out that melatonin may help night shift workers sleep during the day. Dr. James K. Wyatt of Rush University Medical Center and his colleagues at Harvard Medical School assigned a group of people free from sleep disorders to be put on a 20-hour sleep-wake schedule, simulating a traveler crossing four time zones eastward every day. They were asked to take 0.3 or 5 mg of melatonin or a look-alike placebo pill 30 minutes before each scheduled sleep period, which lasted for 7 hours.
People who took melatonin had longer sleep time during the day when the body doesn't normally produce it, compared to those who took placebo, the study found out. But when they were given melatonin at night when the body produces its own melatonin, no added benefits were discovered.
Another factor that consumers must consider before buying melatonin is the fact that it is not FAD-approved. Its safety is not guaranteed, and its production is not closely monitored. Available forms in health stores may contain other substances and are untested for long-term use.
VI. Sleep Medications
So the abovementioned tips don't work, what now? Sleep medications may be your last resort when sleep is still elusive, but you should exercise caution. Don't view them as your main weapon against insomnia, because you will fail. While there are many of them in the market that seem promising, thanks to their companies' clever marketing strategies, sleep experts advise you to take them only in small doses, and only when all else fails. They are not for long-term use. Check for your doctor's advice before taking any drugs for possible interactions with other medications. They are habit-forming. Quit slowly or else you will suffer from rebound insomnia, the kind that will worsen when you stop taking them.
VII. Conclusion
While you may be experiencing sleepless nights, your insomnia can still be cured. Just go to a sleep center, ask for advice, and who knows, you'll be sleeping soundly again.
Get A Good Night Sleep
Among the most frustrating of sleep disorders, insomnia can be particularly maddening. The persistent inability to fall asleep, especially when you are tired, can leave you stressed and wound up and wondering what is wrong. Yes, an inability to sleep will occasionally occur, but persistent insomnia is no laughing matter.
Most everyone experiences some minor episodes of insomnia lasting from one night to intermittent episodes of sleeplessness for a few weeks. This form, called transient insomnia, is not unexpected and almost everyone will face it at some point in their lives. For instance, a particularly stressful week at work might leave someone unable to sleep for a few nights. But, once the week is over, they can get back to sleeping normally.
Some people may also experience acute insomnia, which is a form of short-term insomnia that can strike at some points in peoples' lives. For instance, if someone is suffering through a job loss or a difficult divorce, they may experience a persistent inability to get good sleep for anywhere from three weeks to six months. Notice that, in the case of acute insomnia, this is not a nightly occurrence and the sufferer is still able to get good sleep on some nights.
The most severe form of insomnia is chronic insomnia, which occurs almost nightly for a month or longer. This form of insomnia often seems to arise from seemingly nowhere and leaves the sufferer almost no reprieve. Oftentimes, this can leave the person fatigued, but not actually tired enough to fall asleep. This situation can lead to depression, anxiety, an inability to concentrate, and a feeling of just "being in a fog" all the time. Obviously, this is a bad state for a person to live in and they need to find relief.
While the temporary forms of insomnia can be relieved by relieving the temporary causes of insomnia, this is not a solution for people who suffer from chronic insomnia. Thus, people with chronic insomnia need to find solutions that address insomnia specifically.
Many people turn to sleeping pills in these situations, but these are problematic in some ways. Sleeping pills can be addictive even in their most benign forms and, oftentimes, people will become permanently reliant upon sleeping pill to get their nightly rest.
Other people seek herbal treatments, such as valerian, chamomile or lavender, for relief from insomnia. Many of these herbal remedies are fairly benign, but they can still leave people reliant on them to fall asleep at night.
More traditional remedies for insomnia include exercising in the afternoon, drinking warm milk before bed, avoiding anything mentally stimulating in the evening, and just going to bed early at night and waking up early in the morning. Obviously, it is preferable to start with traditional remedies such as this and move toward herbal remedies or sleeping pills if these do not help.
While insomnia is frustrating for people who suffer from it, it is treatable. There are many remedies out there and people should not be afraid to try them. In most cases, people can simply wait out the circumstances that are causing their insomnia and they will be fine. However, if insomnia is an almost nightly occurrence for a month or more, it is time to talk to a doctor and see what remedies might be suitable.
Both Dulce Azogue & George Royal are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
