Besides creating tiredness and a general sense of irritability, insomnia is also responsible for considerable working days missed from the sleepless worker. Furthermore, the quality of work dispensed by a person who did not benefit from a sufficient night of sleep is non optimal.

A person suffering from insomnia should always consult her doctor to get the proper examinations and diagnosis. When a diagnosis of insomnia is made, a person should sincerely ask herself what she can do to improve her condition.

Too often people tend to ?pop a pill? hoping that the magic will happen and that they will ?cure? their insomnia. Studies have shown that sleeping pills do not provide the same depth of sleep that helps the mind and the body to fully recuperate. The artificially induced sleep by pills does not provide the same level and quality of sleep a healthy body requires. Furthermore, many pills have potential serious side effects and should not be taken fro a prolonged period.

There are well known substances that can affect the overall quality and quantity of sleep. Such factors that can cause insomnia or poor quality of sleep are: caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks and the so-called ?energy drinks?), tobacco, alcohol, other stimulants, etc

It is a misconception that alcohol helps to sleep. It has a first effect as a depressant but has a rebound effect of diminishing the quality of the remaining sleep during the night.

It is a proven fact that exercising helps liberate adrenaline during the exercises and later natural endorphins, our natural ?feel happy? hormones. One should exercise at least two hours before going to bed in order to benefit the most from the exercise and not be excited from the exercises thus interfering with their sleep.

Taking naps is becoming more and more common and North Americans are catching-up with this healthy habit. Naps should be short and not taken after dinner as they might interfere with the actual night of sleep.

A proper sleeping environment is a must: the room should be dark during the sleep and noise kept to a minimum. Proper lighting during the day helps to harmonize with the daily cycles. In countries where daylight is very rare (especially in winter) or for people working during night shifts, the proper lighting during the day can greatly help in achieving a good quality of sleep.

Proper hydration is very important to insure optimal body functioning, sleeping included. It is recommended to drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water per day. It is also a very good habit to start and finish your day by drinking a good glass of purifying water.

Stress can be a major contributing factor in the cause of insomnia. The good news is that stress can be controlled and overcome with the proper help. Hypnosis has been proven very efficient in numerous studies to greatly reduce the level of stress and consequently improving the quality of sleep a person feels. By allowing the person to push away all her concerns when night comes and fall into a rejuvenating sleep, hypnosis can be considered a natural and ideal solution to insomnia.