What is Insomnia?

The average person spends approximately 1/3 of his or her life sleeping. Although we do not yet fully understand either the purpose or the mechanics of sleep, we do know that an insufficient amount can have far-reaching consequences: our work performance, our personal relationships, and our physical and mental health all depend on getting an appropriate amount of rest.

The inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep throughout the night is a condition known as insomnia, and it is among the most common of all medical complaints; approximately 1/3 of all people experience a period of insomnia at least once during their lifetime. Individuals with insomnia typically experience at least one of the following symptoms:

– Difficulties falling asleep;
– Inability to stay asleep, or waking up too early;
– Sleepiness during the day;
– Fatigue or lack of energy;
– Irritability;
– Headache;
– Decreased ability to concentrate;
– Increased errors or accidents;
– Depression and/or anxiety;
– Continual worry about sleep.

Health Risks of Insomnia

If you are not getting the sleep that you need, your insomnia may eventually lead to serious consequences for your health. In the short term, your alertness and focus are impaired, which can have a negative effect on your school or work performance. Relationship problems may result from irritability due to lack of sleep, while fatigue may prevent you from participating in your normal activities.

In the long-term, the complications of insomnia can be even more severe. Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and mood disorders are all associated with chronic insomnia; these conditions can be life-threatening, and they will certainly reduce the quality of your life.

What Causes Insomnia?

Insomnia is symptomatic of a large number of physiological disorders; if you are having difficulty sleeping, chances are that an underlying health problem is to blame. Illness, infection, mental health disorders, and medications can all keep you from getting the proper amount of rest. Hormone and neurotransmitter imbalances can affect your body’s ability to fall asleep, and dietary deficiencies can cause insomnia, as well. Exposure to toxic elements such as heavy metals, molds, and other environmental pollutants have also been shown to impair sleep.

Finding the Cause of Insomnia

By determining what is causing your insomnia, your health care provider will be better able to help you design a plan for managing your sleep problem. To find out what is keeping you up at night, your doctor may ask you a series of questions about your lifestyle, your sleeping environment, and even the sleep habits of your partner. A variety of lab tests can also be useful in pinpointing the cause of your insomnia in the event that a health problem is involved.

Managing Insomnia

The first step to getting back to sleep is to treat the underlying cause. Establishing good sleep habits may include nutritional support, exercise, detoxification, and incorporating a relaxation technique into your daily routine.

Good sleep hygiene is important for getting the rest you need. By following the guidelines listed here, you will find yourself drifting off easily, without the constant worry about getting enough sleep every night.

– Stick to a constant sleep schedule, with a consistent bed time and wake-up time;
– Avoid bright lights (including the television and computer) for at least two hours before bedtime;
– Do not exercise within three hours of bedtime;
– Make sure your bedroom is for sleeping – keep the TV, computer, and any other distractions in another room;
– Make sure your sleeping environment is cool, dark and quiet;
– Avoid caffeine, smoking, and alcohol, especially before bed;
– Don’t eat right before you go to bed;
– Try a relaxation exercise such as deep breathing before you turn in.

Over-the-counter and prescription sleep medications are best avoided; they may help you fall asleep, but they can be habit-forming, and they have a variety of negative side effects. By identifying the cause of your insomnia and making some adjustments to your lifestyle, you should be able to overcome your sleep difficulties naturally.

What are the common sleep disorders?

Work at night – your biological clock gets disturbed if you remain awake at night due to work. In case you have sleep disorders you cannot breathe properly thereby causing the oxygen levels in your blood to drop.

Medications – some medicines like antidepressants can cause sleep disorders. According to one estimate approximately 55% of people have sleep disorders in one form or the other. Your mental health is not a good shape.

What are the causes of sleep disorder?

Sleep disorders can happen due number of causes. These sensations can be aches, burning, or sometimes you feel as if bugs are crawling over your legs. Lifestyle changes, breathing devices and/or surgery are the other forms treatments for sleep disorders. Restless legs syndrome – in this disorder you feel some sensations in your legs. Sleeplessness can become the cause for high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and a number of other serious health complications including hypertension, diabetes etc.

There are people who even after trying hard do not get sufficient and good sleep.

Insomnia – insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders that does not allow you to have a good amount of sleep, your body and mind do not feel rested.

There are following risks of sleep disorders

If you do not have proper sleep at night you cannot remain in a proper state of mental health. For severe sleep disorders you may need even surgery to widen your breathing passage.

Sleep paralysis – if you have sleep paralysis you are not able to move while changing over yourself from sleep phase to the wakefulness phase. As a result your personal life and work become the causality. You may feel sleepy but you cannot sleep because of your work. This affects your physical as well as your mental health.

What are the dangers of sleep disorders?

Most importantly a change in your lifestyle can help you overcome sleep disorders to a large extent and keep your mental health in good form. Sleep disorder is a condition when you find it extremely difficult to fall asleep or when your rhythm of sleep or getting up early in the morning is disturbed.

Parasominias – in this sleep disorder you may exhibit symptoms of being both asleep and awake at the same time. The death rate of the people having sleep disorders is higher than those of having adequate good quality of sleep. What are the symptoms of sleep disorders?

They include: Stress – stress is one of the most common causes of sleep disorders. This causes digestive, emotional and mental health problems. If you have sleep apnea (sudden cessation of respiration while in sleep) you suddenly stop breathing for a while.

If you suffer from sleep disorders you are most likely to meet an accident while driving. As a result of this medical disorder your mental health also suffers. Breathing devices and mouthpieces (oral appliances) can treat cases of mild or moderate sleep disorders only.

Diet – junk food, caffeine, alcohol are some of the other causes of sleep disorders. Morning headaches, irritation, depression, learning or memory problems, feeling sleepy all the time during the day are some of the other symptoms of sleep disorders. When your body does not get adequate good quality sleep you may be suffering from a medical disorder known as sleep disorder. Treatment of sleep disorders there are no medications to treat the sleep disorders.

There are many types of sleep disorders, some of the most common are:

Snoring and sleep apnea – snoring may not seem to cause any direct danger to your health but because of snoring you cannot keep your throat open while sleeping. Illness – there are some illnesses like headache, backaches etc. Many psychological and physiological conditions are responsible for disruption in sleep. Loud and chronic snoring is one of the most common causes of sleep disorders.

Elected “Better Sleep Month” by the Better Sleep Council, this May is the official month to improve all areas of our sleeping lives. Though many don’t realize it, getting a good night’s sleep is vital to our ability to function properly throughout the day. Lack of sleep or interrupted sleep can eventually lead to deterioration of the body and mind. Children, teenagers, adults, and seniors can all suffer the consequences of a poor sleeping pattern. Therefore, it’s important to assess your sleep on a regular basis, and take the right steps toward consistently obtaining better rest.

As we grow older our schedules change and our sleep patterns modify along with them. Because of this reason, seniors are very susceptible to sleep disorders. Since May is “Better Sleep Month”, many senior service groups are promoting senior health care and better sleep by doing their part to inform seniors about the intrinsic risks of deprived sleep, and how to develop an effective sleep plan.

Improving on Sleep

Sleep deprivation can be detrimental to your general health. Fortunately, there are a variety of options that can help you improve your sleeping habits. Good health, a satisfactory environment, consistent schedule, and many other factors can contribute to a great night of sleep. Below are a few suggestions to help you achieve better, more consistent sleep:

Ø Purchase a New Mattress – Though it is often ignored, purchasing a new mattress can do wonders for a good night of sleep. Old mattresses with sags, tears, and other general maladies can interrupt an otherwise comfortable night of sleep. Senior health care professionals agree that, as our bodies grow older and lose the ability to handle stress, it is good practice to purchase a new mattress every 5-7 years.

Ø Schedule – Do not underestimate the benefits that a regular sleeping schedule will have on your body. Try performing a similar routine before you go to bed every night. This routine will alert your body to begin producing the proper chemicals that prepare the mind and body for sleep.

Ø General Health – As one of the most important aspects of daily life, general health is also vital for sleep, too. Proper diet and exercise, as well as finding ways to reduce stress on a daily basis, can help your sleep cycle tremendously.

Ø Environment – Your sleeping environment should be as simple as possible. Dark environments with a comfortable temperature are best for sleeping. Even the tiniest bit of light may interrupt your sleep cycle, so don’t use your bedroom for work or other activities that might produce light and disrupt your sleep.

Ø Stimulants – Before bedtime, steer clear of stimulants such as cigarettes, caffeine, or alcohol. These can upset your sleep cycle, and cause sleep disorders.

The Inherent Risks of Sleep Deprivation

At first glance, the only consequence of a meager night’s sleep would be feeling drowsy the following day, which you might combat with a cup of strong coffee. However, the consequences of a consistently deprived sleep schedule are much more serious. Some of these consequences include:

Ø Mood Disorders

Ø High Stress Levels

Ø Memory Loss

Ø Irritability

Ø High Blood Pressure

Ø Heart Disease

Ø Diabetes

Senior Health Care and Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders are common among Senior Citizens. If you’re feeling tired during the day then it’s very possible that you may have one. While specially designed sleep clinics and other senior services will help monitor sleeping patterns to diagnose a particular disorder, there are signs and symptoms you should be aware of:

Ø Sleep Apnea – Sleep apnea is an inherently dangerous sleeping disorder. Pauses in breathing occur throughout the night with sleep apnea, causing you to wake up periodically and diminish the quest for a good night sleep. Frequent awakening and louder than normal snoring are signs that you may have sleep apnea.

Ø Insomnia – Insomnia is very frequent in adults who are 60 and above, making it a major concern for many nursing homes and other senior health care service providers. Consult your doctor if you have trouble staying asleep or going to sleep since both are signs of insomnia.

Sleep and Alzheimer’s disease – Nursing homes and other senior health care services have begun focusing on the sleeping habits of those with Alzheimer’s disease and how to improve their rest and safety at night. Many who suffer from Alzheimer’s have erratic sleeping schedules and, often times, disorders which include insomnia, sleep walking, and other similar disorders.

Sleep disorders and other forms of sleep deprivation can become a serious health concern for people of all ages. Assess your sleep on a regular basis and make sure you’re getting proper rest at night.