Insomnia

Insomnia is a symptom which can accompany several sleep, psychiatric and medical disorders. A person suffering from insomnia experiences difficulty in falling and/or staying asleep.

Insomnia can be caused by several reasons such as drugs, antibiotics, pain and even problems such as fear, stress and anxiety. It can also have some horrific physical side effects such as reduced mental performance, risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and poor immune system. Sometimes, insomnia can be due to some physical disorders, but mostly its due to tension, stress and anxiety.

Insomnia can be chronic (ongoing) or acute (short term). By chronic we mean, having symptom 3 nights a week for more than a month.

Here are a few suggestions to fight insomnia.

• Take a warm bath. It’ll help you relax but don’t overdo or you might get exhausted.
• A gentle message before going to bed could also be of great help.
• A warm glass of milk 15 to 20 minutes before going to bed can rally calm your nerves. In case you want to avoid dairy products for some specific reason, try using herbal tea but not coffee or regular tea or any other caffeinated product.
• Try taking some time out of your daily routine for exercise. Exercising is a great way of relaxing especially once you get into the habit of it.
• Get up earlier in the morning and keep your bed hours regular. Don’t nap in between.
• Make your bedroom a place to sleep. Avoid illuminated alarm clocks and try to make your bedroom as peaceful as possible. Sleep on a good firm bed. You might not know it but the surface that you sleep on is very crucial. Try changing your mattress and find out what suits you the most. Also try to maintain good sleep hygiene for example no noise.
• Sleep in a well ventilated room. The ideal range is 60-65 degrees. Beyond this range can make you toss and turn all night with discomfort.
• You can also take some anti depressant to cure insomnia.

In case these suggestions don’t work please consult your doctor for medical treatment.