Insomnia - How to Cure it

Insomnia is defined to be a sleeping disorder prevalent in people of all ages. People suffering from this disorder, find it difficult to initiate sleep or maintain sleep for a long time or sometimes a combination of both of these problems are also observed. Insomnia is not an independent disease, but is a symptom of many other diseases. It is a common disorder in the United States and according to the estimates of the National Sleep Foundation, more than 40 million Americans are found suffering from sleep disorders and therefore can face further health related problems. Insomnia is more commonly observed in women.

Depending upon the duration of the disorder, insomnia is classified into three categories; transient insomnia, acute insomnia and chronic insomnia. Person suffering from transient insomnia, generally faces sleeping difficulties for some days or a few weeks and is mainly caused due to changes in the sleeping habits. Acute insomnia is said to be persistent from some weeks to a few months while the chronic insomnia prevails for a longer time and is said to affect the person for years. The characteristics of chronic insomnia are sleeping problems along with fatigue.

Causes of Insomnia

Insomnia is caused due to several factors. The most common causes of insomnia are mental tension related to work, family life, death of a beloved one and financial problems. Other causes of insomnia include, neurological disorders, hyperthyroidism, commotion in the surroundings, or fear. The intake of certain drugs such as psychoactive drugs that include stimulating ingredients such as herbs, caffeine, cocaine, etc is another cause of insomnia. Disturbed sleep, nightmares, sleepwalking which are collectively referred to as parasomnia also are found to contribute to insomnia.

How to Cure Insomnia

There are many treatments in the form of therapies, medications and exercises available for insomnia. Some of them are discussed below.

Techniques of Relaxation
If stress is found out to be the main cause for insomnia, then relaxation techniques such as yoga exercises or meditation are effective in reducing the stress levels and thereby improving sleep.

Magnesium Diet
Sometimes, magnesium deficiency in the body has been found to be the cause for insomnia. In such cases, a diet rich in magnesium content is prescribed.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Cognitive behavior therapy tries to cure insomnia by inculcating some good sleeping habits into the insomniac. According to studies and research, cognitive behavior therapy is found to be a better treatment to cure insomnia than other medications.

Sleep Restriction Treatment
In some cases it is observed that people go to bed early but do not fall asleep immediately. Instead they remain awake for a long time. The sleep restriction treatment suggests that such people go to bed a bit later than their daily time and get up earlier than their usual time. This helps in increasing the actual sleeping time of the person in bed. This practice is followed until a normal pattern of sleep is attained.

How to Cure Insomnia Naturally

Meditation
Meditation for about 10-15 minutes before going to bed, relaxes your body and mind. Physical and mental relaxation always lead to a good sleep.

Early to Bed
If possible, go to bed before 10 at night. Researches conducted by many experts around the world have found that falling asleep before 10 in the night is easier and results in a better sleep.

Pre-Sleeping Activities
If you find it difficult to sleep immediately after going to bed, indulge yourself in activities like reading a good book or listening to silent music. Mind you though, while selecting a book do not select a horror or action story. In that case, you would have trouble going to sleep because of all that excitement. The right books and music relaxes the mind and you would fall asleep within a short time.

Preventing the Intake of Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant and therefore ruins your sleep. Therefore, it is suggested that you avoid having coffee or eating chocolates before going to bed.

Regular Exercises
This remedy is the most effective and long lasting one. It is advisable to wake up early, exercise, breathe in fresh air with lots of oxygen and remain active for the whole day. Such a daily routine will ensure that you fall asleep as soon as you go to bed.

Insomnia is a disorder that leads to many problems. Some of them might be grave in nature. Insomnia may not pose a risk to a person's life but sleepless nights and the tiredness that follows, might cause a person to lose interest in life. This can lead a person to fall prey to alcohol addiction which in turn might lead to an opposite effect and increase problems in his life. Therefore it is necessary to treat insomnia with a medical specialist's consultation as early as possible.