Everybody has different habits when it comes to sleeping. You may be someone that dozes off immediately with no problems or, you may find you have trouble getting even a tiny bit of sleep. Regardless of your sleep habits its likely you will experience sleep issues, with nearly half of the UK having difficulty in sleeping every month. Moreover, 36% of adults in the UK have trouble sleeping every week.
This means having trouble sleeping is extremely common. Plus, the reasons can vary too. You may have a big day tomorrow; A new-born could be keeping you up or you could be anxious at night. Either way it’s important we address this so you can feel motivated and alert in the morning.
What is insomnia?
Were all familiar with insomnia being related to having difficulty with sleeping, but what’s the actual definition and symptoms? Insomnia is having difficulty falling or staying asleep. The definition may be simple but there are several types and causes.
Acute Insomnia. This is the most usual form of insomnia that people experience. It last only a couple of weeks but no longer than 3 months.
Chronic Insomnia. This type of insomnia will last over 3 months, occurring 3 nights every week, maybe even more.
Depending on whether your insomnia is acute or chronic, you can figure out how severe it is. Acute insomnia can usually disappear within a few weeks, whereas chronic insomnia could be caused for a specific reason.
Causes
Figuring out what can cause your lack of sleep is the only way you can address it. You already know what the issue is but want to look at treatments.
Primary insomnia. You may find you go to bed late or are stressed over something if that’s the case you’re most likely dealing with primary insomnia. Your problems with sleeping have no link to a medical condition. Primary Insomnia could be down to stress because of a big transition in life or just having bad sleeping habits.
Secondary insomnia. This is when your issues with sleeping is in relation to a medical condition, which can range from genes, diseases, or drug abuse. Some examples of causes would be:
- Medications
- Mental health problems, e.g., depression, anxiety.
- Chronic pains
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Drugs
This is much harder to address because usually you will need to address the health condition. Sadly, we can’t fix every problem, especially chronic issues such as asthma or nerve pain.
How much sleep is recommended?
Depending on your age your amount of sleep will vary. For most adults you will need 7 to 9 hours, children sleep 9 to 13 hours and babies are required 12 to 17 hours. Some may require slightly more or less but this can hopefully help you gauge if you’re getting enough sleep.
Treatments
Medication. It’s important to note if you’re suffering with Acute insomnia, its likely you won’t need any medication. You may take pills temporarily although, its likely it will go away. For people with chronic insomnia, medications can provide relief helping you fall/stay asleep at night. However, all sleep related medications should only be taken before bed and they aren’t for long term use. They should be taken with good sleeping habits.
Drugs. It’s important that you avoid taking drug such as caffeine or alcohol before bed. Caffeine stops you from feeling tired, it can cause you to have too much energy before bed. For those having excessive amounts of caffeine in the morning, it can help to lower your amount so it won’t affect you at bedtime. Alcohol has the opposite effect. Many of you probably aware that it can help you fall asleep, as it has a tranquilizing effect. However, alcohol can lower your sleep quality by damaging your body’s sleep cycle.
Food. It can vary for each person, but the general advice is that you shouldn’t eat before bed. Like caffeine it will usually give you more energy or you can get indigestion when sleeping.
Therapy. Mental health issues such as anxiety can be a huge contributor to a lack of sleep. It’s believed up to 40% of people with insomnia are suffering with a mental health disorder as well. A method for helping you sleep is cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). This is different form CBT which can address mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. CBT-I helps you develop good sleeping habits by addressing thoughts or behaviours that have an adverse effect on your sleep.
Natural remedies. You can always try natural supplements that will help you fall asleep. It’s important to consult your doctor before taking any in case your body has a negative reaction. Some natural remedies are valerian root, lavender scented items, and chamomile tea. These supplements will help you feel more relaxed before bed.
Habits. Many of us can struggle to sleep because we go to bed late or we have no structure before we sleep. It is much easier to sleep if you have a routine before bed and you make time to relax before bed.
- A good routine for sleeping would be:
- Having a comfortable bed, so there are no issues when trying to relax.
- Your bedroom should be dark, use curtains or blinds to block out any light.
- Make sure your getting relaxed an hour before bed. Some ways you could do this is by meditating, reading, or listening to soothing music.
- Try keeping a sensible and consistent sleep schedule. Your body clock will adjust so you will feel drowsy around bedtime.
Apps. There are a variety of different sleeping apps you can use before bedtime. Although they can have many functions. Usually, you will have soothing sounds such as rain, to help you fall asleep. Some can also track your sleep quality. The app does this by timing how long you slept, the length of your light/deep sleep and if you were snoring loudly. This can be helpful for those that aren’t aware why they have insomnia.
