Insomnia: Not a Disease, a Symptom

I have found that it has been harder and harder for me to sleep at night. While other people are asleep snug in their beds next to loved ones or with the family pet, I am still up watching David Letterman and Craig Ferguson. I couldn't figure out what was happening to me. I was becoming irrittable and was talking less. I was sleeping more during the day than I was at night, and the slightest little noise was waking me up. If it wasn't that, it was my cat meowing at the door to be let in. I was becoming a basketcase, until on this very night, I decided that it was high time that I find out what was causing me to stay awake, and what things that I could do that would help me in the pursuit of having sweet dreams instead of laughing at jokes that I would normally not find funny at all from late-night talk show hosts that I would almost never watch.

I had just lost my job recently, and I was finding that since that time I was not getting to sleep as I often do, and I normally am a very heavy sleeper when I do sleep. I noticed that I could not shut my brain down, as I had been worrying about how my wife and I were going to keep my family running during this difficult time. I had medical bills, school loans, the normal bills such as electric and phone, and not to mention the fact that the job market where I was living was dwindling. All I wanted to do was get a good night's rest, and it was evading me at every turn. I was drinking more cola to stay awake if I was up past 1 am. I was watching television more. I was doing everything that I could to stay awake as I knew that if I did fall asleep, it would be from total and pure exhaustion from the loss of caffeine and anything else that was stimulating me.

I had always thought that insomnia was a disease, and that it was something that everyone lived with and was just a part of life. But, after doing some research on my own, I had found that I was not the only one that had difficulty with sleepness, as nearly 30-50% of Americans deal with insomnia every day and 10% have what is know as chronic insomnia, where they just cannot sleep at all. 50% even state that they have driven to work drowsy or falling asleep at the wheel, which can be a big cause in the rise in auto accidents when one is one the road.

Insomnia, by definition, is the difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or it could also possibly be both of them at the same time. The most common thing that can cause insomnia is stress, but anxiety and depression can also play a part in these sleepless nights. In addition, insomnia can be one of the first signs that a person may be starting to be depressed. You can even have insomnia if you have the start of a mental illness, such as the beginning stages of Alzheimer's disease. Insominia is not a disease, but rather a symptom that attributes to these things, but there is hope and there is help.

Before you see your doctor, there are actual steps and treatments that you can use in order to help you maintain a healthy sleep cycle:

1) Limit the amount of caffeine that you are drinking. If it is at least six hours before you are going to bed, make this time your cut-off time. If you smoke, cut that back as well, as these are stimulants that will keep your brain active and will keep you from getting to sleep.

2) Exercise daily. Exercise is a great stress reliever and will help your body release any excess energy that it may be storing. But, do not exercise at night, as it will have the reverse effect and will keep you awake just the same as if you had drank a twelve-pack of soda before bed.

3) Remove light, noise, and excessive temperatures from your enviornment. Enviornmental factors can play a large point in how well you sleep. If you have a pet, move them to another area to sleep, as any movement from the animal may be just enough to wake you up.

4) Do not have a large meal or drink a lot liquids before going to bed. If you have to have a drink, get a glass of water or milk. Don't go reaching for the ever-popular coffee, tea, or soda.

5) If you have kids and sleep during the day due to your job, make arrangements to have child care for your kids. A noisy child can be just as disruptive as anything else to your sleep patterns.

6) Trying using a humming device of some kind to help you sleep, such as a fan or air conditioner, as they create what is known as "white noise", which can have a calming effect when you are going to sleep and may help you to sleep better if you are having trouble going to sleep or getting to sleep.

7) If you cannot go to sleep right away, (say after 30 minutes), do a relaxing activity such as reading or listening to quiet music.

8) If you have a spouse or significant other who snores or moves around a lot during bedtime, get a larger bed or think of getting seperate beds.

9) Get back on a sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time. This will allow your body to know your sleeping habits and help you to keep them.

If you are still having trouble sleeping after a period of over four months, then it is time to see the doctor. The doctor may perform such tests as sleep apnea tests, medications, light therapy, or perhaps even biorhythm just to name a few to treat your current insomnia problems. If you are having breathing problems or severe pain becuase of your insomnis, there is a chance that you may be hospitalized, but it is very rare. So, before you go to the doctor, already have questions ready and in hand before you enetr the office. Emphasize how badly that this problem is affecting you. Explain any stresses or anxieties that you may have as well so that the doctor may be able to give a proper diagnosis. There is also a chance that your insomnia may be caused by something mentally happening, and they could prescribe a psychiatrist or psychologist along with other treatments in helping with your symptoms.

Now, while the doctor will be able to help you if the problems worsen, always make sure that you do everything you can to help yourself first. There are all kinds of over-the-counter medications that you can purchase, inlcuding herbal remedies such as valerian root, hops, chamomile and passionflower. Melatonin may also be useful, as it is the same chemical that your brain secretes that helps regulate your sleep cycle. Whatever your choice, always make sure that these sleep aids will not interact with any of your current medications so that there are no harmful side effects. If you do decide to use these, use them wisely.

Insomnia, like anything else, can be extremely aggravating, especially when all you want to do is sleep. Try to help yourself as much as you can before seeing a doctor. Talking with a spouse, loved one, or religious figure may also help if you find that the problems are becoming too much for you to handle. The one thing that you have to remember is that you don't have to go through it alone. Look into every option available to you and see what works best for you.

In closing, all I would like to say is good night and pleasant dreams!