Some Facts About Insomnia

It often happens that the more you need to sleep, the more difficult it is to do so. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can have various causes. Sometimes it remits after the stressful event has disappeared; but if it worsens, it requires medical treatment.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders among adults. It consists of the inability or difficulty to sleep. But although it is usually conceived as the mere difficulty to initiate sleep, the truth is that this difficulty can take several forms. With this, several types of insomnia can be distinguished:

• Initial insomnia : difficulty falling asleep at bedtime.

• Intermediate insomnia : waking up frequently during the night and taking a long time to go back to sleep.

• Terminal insomnia : waking up very early in the morning, hours earlier than planned or what is programmed in the alarm. It is what is known early awakening.

In any of these three cases, the problem is a decrease in the quality of sleep. There are a myriad of consequences of not getting a good night’s rest.

For example, the recovery that the body needs during the night rest for the day to day is prevented. Thus, concentration and attention decrease, there is a lot of daytime sleepiness, irritability and inability to feel active during the day.

Why is it produced?

Insomnia can be due to several causes: too large dinners, drinking alcohol at night, taking caffeine or some other exciting substance. Also lifestyle habits that introduce behaviors that interfere with normal sleep to the point of generating insomnia: doing sports just before going to sleep, using electronic devices at dawn …

Other causes are stress, anxiety, mental or metabolic disorders (such as hyperthyroidism). Noisy environment, excessive lighting, extreme temperatures, schedule changes …

There are many factors that interfere with the good quality of sleep. But, as we see, many of them are easily controllable by ourselves. The key is to try to get the body into the night as relaxed and calm as possible.

Ways to fight insomnia

Here are some habits that could help you keep your sleep in order:

• Exercise during the day.  Active living has been shown to reverse multiple health benefits. Just by doing between fifteen and thirty minutes of sport a day, your body will thank you. That extra exercise will already be enough for your body to exhaust itself and feel more relaxed at bedtime. For example, a simple walk, horseback riding, meditation, going to the gym … Find the one that best suits your tastes and take the time!

• Eat something before bed.  Sometimes insomnia is from hunger. Rumbling stomachs are not good tips for getting a good rest. On the contrary, having a light dinner or a snack will help you sleep better.
• Keep a set schedule. The body loves routine. For this reason,  our body gets used to certain schedules, especially to sleeping and eating, and if you take it out of there, it suffers. Try to keep a schedule at bedtime, if you need to go to bed without sleep, do it, since it is preferable to maintain that pattern in a stable way.
• Keep the room at the right temperature. Not too hot, not too cold. It is preferable to have the room at about 21 degrees. In this way, we will not wake up suffocated or freeze all night.
• Use relaxation techniques. Lie down, breathe gently. Concentrate on your breathing, leave your mind blank. It is very convenient that if you have had a hard day, you put your mind and body back. Therefore, meditating will help you arrive in optimal resting conditions.

Natural remedies to  combat insomnia

On some occasions, we can resort to natural remedies to relax before going to bed. We don’t assure you that they will work for you, but they could relax your body and mind for better sleep. Some of them are:

• Linden: it has been used for centuries to combat insomnia, due to its natural sedative properties. Without a doubt, a good idea if you want to calm your nerves and plunge into a deep and restful rest.

• Valerian: widely consumed by students before exams, it is also an excellent solution for those sleepless nights.

• Pennyroyal: this herb promotes sleep. Also, if you like the mint flavor, it will be easier for you to consume it.

• Passiflora: it is one of the so-called medicinal plants to combat insomnia. Try it before sleeping and benefit from all its properties.

As we can see, if insomnia is not chronic, there are certain habits that we can carry out to rest better. But if the insomnia persists, it is convenient that you go to a specialist. Either way, the best thing you can do is go to your doctor for help.