W.C. Fields advised that "the best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep." That's humorous but not helpful.
The truth is, when you cannot fall asleep, whether its due to a physical ailment, stress, or a sleep disorder of one kind or another, laughing is the last thing you're going to do. As to how to achieve "the sleep of your dreams," the solutions vary with the causes. Those caused by physical problems may require medicinal or surgical solutions, while those caused by stress or distractions may have solutions more natural in nature.
As an example of a physical ailment, sleep apnea may be caused by a physical obstruction (obstructive sleep apnea), by a problem within your brain (central sleep apnea), or by a combination of the two (mixed or complex sleep apnea). Remedies may include changing your sleeping position, surgery, or medications. Medications may be of a prescription nature or may be obtained over-the-counter at your local pharmacy.
If your difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep is caused by distractions - common with those who work non-traditional shifts - you may need to sound proof your sleeping area, install really thick shades, and turn off the bedroom phone.
Stress is far-and-away the most common cause of insomnia. Fortunately, when you are sleepless because of stress and worries, it is often possible to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer without resorting to medications or surgery. If stress is keeping you awake, you may want to investigate one or more of the following natural sleep aids:
- Acupuncture and Acupressure, both of which derive from ancient Chinese healing techniques.
- Aromatherapy, which utilizes "essential oils" to comfort and heal.
- Aromatic herbs may be placed in your sleeping area -- perhaps even within your pillowcase -- to induce a feeling of relaxation that leads to stress-free sleep.
- Biofeedback or Hypnosis, both of which are ways in which you can learn how to train your body to relax and accept the balms of sleep.
- Massage by your sleep partner, a family member, or even yourself for those parts of your body you can readily reach is one way to reduce stress and encourage your body to drift off naturally.
- Meditation can be practiced both at bedtime and throughout the day as a means of steering stress into more healthful channels.
- Yoga trains and encourages your body, mind, and spirit to work together for your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. This is something which you can learn in a relatively short period of time and then practice for the rest of your life.
Whatever the underlying cause of your sleep disorders, it is always a mistake simply to ignore them and just hope that they'll go away. If your problem sleeping is so severe that it's causing dangerous daytime weariness or falling asleep at your tasks, you need to seek immediate resolution of the problem. Your first step, if this is your situation, should be asking your doctor to help determine whether there is an underlying physical malady, or if you may find a solution through stress-reduction remedies.
Bill Johnson, webmaster of http://www.insomnia-answers.com researches and writes numerous articles on the topic of insomnia.
Posts
