INSOMNIA


Insomnia is a sleeping disorder where the person suffering finds it difficult to initiate or maintain sleep or both. Commonly referred to as sleeplessness, or lack of sleep, insomnia is more common in women than men and the incidence tends to increase with age. An estimated 30% to 45% individuals suffer from either a mild or severe type of insomnia but only few seek medical advice. Long term insomnia may be linked to an underlying illness such as diabetes, or a painful condition like arthritis.

TYPES OF INSOMNIA
Based on the duration it has been classified as:
1) Transient: The symptoms last from a few days to a week.
2) Acute: Inability to sleep continuing from a period of a few weeks to six months.
3) Chronic: More than six months.

CAUSES OF INSOMNIA
Change in the working shifts of an individual
Use of stimulants or psychoactive drugs which include caffeine, cocaine, amphetamines etc.
Jet lag (Circadian rhythm sleep disorders)
Hormonal variations occurring prior to menstruation and those during menopause. (Estrogen)
Stress, fear, anxiety, and emotional or financial crisis
Sleep apnea, here the breathing gets interrupted during sleep thus awaking the person.
Medical conditions including bipolar disorder, depression and hyperthyroidism cause insomnia.
Environmental disturbances like noises, weather changes also cause insomnia.

SYMPTOMS OF INSOMNIA
Difficulty falling asleep or waking up frequently during the night
Fatigue and lack of concentration during the daytime
Lethargy and depression
Irritability and impaired social interaction.

TREATMENT FOR INSOMNIA
One needs to self retrospect to identify that he/she has insomnia; very frequently the person overcomes the underlying cause which is usually a change in the circadian rhythm, but it becomes important to seek medical advice when the symptoms continue to persist for more than 2 to 3 weeks.

Delayed sleep phase syndrome and other disorders may be commonly misdiagnosed as insomnia. (Make sure to perfectly get diagnosed as to what is the disorder)

Try and look out for the cause of insomnia; merely treating the symptoms would show no signs of improvement.

WHAT CAN I DO MYSELF
Sleep as much as you feel you need to sleep, do not oversleep or sleep less than required.
Try and relax, avoid stressful situations, also exercising for about 20-30 minutes may provide help.
Avoid stimulants and caffeinated drinks later than afternoon. (Caffeine keeps you awake not only because it is a stimulant but also depresses the sleep hormone melatonin.)
Have a glass of warm milk before bed – contains tryptophan which helps you relax and bring upon sleep.
Include calcium and magnesium in your diet as they have a natural tranquilizing effect.
Avoid alcohol- (Alcohol although classified as a relaxant because it promotes GABA actually promotes anxiety because of its after effects.)

Since the cause quite often is psychological it becomes important to analyze and evaluate the mental stress, behavior, psychology and such other factors before resorting to medical aid.

Modern medicine treatment options include:
Benzodiazepines, these are minor sedatives and attempt to induce sleep.
Non-benzodiazepine sedatives have been used as they have a reduced tendency for addiction.

Melatonin: Has been reported of use in some types of insomnia but has various other non-specific actions, but medicines have been found to be addictive when used continually for long periods.

We at Jalan’s Health & Diabetes Care Centre make sure that the cause is taken care of and work towards restoring the body physiology with the help of homoeopathic medication and other therapies.