Insomnia is the most Common Sleeping Disorder

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, an estimated 20% world population is affected by this condition it is a general term for poor quality sleep

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder: You don't usually need to think very much about sleep. It's just a part of life's routine, but most people do find it hard to sleep at some point. There's even a word for it - insomnia. It's often just for a short time, perhaps when you're worried or excited. When things settle down, you get back to sleeping normally. If you can't get back to sleeping well, it can be a real problem because sleep keeps our minds and bodies healthy.

daytime. If it occurs regularly or over a long period of time, it's called chronic insomnia.

About one in three adults will have had some sort of problem with insomnia within the past 12 months. For most the problem is fairly short-lived but for as many as one in ten it becomes a chronic problem which significantly affects their life.

There are many different patterns of insomnia. For example, one in three people with insomnia have no problem getting off to sleep but then wake in the early hours and cannot get back to sleep.

It is difficult in getting to, staying or getting enough good quality sleep, despite adequate opportunity, which leads to some form of impairment of performance or wellbeing when we are awake

What is sleep?

Sleep is the regular period in every 24 hours when we are unconscious and unaware of our surroundings. There are two main types of sleep:

The brain is quiet, but the body may move around. Hormones are released into the bloodstream and the body repairs itself after the wear and tear of the day. There are 4 stages of non-REM sleep:

1.The muscles relax, the heart beats slower and body temperature falls - 'pre-sleep'.

2.'Light sleep' - you can still be woken easily without feeling confused.

3.'Slow wave' sleep - our blood pressure falls, you may talk in your sleep or sleep walk.

4.'Deep slow wave' sleep - you are very hard to wake. If somebody does wake you, you feel confused.

We move between REM and non-REM sleep about 5 times throughout the night, dreaming more towards the morning. During a normal night, you will wake up for 1 or 2 minutes every 2 hours or so. You aren't usually aware of these 'mini wakes', but may remember them if you feel anxious or there is something else going on - noises outside, your partner snoring etc.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep

It comes and goes throughout the night, and makes up about one fifth of our sleep. The brain is very active, our eyes move quickly from side to side and we dream, but our muscles are very relaxed.

Non-REM sleep

The brain is quiet, but the body may move around. Hormones are released into the bloodstream and the body repairs itself after the wear and tear of the day. There are 4 stages of non-REM sleep:

1.The muscles relax, the heart beats slower and body temperature falls - 'pre-sleep'.

2.'Light sleep' - you can still be woken easily without feeling confused.

3.'Slow wave' sleep - our blood pressure falls, you may talk in your sleep or sleep walk.

4.'Deep slow wave' sleep - you are very hard to wake. If somebody does wake you, you feel confused.

How much sleep do we need?

This mainly depends on your age.

Babies sleep for about 17 hours each day.

Older children only need 9 or 10 hours each night.

Most adults need around 8 hours sleep each night.

Older people need the same amount of sleep, but will often only have one period of deep sleep during the night, usually in the first 3 or 4 hours. After that, they wake more easily. We also tend to dream less as we get older. There are also differences between people of the same age. Most of us need 8 hours a night, but some (a few) people will get by with only 4-5 hours a night. The short periods of being awake can feel much longer than they really are. So you can easily feel that you are not sleeping as much as you are.

Causes and risk factors of Insomnia

A common trigger for insomnia/sleeping difficulties is stress and worry. Some people are particularly vulnerable because they are more likely to show a more extreme response to stress, such as people who are depressed, chronically ill or struggling with other difficult issues such as relationship problems.

Other common causes insomnia/sleeping difficulties include physical illness that causes pain,

environmental noise,

depression,

shift work,

caffeine or alcohol consumption,

medication side-effects.

Insomnia is much more common in older people.

Once triggered, sleep problems may then be perpetuated by the individuals beliefs and behaviours – they often worry excessively about the effect that inadequate sleep will have on them and so strive excessively hard to get to sleep, take daytime naps or sleep in late which can disrupt the natural rhythm, or turn to medicines or alcohol in the belief that this will help (most just induce unnatural patterns of sleep). A vicious cycle of poor sleep and stress is quickly set up and persists after the initial trigger has passed.

Insomnia contributes to excessive daytime tiredness, which in turn may be responsible for accidents,

Recurrent infections (inadequate sleep has been show to suppress the immune system),

Poor concentration,

Irritability,

Work and Relationship problems and a general inability to cope.

In children it may be linked to poor growth.

Sleeping too little (Insomnia)

You may feel that you aren't getting enough sleep or that, even if you do get the hours, you just aren't getting a good night's rest. There are many everyday reasons for not sleeping well:

bedroom may be too noisy, too hot or too cold

bed may be uncomfortable or too small

don't have a regular sleep routine

your partner has a different pattern of sleep from you

you aren't getting enough exercise

you eat too late - and find it hard to get off to sleep

you go to bed hungry - and wake up too early

cigarettes, alcohol and drinks containing caffeine, such as tea and coffee

illness, pain or a high temperature.

More serious reasons include:

emotional problems

difficulties at work

anxiety and worry

depression - you wake very early and can't get back to sleep

thinking over and over about problems.

Helping yourself

Do's

Make sure that your bed and bedroom are comfortable - not too hot, not too cold, not too noisy.

Make sure that your mattress supports you properly. If it's too firm, your hips and shoulders are under pressure. If it's too soft, your body sags, which is bad for your back. Generally, you should replace your mattress every 10 years to get the best support and comfort.

Get some exercise. Don't overdo it, but try some regular swimming or walking. The best time to exercise is in the daytime - particularly late afternoon or early evening. Later than this can disturb your sleep.

Take some time to relax properly before going to bed. Some people find aromatherapy helpful.

If something is troubling you and there is nothing you can do about it right away, try writing it down before going to bed and then tell yourself to deal with it tomorrow.

If you can't sleep, get up and do something relaxing. Read, watch television or listen to quiet music. After a while you should feel tired enough to go to bed again.

Dont,s

Don't go without sleep for a long time - go to bed when you are tired and stick to a routine of getting up at the same time every day, whether you still feel tired or not.

Caffeine hangs around in your body for many hours after your last drink of tea or coffee. Stop drinking tea or coffee by mid-afternoon. If you want a hot drink in the evening, try something milky or herbal (but check there's no caffeine in it).

Don't drink a lot of alcohol. It may help you fall asleep, but you will almost certainly wake up during the night.

Don't eat or drink a lot late at night. Try to have your supper early in the evening rather than late.

If you've had a bad night, don't sleep in the next day - it will make it harder to get off to sleep the following night.

Don't use slimming tablets - many of these will tend to keep you awake.

Don't use street drugs like Ecstasy, cocaine and amphetamines - they are stimulants, and like caffeine, will tend to keep you awake.

What is Sleep

How to Use Holistic Medicine to Treat Insomnia

Your Journey Toward Sleep

Understand the root of your insomnia. It's often caused by Worry anxiety or depression. Once you understand the root cause, you can treat the cause rather than the symptom, or your insomnia.

Natural cure for Insomnia

Use an anti-anxiety herb, like kava, to treat insomnia caused by stress and anxiety. Kava is most often taken in a tea.

Help yourself doze off to sleep with Valerian root. This natural substance can help you fall and stay asleep.

or try chamomile to help you fall asleep. Chamomile is FDA-approved and has no side effects. There are a wide variety of chamomile teas on the market,

Bach Flower remedies have good products to help you sleep look in our online shop