Insomnia: What Is It, And How You Can Get A Restful Night’s Sleep

Insomnia is a very common sleep disorder whereby you find it difficult to fall asleep; you find it difficult to stay asleep, or you may wake up too early and be unable to get back to sleep. And when you do wake up, you still feel tired. While many people complain of lying awake for hours, watching the hours pass by on their bedside clock, what they may not realise is that chronic insomnia can contribute to some really serious health problems. At the very least, insomnia affects your mood, your energy levels, your work performance, your quality of life, and more importantly your overall health.

So let’s take a closer look at some things you can do if you have insomnia, and what it is that makes you feel so irritable, tired, and unable to concentrate the next day.

Contents

• About Insomnia
• Common Symptoms of Insomnia
• Conditions Linked With Insomnia
• Other Causes of Insomnia
• How Can I Remedy This Situation?
• Strategies for Getting Better Sleep
• Should I Consult My Healthcare Professional?

About Insomnia

Most people at some point in their lives have experienced short-term insomnia, which may last for a few days or weeks and is often associated with stress or a difficult event. Chronic insomnia generally means experiencing sleep difficulties at least three nights a week for three months or longer. Whether insomnia is the primary problem or is associated with medicines or another health condition should be discussed with a healthcare professional.

People with insomnia find it difficult to obtain restorative sleep, with both the quality and quantity of sleep affected. In the short term, this may cause tiredness during the day. Persistent insomnia can also contribute to irritability, anxiety or low mood.

Common Symptoms of Insomnia Include:

• Unable to fall asleep at night.
• Waking during the night, unable to sleep again.
• Waking too early before feeling rested.
• Daytime sleepiness or tiredness.
• Not feeling well rested during the day.
• Anxiety, irritability or depression.
• Difficulty focusing on tasks, paying attention or remembering.
• An increasing number of accidents or mistakes.
• Continuous worries about lack of sleep.

There Are a Wide Range of Conditions That May Be the Root Cause of Your Insomnia, Such As:

• Psychiatric conditions.
• Pulmonary disease.
• A high intake of alcohol or caffeine, both of which can disrupt your sleep cycle.
• High stress levels. Stress related to finances, relationships, work, school, health or your environment can be an important factor in insomnia.

Other Causes of Insomnia

• Caffeine, Alcohol and Nicotine: The nicotine found in tobacco products is a stimulant that can adversely affect sleep. Caffeinated drinks like cola, tea and coffee are also stimulants, so consuming them in the late afternoon or evening can prevent you from falling asleep at bedtime. While alcohol often helps people fall asleep, it can cause awakening during the night and prevent the deeper stages of sleep.
• Mental Health Issues: Post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders can be very disruptive to sleep. In fact, one symptom of depression is awakening too early.
• Sleep-Related Disorders: Restless leg syndrome can interrupt sleep, as can sleep apnoea because your sleep is interrupted periodically throughout the night.
• Prescription Medicines: Some antidepressants and certain medicines for blood pressure and asthma can interfere with sleep. Also, some over-the-counter medicines, including certain cold, allergy and pain products, contain stimulants such as caffeine that can disrupt sleep.
• Certain Medical Conditions: Some examples of conditions linked with insomnia include cancer, heart disease, chronic pain, diabetes, asthma, overactive thyroid, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

How Can I Remedy This Situation?

Below we’ve listed our top tips on how to manage insomnia.

Stick to a Routine: When you stick to a regular routine, you regulate your body’s clock. Ultimately, you teach your body to wake up at a consistent time every day. Regulating your body clock is relatively easy to do: stop going to bed late during the week and stop sleeping in at weekends. Have a regular bedtime and a regular time to get out of bed, and stick to this routine seven days a week.

Wind Down Before Retiring for the Night: Allow time before bedtime for your body to move into sleep mode. Choose a calming activity and avoid electronic devices shortly before bed, as their light can make you feel more awake. Do not eat a heavy meal or drink caffeine or alcohol shortly before bedtime. Regular exercise can support sleep, although vigorous activity close to bedtime may make it more difficult for some people to fall asleep.

Manage Your Stress: Relaxing your mind and body before bed may make it easier to fall asleep. If your mind is racing and you’re thinking of all the things you need to do, write them down. Make your plans for the next day before you even go into your bedroom. A great way to decrease anxiety and control stress is to meditate, and if you’re not sure how, you’ll find there are many guided meditations online. If you’re not into meditation, have you considered relaxing your body and mind by trying a vinyasa yoga sequence sometime between dinner and bedtime? Again, you’ll find many useful yoga tutorials online.

Create the Ideal Sleeping Environment: Create the perfect sleeping environment for you by wearing an eye mask to block out the light, using earplugs to block outside noise, and investing in thick curtains. It is also important that your bedroom feels comfortably cool rather than too warm. Lavender Sleep Pillow Spray can add a calming fragrance to your bedtime routine. Simply spray the blend on your pillows and duvet before bed.

Let’s Dig a Little Deeper Into Some Strategies for Getting Better Sleep

The lifestyle changes and healthy sleep habits described here can go a long way towards managing insomnia without medicines.

Make Your Bedroom an Oasis: Since you spend about a third of your life in the bedroom, this should be a calming sanctuary. Keep it cool, dark, quiet and clutter-free. Dim the lights and power down electronics before bedtime. Consider keeping the TV, laptop and phone out of the room because screen light can interfere with your body’s sleep-wake cycle. Blackout curtains or a white noise machine may also help to minimise disruptions.

Your mattress and pillow matter, too. If yours are old, lumpy or saggy, you may toss and turn. Choose a supportive mattress and pillows designed for your preferred sleep position.

Be Mindful of What You Put in Your Body: Caffeine too close to bedtime can make it difficult to fall asleep. Alcohol may help you doze off initially, but it can disrupt sleep later in the night. Large or heavy meals shortly before bed can also cause discomfort, so choose a light snack if you are hungry.

Create a “Shut Down” Routine: Having a predictable series of steps each night cues your brain that it’s time to power down. This could include light stretches or gentle yoga, taking a warm bath or shower, diffusing calming essential oils, practising deep breathing exercises or listening to soothing music.

Reading a book by soft lamplight can also help, as can writing in a gratitude journal. Just avoid anything too mentally stimulating close to bedtime. The key is finding a ritual specific to you that eases the mind before going to bed.

If You Can’t Sleep, Get Up: For those nights when insomnia persists, do not just lie there ruminating, as that can fuel frustration and make sleep more difficult. If you cannot sleep, do not force it. Get up and do something relaxing in a dimly lit room, then return to bed when you feel sleepy.

Repeat as needed, avoiding exposure to bright light that can make you feel more awake. Although it may seem counterintuitive, trying too hard to sleep can backfire.

Should I Consult My Healthcare Professional?

Speak to your GP if changing your sleeping habits has not helped, if you have had difficulty sleeping for months, or if insomnia is affecting your daily life. Your GP can look for an underlying cause and discuss suitable treatment. Referral to a specialist sleep clinic may sometimes be appropriate.

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