|
Dream Weavers
|
|
Time-proven strategies to help you get a good night’s sleep
|
By Sally Kuzemchak
|
MediZine's Healthy Living Fourth Quarter 2005
|
 |
Couldn’t sleep last night? You had plenty of company. According to the latest survey from the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), more than half of American adults experience symptoms of insomnia at least a few nights a week. Characterized by difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night, waking up too early or feeling unrefreshed in the morning, insomnia can negatively affect your productivity, your mood, even your health and safety.
Insomnia, which can either be a symptom of a larger problem (such as depression) or a primary condition itself, has a number of root causes. Postmenopausal women are more likely to experience sleep loss due to hormonal changes. People over the age of 60 are also at higher risk, but, contrary to popular belief, it’s not because you need less sleep as you age—older adults are simply more likely to have health conditions or medication regimens that compromise rest.
Transient (short term) and intermittent (off and on) insomnia can be brought on by stress, a noisy sleep environment or jet lag. Chronic insomnia, which lasts a month or more, is commonly caused by depression and anxiety.
“These conditions change the brain chemistry, making the person more vulnerable to insomnia,” says Russell Rosenberg, Ph.D., director of the Northside Hospital Sleep Medicine Institute in Atlanta. Chronic cases also occur among those with medical conditions such as heart failure, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, kidney disease, cancer or chronic pain. But insomnia can also be a disorder unrelated to any other condition.
Whatever the cause, the results are not pleasant. In an earlier NSF survey, people who got less than six hours of sleep on weeknights reported being more tired, stressed, sad and angry than those who slept more than eight hours.
People who reported being sleepy during the day were more likely to describe themselves as angry and dissatisfied with life. Inadequate rest can also lead to health problems such as fatigue, illness and injury, and can impair learning and memory. So, if sleep loss is damaging your life, talk to your doctor.
Lifestyle change is the first course of action for treating insomnia. “Behavioral treatment is very effective in a substantial number of patients,” says Carl E. Hunt, M.D., director of the National Center on Sleep Disorder Research in Bethesda, MD. Avoid caffeine or nicotine in the late afternoon or evening, and don’t drink alcohol before bedtime—it can inhibit restful sleep. Try to fit in physical activity every day (but avoid exercising within three hours of bedtime).
Create a routine that prepares you for sleep: Try taking a hot bath or listening to relaxing music, and keep your home dim and quiet in the hours before bedtime. Also, think about problems during the day instead of worrying about them at night.
Many experts also recommend keeping a sleep diary to show to your doctor. Here’s how: Over the course of 10 days, record your sleep habits, including the time you go to bed, how long it takes to fall asleep, the number of times you wake during the night, the time you wake up, naps you take and whether you feel refreshed in the morning.
Your physician (or sleep specialist) may also prescribe meditation, self-hypnosis or relaxation techniques. Sometimes sleep restriction—allowing as few as only five hours of sleep per night, then gradually building up to eight hours—is effective. When needed, medication can be used, although most drugs are only prescribed for a month or less. Newer medications are faster acting, have shorter duration (so there’s less day-after grogginess) and don’t appear to be addictive.
The bottom line: Most everyone with insomnia can find some relief. “All patients should be capable of achieving significant help through treatment,” says Dr. Hunt.
|
|
|
|
|
|