From jpost.com
By Sarah Goldman
A night of good sleep is vital to rejuvenate your body. When you go through a stressful routine, healthy sleep is the best cure for it. Some people fall asleep right after hitting their inviting bed sheets, while it is a 180-degree flip for others. If you are among those who can’t fall asleep even after hours of lying in bed, you might want to hit up your doctor.
Every second person on a scale of 1 to 10 suffers from a sleep disorder. Before jumping right to the treatments, let’s first understand what exactly insomnia is and how to know if you suffer from it.
What is Insomnia?
It is a common misconception that insomnia is a complete lack of sleep. But to be precise, it covers the conditions of difficulty falling asleep, restless sleep, or discontinuous sleep pattern that makes you wake up several times throughout the night. But whatever symptoms you might have, the ultimate conclusion is impaired daytime activities.
Insomnia can affect people of every age, from adolescents to the elderly. It is only natural to turn into a light sleeper as you age, but suffering from insomnia can be detrimental to your health. Therefore, taking care of your health in the early stages of life is vital.
Negative Effects of Insomnia
Sometimes people brag about their condition and need only a few hours of sleep. But it is a matter of enormous concern. As time passes, insomnia can worsen, hindering your everyday life. The lack of rest makes you feel more agitated and less productive, even if you play a simple game of blackjack online Australia that requires little to no strategies. Not being able to win further worsens your mood. Lack of necessary sleep makes you irritable and tired, leading to daytime sleepiness. Studies have also shown weight gain and difficulty in losing fat in insomnia patients.
The human body heals at night during sleep. When you are not getting the shut-eye, your immune system weakens, making you more vulnerable to infections. If you are a cardiac patient, insomnia can exacerbate your condition by increasing blood pressure. People unable to fall asleep often complain of reduced focus, concentration, and motor function, thus making it hard for them to tackle complex tasks.
How To Diagnose Insomnia?
It is not rocket science to detect if you have insomnia. You know your situation better than anyone. Although It is possible to diagnose your condition independently, it is better to leave it to the expert judgment of certified practitioners.
- Review of Sleep Habits: Usually, your doctor may ask you about your sleep routine and request you to complete a questionnaire to diagnose your condition better.
- Physical Exam: Suppose there are little to no stressful activities in your life that might cause insomnia. In that case, your doctor will physically examine you to detect any anomaly that might lead to sleep disturbances.
- Sleep Tests: If the above activities fail to reveal much about the exact cause, your doctor may suggest you undergo tests. These tests are monitored and recorded to reach a justifiable conclusion.
How To Relieve Insomnia Without Medication?
The answer to every medical condition is not medication. If you can treat your disorder with home remedies or lifestyle changes, that is the best blessing ever. It is possible to get rid of insomnia by making adding a few necessary adjustments to your routine as follows:
Relaxation Techniques
Lulling your body to sleep by relaxing is one of the best methods to relieve insomnia symptoms. These techniques include:
- Progressive muscle relaxation: It is an activity to relax your muscles by actively contracting them to create tension and progressively releasing the pressure to settle them. Repeat this routine every day before bed to acquire complete relaxation.
- Breathing Exercise: There are several breathing techniques, but employing the 4-7-8 method for insomnia is of utmost help. Inhale a breath through your nose while counting to 4. Now hold your breath and count to 7. Exhale the breath slowly through your mouth while counting to 8. Repeat the cycle 6-7 times to relax your mind and body.
Both of these techniques help you to control your breathing, muscle tension, heart rate, and mood, thus making it easier for you to fall asleep.
Meditation & Mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness and meditation is also one of the best activities that can help you rest your sleep cycle back to normal. It is the activity of sleeping silently away from distractions and observing your breath, body, feelings, emotions, sensations, and thoughts as they rise and pass. Besides boosting sleep, it helps calm your nerves, promotes a calm demeanour, improves concentration, reduces stress, and enhances immunity.
The best part is that even a 10-minute session daily will bring you the best benefits, unlike any other activities like exercises, workouts, yoga, or pilates. Also, you can meditate as often as you like. If you are frustrated and stressed, sit down to continue mindful meditation and feel your nerves smoothen.
Light Therapy
People with insomnia have a disturbed circadian cycle that makes their bodies sleepy at night and active in the morning. Suppose you are accustomed to staying out late, drinking with your friends, satiating your gambling hunger on the mobile casinos, or indulging in movie marathons till late into the night. In that case, your body’s circadian rhythm shatters, and Light therapy can bring you back to your routine.
Light therapy exposes your eyes to light, either from the sun or its alternative. This method realigns your natural circadian rhythm with the patterns of the sun. As the sun sets, your body will get stimulated and feel more tired and heavy as time passes. Light therapy not only helps you with sleeping early but also makes you more awake and energetic as the sun rises in the morning. So, expose yourself to the sun as much as you can and see the magic.
The Bottom Line
Insomnia is prevalent worldwide, but you don’t have to rely on medication to deal with it. Specific lifestyle changes and routines can help you plenty to reduce the symptoms or even cure your sleep disorder completely. Eat lighter meals at least 2 hours before sleep, avoid caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine, take a warm shower at the end of the day, and exercise to stretch out your muscles and release the tension. Such small changes can make a big difference when you lay down on your bed to fall asleep.
This article was written in cooperation with Mention Carson Reed
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