TREATMENT FOR INSOMNIA

What is insomnia?

The term insomnia means an inability to fall asleep or to remain asleep for an adequate length of time. This may lead to chronic tiredness that badly affects your daily life.

However most people have problems sleeping at some time or other.

Why Do We Need Sleep?

Sleep is an opportunity for our bodies to repair themselves, both physically (e.g., torn muscles, organ cleaning) and psychologically (e.g., working through anxiety). Each sleep cycle (which lasts about 100 minutes) is divided up into physically repairing sleep and psychologically repairing sleep. When we first fall asleep, more time is spent in physically repairing sleep; later in the sleep cycle more time is spent in psychologically repairing sleep. Age influences the balance between these two types of sleep.

Babies spend more time in psychologically repairing sleep (dream state) because their bodies don’t need as much physical repair. Older adult spend more time in physically repairing sleep because their bodies are more vulnerable to damage.

Anxiety, depression and poor sleep habits can interfere with sleep patterns and disrupt the natural ability of the body to repair itself.

Effects of lack of sleep include:

• Physiological repair cannot take place, causing increased fatigue and pain.
• Increased emotional distress and irritability
• Increased clumsiness and poor co-ordination
• Decreased work performance and memory lapses
• Difficulty concentrating

Receive news on our special offers and events at our centre with our free newsletter. Click here to sign up.

You can now buy gift vouchers to use on any of our treatments - for £20, £40, £60 and £100. Click here for details.

For details of our special offers and promotions for this month Please click here.

Contact Us
Call us on 01480 455 221 or
email by clicking here.

_Ways to improve sleep

There are many ways you can improve sleep. While there are a number of sleep medications available many of them have significant side effects and none are meant to be used as a long-term solution to sleep problems.

However you can often improve your sleep simply by changing aspects of your night time routines. These strategies fall under several categories; try using as many of these strategies as you can in order to see what works for you.

Activity

• Exercise often helps you sleep, but avoid exercising shortly before you go to bed.

Developing a Suitable Environment

• Sleeping is associated with a decline in core body temperature from a state of relative warmth. You can prepare your body for that process by raising your body temperature by taking a warm bath 20 minutes before bed.
• Fluctuations in room temperature disrupt the dream state. Maintain a steady temperature in the room throughout the night. A cool room is more conducive to sleep than a warm room.
• Make sure the bed is comfortable.
• Eliminate illuminated wall clocks or other sources of light (except perhaps a night light if needed).

Intake of Food and Drink

• Avoid caffeine (a stimulant) four to six hours before bedtime.
• Avoid nicotine (a stimulant) near bedtime and when waking at night.
• Beware of alcohol use. Though alcohol (a depressant) may initially promote sleep onset, it causes awakenings later in the night. Perhaps have a drink with dinner.
• If hungry before bed have a light snack, which may be, sleep inducing. A heavy meal too close to bedtime however, might interfere with sleep.

Aspects of Mental Control

• Avoid activities that mentally stimulate your brain just before going to bed (e.g., action movies, stimulating conversation, loud music).
• Try relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and visual imagery. Relaxation can help you get to sleep.
• Do mentally quiet tasks such as listening to relaxing music, thinking calming thoughts, and so forth. These can help you get to sleep.
• If you are kept awake by worry, write down your worries that are on your mind, and if you have a method of sorting the problem, write that down also. Then if you wake in the night remind yourself that you have that matter in hand, and try your relaxation techniques.

Developing a Positive Sleep Behaviour

• Develop a pre-sleep ritual to give your body cues that it is time to slow down (e.g., taking a bath or reading for a few minutes before bed).
• Use the bed only for sleep or for sex (do not use your bed as a desk; do not read, eat or watch TV in bed).
• If you are unable to sleep for more than 15 minutes, don’t clock-watch, get out of bed. Lying in bed and feeling frustrated will not help. Engage in a quiet, non-stimulating activity, perhaps make yourself a drink of hot milk and return to bed when you are sleepy.

Timing Issues

• Develop a pattern of sleep by going to bed at the same time each evening and getting out of bed at the same time every day, even on weekends, regardless of how much you have slept.
• Avoid taking naps, but if you do nap make it no more than about 25 minutes. If you have problems falling asleep at night, then you should not take naps.
• Restrict the amount of time you spend in bed to your usual amount of sleep (e.g., 7 hours) even if you have not slept as well as you would have liked.

Most people can overcome their insomnia by following the advice above or see more of our tips on sleep hygiene. If this doesn't work, consult your GP.

Please read our disclaimer.

Content by Jane Morris - connect with me on Google+

Osteopathy  |  Cranial Osteopathy  |  Physiotherapy  |  Acupuncture  |  Chiropody  |  Alexander Technique  |  Pilates