Insomnia

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a condition characterized by inability to sleep or to remain asleep during night. It is a sleep disorder that significantly hampers the quality of life of affected individuals.

What causes insomnia?

Insomnia is caused due to the following factors:

• Stress, anxiety and / or depression
• Poor sleeping habits
• Certain diseases such as GERD, cardiac diseases, liver disorders, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease
• Certain medications
• Inappropriate eating schedule
• Excessive consumption of alcohol or caffeine
• Significant changes in work schedule

What are different types of insomnia?

The different types of insomnia include:

• Acute insomnia
• Chronic insomnia
• Comorbid insomnia
• Onset insomnia
•   Maintenance insomnia

How does insomnia spread?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder and not an infectious disease. Therefore, it does not spread from one person to another.

What are the symptoms of insomnia?

Individuals suffering from insomnia suffer from the following symptoms:

•  Inability to fall asleep
• Waking up early
• Staying awake during night
• Periods of wakefulness during night
• Tiredness during daytime
• Increased frequency of errors and or accidents due to tiredness
• Decreased attention span
• Disturbed cognitive functioning
• Disturbance in gastrointestinal tract
• Digestive problems
• Development of tension headaches

What is the treatment of insomnia?

In the initial stages, individuals are advised to make significant changes in their sleeping pattern and dietary habits. Along with this, if there are underlying disease conditions that are causing sleeplessness then these are also treated. However, if these measures do not bring about the desired effect, then the following methods are adopted:

• Behavioral therapies that include light therapy, educating the individuals about desired sleeping habits, sleep restriction, stimulus control and techniques to relieve stress
• Medications that help to fall asleep
•     Use of sleep aids

How can insomnia be prevented?

The following steps can be taken to prevent insomnia:

• Maintaining a proper sleeping schedule
• Adopting proper eating habits
• Regular exercising
• Keep stress out of the bed

What are the diet and lifestyle changes in insomnia?

Some basic steps can be practiced to keep insomnia under control:

• Following a proper bed time ritual
• Staying active
• Maintaining proper weight
• Avoiding heavy meals right before hitting the bed
• Avoiding caffeinated drinks before going to bed
• Not making a habit of taking naps in the afternoon
• Practicing yoga before going to bed, which help soothe the nerves and calm down the stress hormones
• A hot water bath or shower before going to bed is also advisable

What is Ayurvedic treatment of insomnia?

The science of Ayurveda recommends drinking warm milk with a teaspoon of honey for a better sleep. Individuals can even consider taking aniseed and milk before sleeping. In addition to these remedies, certain ayurvedic therapies are also very useful in treating the condition. These include shirodhara, shirobhyanga, netra tarpan, abhyanga, and padabhayanga.