More than one-third of us experience insomnia at some point in our lives. So what to do when you just can’t fall asleep? Insomnia is a symptom, not a disease. It means having trouble with how much or how well you sleep.
This may be caused by difficulties in either falling or staying asleep. Self-reported sleeping problems, dissatisfaction with sleep quality and daytime tiredness are only the defining characteristics of insomnia, because in fact insomnia is such an individual experience.
The concept of ‘a good sleep’ differs widely from person to person. While the average night’s sleep for an adult is around seven or eight hours, some people only need four, while others like up to 10 hours or more. What seems like insomnia to one person might be considered a good sleep by another.
Over one-third of people experience insomnia from time to time, but only around five per cent need treatment for the condition. Transient or short-term insomnia is typically caused by such things as stressful episodes, jet lag, change in sleeping environments, homesickness, some acute medical illnesses and stimulant medications. Normal sleeping habits return once the acute event is over.
People who suffer from insomnia are normally frustrated or annoyed by it. Paradoxically, this emotional state contributes to keeping them awake. It helps to stop expecting a set amount of sleep every night. Having less sleep than you’d like doesn’t do any harm. Allow yourself to fall short of the ideal without getting anxious about it.
The following are some home remedies to try for short-term insomnia: Don’t nap during the day. Stick to a day.night routine. Cut down on smoking and drinking. Avoid tea, coffee and other caffeinated drinks before bed. Don’t exercise strenuously before bedtime. Do something to relax, such as meditate or have a warm bath. Only go to bed if you feel sleepy. Go to bed later. Stop reading, worrying or watching television in bed and limit your activities in the bedroom to sleeping and sex. If you can’t sleep, get up, go to another room and do something else until you feel sleepy again.
Get up at the same time every morning regardless of how much sleep you have had. Avoid ‘judging’ your sleep on a day-to-day basis.
Dr. Nellie Harkes-de Jong is a student doctor at TU Delft. For more information about this and other medical issues, visit: www.sgz.nl
(Illustration: Juan Carlos Ortiz Nicolas, Mexico)
Insomnia is a symptom, not a disease. It means having trouble with how much or how well you sleep. This may be caused by difficulties in either falling or staying asleep. Self-reported sleeping problems, dissatisfaction with sleep quality and daytime tiredness are only the defining characteristics of insomnia, because in fact insomnia is such an individual experience.
The concept of ‘a good sleep’ differs widely from person to person. While the average night’s sleep for an adult is around seven or eight hours, some people only need four, while others like up to 10 hours or more. What seems like insomnia to one person might be considered a good sleep by another.
Over one-third of people experience insomnia from time to time, but only around five per cent need treatment for the condition. Transient or short-term insomnia is typically caused by such things as stressful episodes, jet lag, change in sleeping environments, homesickness, some acute medical illnesses and stimulant medications. Normal sleeping habits return once the acute event is over.
People who suffer from insomnia are normally frustrated or annoyed by it. Paradoxically, this emotional state contributes to keeping them awake. It helps to stop expecting a set amount of sleep every night. Having less sleep than you’d like doesn’t do any harm. Allow yourself to fall short of the ideal without getting anxious about it.
The following are some home remedies to try for short-term insomnia: Don’t nap during the day. Stick to a day.night routine. Cut down on smoking and drinking. Avoid tea, coffee and other caffeinated drinks before bed. Don’t exercise strenuously before bedtime. Do something to relax, such as meditate or have a warm bath. Only go to bed if you feel sleepy. Go to bed later. Stop reading, worrying or watching television in bed and limit your activities in the bedroom to sleeping and sex. If you can’t sleep, get up, go to another room and do something else until you feel sleepy again.
Get up at the same time every morning regardless of how much sleep you have had. Avoid ‘judging’ your sleep on a day-to-day basis.
Dr. Nellie Harkes-de Jong is a student doctor at TU Delft. For more information about this and other medical issues, visit: www.sgz.nl
(Illustration: Juan Carlos Ortiz Nicolas, Mexico)
Comments are closed.