How to Sleep Better with Insomnia | Insomnia Cure

Difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep or a disturbance in sleep that makes individuals feel as if they have had insufficient sleep when they awaken characterizes insomnia.

Insomnia is not a disease; it is merely a symptom that has many different causes which include both emotional and physical disorders and medication use.

Sleep and Sleep Problems

Having problems falling asleep is common in both the young and old. It is often correlated with emotional disturbances such as anxiety, nervousness, depression, or fear. Sometimes, people find it difficult to fall asleep because their body and brain are not tired.

Sleeping less is usually common among people as they age. Sleep stages also change with age. Stage 4 sleep becomes shorter and eventually disappears, and more awakenings occur during all stages. These stages although normal, tend to make older people feel they are not getting enough sleep.

However, there is no proof that healthy older people need as much sleep as younger or that they need sleep medications to remedy these normal, age-related changes. An early morning awakening pattern is common among the elderly.

Some people fall asleep normally but wake up several hours later and are unable to fall asleep again easily. Sometimes they drift in and out of a restless, unsatisfactory sleep. Early morning awakening at any age may be a sign of depression.

People whose sleep patterns have been disrupted may experience sleep rhythm reversal. They fall asleep at inappropriate times and then can't sleep when they should. These reversals often happen as a result of jet lag (especially when traveling from east to west), working irregular night shifts, frequent changes in work hours, or excessive alcohol use. Sometimes they are a side effect of medication.

Damage to the brain's built-in clock (caused by encephalitis, stroke, or Alzheimer's disease) can also disrupt sleep patterns.

  Read also: Sleep Disorders: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Remedies

Insomnia

Insomnia is defined as the inability to sleep during a period in which sleep should normally occur or to remain asleep for a reasonable length of time. Insomnia makes people feel as if they have had insufficient sleep when they awaken.

Causes of Insomnia

Insomnia can have many underlying causes. These are listed below:

Poor Sleep Hygiene

Poor sleep hygiene is caused by a variable sleep schedule or shift work.

Psychiatric Causes

Insomnia can be caused by Anxiety and Depression.

Find here: 8 Tips to Break the Anxiety Insomnia Cycle.

Substance Use and Withdrawal

Alcohol withdrawal can cause insomnia in the early morning. Also, alcohol is a diuretic and can cause nocturia.

Stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, cough syrups, pseudoephedrine, and amphetamines can cause insomnia.

Withdrawal from benzodiazepines and or barbituates can also lead to insomnia (can also cause rebound wakefulness)

Pain

Any pain or painful conditions can cause insomnia.

Dyspnea or Trouble Breathing

Dyspnea from heart disease (Orthopnea, PND) and Lung Diseases can also cause insomnia.

Obstructive sleep apnea

Other

Restless Legs Syndrome / Periodic Leg Movements

Urinary problems are caused by nocturia due to association with diabetes mellitus or benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).

Narcolepsy

Stomach problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and acid reflux.

Coughing and Asthma also can cause insomnia.

How to Sleep Better at Night with Insomnia

Let's start with a video... 

I have put together a list of tips that will help you get a good night's sleep with Insomnia:

1. The most important rule for insomnia may be to keep a normal schedule. This is especially true on weekends where many tend to stay up later than usual and end up sleeping in the next day.

2. Don't Nap. Napping makes matters worse for the chronic insomniac. It is better to get sleepy instead of taking a short nap and staying up unable to sleep later.

3. If you wake up during the night and feel awake, wait for 30 minutes and you will easily fall back asleep. If insomnia awakes you during REM, you will be quite alert. Just wait out your alertness to fall back to sleep.

4. Cut down on the amount of caffeine you take in. Don't drink coffee after noon if you have trouble sleeping and it keeps you awake at night.

5. Being awakened by repeated loud noises may cause insomnia. If you are constantly being awakened, try earplugs to keep the noise down.

6. Establish a nightly bedtime routine to get you relaxed and sleepy. Read a book, have a quiet talk in bed.

Consider the following tips as well on How to Sleep Better at Night with Insomnia:

• The surrounding plays an important role in curing insomnia. Harsh noise should be avoided during bedtime as an interruption in sleep might result in a completely sleepless night. The room temperature should be comfortable as excessive coldness or warmth hamper sleep.

• Certain lifestyle changes should be made to cure transient insomnia. Eating heavy meals right before getting to bed is not recommended at all. Daytime naps might be a reason for restlessness at night. To sleep better at night with insomnia, with the minimum lifestyle changes, one might make changes for betterment to his day-to-day routine.

• Refraining from televisions, radios, or exciting books before sleep time is suggested for best results.

• Relaxation techniques can help in getting sleep if practiced regularly. You can perform breathing exercises before bedtime and get into bed with a relaxed and tranquil mind. A mind free from all worries and qualms helps you fall asleep faster. Controlling external stimuli imparts therapeutic effects on the nervous system.

• Many people have reported that taking herbal tea without milk and sugar is a great way how to cure insomnia. Sipping it right before bedtime can help.

• Following a healthy and active lifestyle and keeping away anxieties is the right way to combat insomnia.

• See here for more → Tips on How to Sleep Better with Insomnia.

  Read also: How to Fall Asleep with Anxiety: 5 Tips to Calm Anxiety at Night

How to Cure Insomnia in 12 Minutes

I understand that insomnia can be a distressing condition, but I must admit that there is no quick "cure" for insomnia in just 12 minutes. Insomnia is typically a complex and chronic sleep disorder that often requires ongoing management and lifestyle changes. However, I can provide guidance on a relaxation technique that may help you quickly relax and improve your chances of falling asleep faster within a relatively short period.

Please understand that this technique may not provide a complete cure for insomnia but can be a helpful tool to aid in the process of falling asleep more easily.

One effective relaxation technique to consider is Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR). PMR involves systematically tensing and then relaxing muscle groups in your body to reduce tension and promote relaxation. Here's a step-by-step guide:

• Find a Quiet Space: Go to a quiet and comfortable place where you can sit or lie down.

• Close Your Eyes: Close your eyes to minimize distractions.

• Focus on Your Breathing: Take a few slow, deep breaths to help calm your mind.

• Start with Your Toes: Begin by focusing on your toes. Tense the muscles in your toes for about 5-10 seconds and then release, allowing them to relax completely.

• Work Your Way Up: Continue this process, moving gradually up your body. Tense and then release each muscle group for 5-10 seconds. Progress through your feet, calves, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, chest, arms, hands, neck, and face.

• Pay Attention to Sensations: As you tense and release each muscle group, pay attention to the sensations of relaxation that follow the tension. Feel the warmth and relaxation spreading through your body.

• Deep Breathing: Throughout the exercise, continue to take slow, deep breaths. Inhale deeply through your nose, hold for a few seconds, and exhale slowly through your mouth.

• Visualize Relaxation: While progressing through the muscle groups, you can also visualize a sense of calm and relaxation spreading through your body, as if each breath is washing away tension.

• Repeat If Necessary: If you have time, you can go through the entire body once more or focus on areas where you feel the most tension.

• Practice Regularly: To benefit fully from PMR, it's important to practice it regularly, ideally daily or before bedtime.

Remember that while relaxation techniques like PMR can be helpful for some individuals, they may not provide an immediate or complete cure for insomnia. Managing insomnia often requires a comprehensive approach, which may include addressing underlying causes, adopting good sleep hygiene practices, and, if necessary, consulting with a healthcare professional or sleep specialist.

Persistent insomnia may warrant more intensive treatment and evaluation, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) or medication options, which should be discussed with a healthcare provider.

Diagnosis of Insomnia

Insomnia is diagnosed by a doctor who evaluates an individual's sleep pattern; use of medication, alcohol, and illicit drugs; degree of psychological stress; medical history; and level of physical activity.

Some people need less sleep than others, so the diagnosis of insomnia is based on a person's individual needs. Doctors may classify insomnia as primary insomnia, a long-standing condition with little or no apparent relationship to any stress or life event, or secondary insomnia, a condition caused by pain, anxiety, medication, depression, or extreme stress.

Insomnia Treatment and Cure

Chronic insomnia which is often considered an effect of prolonged medical problems can be cured permanently if the root cause is treated. Hence treatments for insomnia greatly depend on the correct diagnosis of the cause.

Patients with arthritis, chronic pain in limbs, heart disorders, and high blood pressure often end up becoming insomniacs. Medication used to treat this condition can add to the problem of sleeplessness. The doctor should be informed if the patient is already suffering from insomnia as an effect of the consumed drugs so that he can find out how to cure insomnia.

Other health problems causing sleeplessness include brain liaisons, asthma, fatigue, congestion in the lungs, and Alzheimer’s disease.

People with insomnia may benefit by staying calm and relaxed in the hour before bedtime and making the bedroom atmosphere more conducive to sleep. Soft lighting, minimal noise, and a comfortable room temperature are necessary.

If emotional stress is causing insomnia, treatment to relieve the stress is more useful than taking sleep medication.

When insomnia occurs with depression, the depression should be thoroughly evaluated and treated by a doctor. Some antidepressant drugs can improve sleep due to their sedating properties.

When sleep disorders interfere with a person's normal activities and sense of well-being, the intermittent use of sleep medications (sedatives, hypnotics) may be helpful.

Sometimes cognitive therapies given by professional psychologists help people get rid of insomnia. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) is a type of therapy that can help you identify and change the thoughts and behaviors that contribute to your insomnia. It is one of the most effective treatments for insomnia, and it can be as effective as medication in many cases.

  Read also: Sleep Disorders: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Remedies