We all hate morning buzzers, right? Of course yes! The beautiful time when every part of our body is healing, we're dwelling in dreams, where every beautiful impossible thing is happening and suddenly you lost it! According to research, 70-75% of people in the world love to sleep and it is the most important part of our routine where your brain is taking a bath to refresh the thoughts. But wait, are you one of those who can't sleep? Like your body is tired, but the brain can't able to click a sleep button? Then be aware of it, you may have insomnia.
Insomnia is a disorder of sleep in which you've trouble falling and/or staying asleep. Insomnia that lasts from 1 night to few weeks is considered acute. And if it lasts for 3 nights a week or 3 months is considered chronic. To understand the situation more accurately researchers divided this into two categories- primary and secondary. In primary insomnia, the ability to fall asleep and or stay asleep is decreased. This sleep problem is neither associated with medical it psychiatric causes nor with lifestyle habits. Its daytime symptoms include restlessness, falling asleep easily during work time, feeling tired, trouble concentrating, sadness, moodiness. Mostly it occurs without any identifiable cause. Secondary insomnia has an identifiable cause, such as depression, high blood pressure, asthma, caffeine, tobacco, or alcohol use, sleep apnea, or restless leg syndrome, etc. Treatment is recommended in both. Another important type is fatal insomnia, which is a rare genetic brain disorder caused by a prion sequence. Symptoms are hallucinations, confusional state, delirium. It has no cure and leads to death. The average time of survival from the onset of symptoms is 17-18 months. This type of insomnia is very rare.
Here are some causative agents that can steal your sleep
Stress, anxiety.
Any traumatic event.
Jet lag, physical pain.
Medications.
Neurological problems.
Specific sleep disorder, irregular sleep schedule.
High blood pressure, high liquor intake, cancer, or any life-threatening disease.
Advanced age, overnight work, psychological factors, spending more time in front of the screen, gender (mostly females are affected) are some of the risk factors for it.
You may feel the following symptoms
Fatigue.
Difficulty in concentrating, confusion.
Feeling disturbed or annoyed frequently.
Sleepiness during daytime.
Waking up in the middle of the nighttime.
Insomnia can affect every part of the body, and this is what happens when you've insomnia
Heart diseases.
Gut problems.
Weak immune system.
Anxiety, frustration.
Inflammation internal as well as external.
It can affect your sex life and problem-solving ability.
Stroke and asthma attacks.
Shortened life expectancy.
Homeostasis and circadian rhythm work together to control the sleep-wake cycle. They keep track of your need for sleep. These systems remind the body to sleep after a certain time and regulates sleep intensity. Exposure to light is the major factor to set a sleep-wake cycle, specialized cells in the eyes send information to the brain whether it is day or night. Light exposure reset the body's biological clock and inhibits the synthesis of melatonin which is a sleeping hormone. So, it's better to off all the lights before going to bed.
Here are some preventive measures
Keep a fixed time to sleep. Practicing this will reset the body's biological clock and you'll eventually start feeling tired or sleepy at that time.
Do not eat too much food or alcohol especially after 7'o clock.
Caffeine interrupts your sleeping pattern, limits your intake.
Cigarettes contain nicotine, a stimulant responsible for disrupted sleep.
Try not to overthink or worry while lying in the bed. Instead, focusing on breathing patterns helps you to bring back in the present moment.
Start exercising in the evening.
Sometimes, a disease like this happens at a pace that we can't even understand, and eventually, we are pulled by it. But remember, self-monitoring is the best way to manage this. If you're unable to sleep continuously for 3-4 days, do this.
Create a sleeping environment that is comfortable and restful. Make sure that there is no noise, set the desired temperature of your room, off the lights.
Take a hot water bath before going to bed.
Try to forget your anger.
Do not take a nap during the daytime.
Stop watching mobile phone or television at least for 1-2 hours before going to bed.
It is advisable to see a doctor if the condition is not manageable naturally.
Sleep is the best cure for your mental and physical health, so don't compromise with it. William Penn once said, " True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to body, nourishment, and refreshment."
|
