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Insomnia is a dissatisfaction with the
amount or quality of sleep, not merely sleeplessness. Half of people
aged 40-55 can't sleep properly at night, either suffering from an
inability to fall asleep, waking up frequently or waking up too early in
the morning. If you are younger or older than this age group you may
also be affected by insomnia, but less frequently. We all suffer from sleeplessness
every now and then but this is normal. Insomnia is when this inability
to sleep affects our everyday life and we feel uncomfortable and
disturbed by it.
In a study of 2000 British family
doctors, almost half admitted that they had no formal training in sleep
disorders and the rest had fewer than five hours of training in sleep
problems. It is estimated that insomnia costs the US economy an
astonishing $100 billion a year.
People who catnap during the day and
then don't sleep at night may still be getting the normal total amount
of sleep they need in 24 hours. Sleeping during the day has been
discouraged by many doctors, but others think that it may be related to
normal sleep-wake rhythms, so it is natural to catnap.
A recent survey has shown that young
men who suffer from insomnia are more likely to suffer from depression
when older. There is no information regarding women as yet.
As we grow older, the time we spend in
bed increases whereas the time we are actually asleep shrinks. This is
because the number and length of awakenings increases.
Just counting the causes of insomnia
can make you sleepy:
- depression
- anxiety or excitement
- pain
- money worries or other stress
- a cold or noisy bedroom
- constipation
- uncomfortable bed or pillows
- restless legs
- cramps
- urinary problems
- coughing indigestion
- the side effects of drugs
The standard treatment of insomnia is
with drugs, the commonest being the benzodiazepines such as Temazepam,
Diazepam and Nitrazepam. These help millions of sufferers. While many
don't experience any side effects, others may suffer from daytime
drowsiness or feel groggy in the morning. Newer drugs have even fewer
side effects. Other conventional insomnia treatments include counseling or
treatment of a particular cause of insomnia.
The complementary treatments for
insomnia are:
- the extract of valerian plan (Valerina
officinalis) available in tablet or liquid form
- aromatherapy treatments with
chamomile, sage, lavender or marjoram on the pillow or to inhale
before bedtime
- infusions of chamomile, Melissa,
passionflower and hyssop
- the homeopathic remedies coffea,
aconite or nux vomica
- melatonin
- naturopathic treatments with
healthy diet and exercise, warm baths, massage
- Chinese herbs such as poria or
fleece flower
- flotation therapy
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