Insomnia: causes, cures and natural remedies and not to fight it effectively
Sleep disorders can manifest themselves in many forms: difficulty falling asleep, restless or fragmented sleep, or awakening too early. We talk about real insomnia when a person sleeps very little or has poor quality sleep and is affected in terms of health and in daily life.
Insomnia often has negative consequences on everyday life. During the day, people with this disorder may experience moments of sleepiness, have difficulty concentrating or be very irritable. At work, you risk ending up a bit like this ...
Let's find out together what are the causes that cause insomnia and which are the best remedies to prevent and treat it.
See also
Assertiveness: what it is and how to be effectively assertive
Transient insomnia and chronic insomnia: the causes
First of all, a difference must be made between transient insomnia and chronic insomnia. Transient insomnia is usually linked to a specific episode (bereavement, separation or other) and lasts only a few weeks, while chronic insomnia often lasts more than a month and is more difficult to fight.
Insomnia can be due to several factors:
- environmental: noise, light, type of mattress, room temperature too high
- organic: apneas, jerks of the legs
- psychological: distress or depression
- psycho-physiological: stress, worries.
It should be borne in mind that often the desire to sleep becomes an obsession for those suffering from insomnia and, once in bed, this fixed thought prevents them from falling asleep.
Remedies for insomnia
Here are some simple remedies to take to avoid sleep disorders:
- Go to bed at the first signs of fatigue
- Avoid having exciting drinks like tea or coffee after 4pm
- Avoid watching TV in bed
- Avoid practicing intense sporting activity in the evening
- Take a siesta before 4pm if you really want to, but never in the late afternoon
- Always go to bed at the same time. An adult needs, on average, 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep per night
- Get away from noise and light
- The room temperature must be between 18 ° and 20 °
- If you can't fall asleep or if you wake up during the night, get out of bed after a quarter of an hour. Reading a book or listening to low volume music will help you not think about the negative or exciting moments of the day. Go back to bed only when you feel that you are sleepy again.
Insomnia: treatments and drugs
Avoid healing yourself and remember that the solution is not necessarily a sleeping pill. Always get advice from a doctor.
Hypnotic drugs can be effective, provided that you strictly follow your doctor's instructions, use them for a limited period of time and respect good hygiene, going to bed at regular hours. For psychological insomnia, the doctor may prescribe antidepressants and / or psychotherapy.
With regard to chronic insomnia whose cause cannot be identified, one can think of cognitive and behavioral therapy, which requires between 3 and 8 visits to a psychotherapist specialized in sleep disorders or to a medical center of the sleep. It is often a rather long therapy that aims to reorganize sleep and allows you to gradually improve its quality. One of the tools of this therapy is the use of an agenda on which the patient records the hours in which he gets up and goes to bed and the quality of his sleep.
Natural remedies for insomnia
To combat insomnia without resorting to drugs, you can use some rather effective natural remedies, first of all phytotherapy: there are many plants with calming properties that can be consumed, for example in the form of herbal tea. The best known is certainly chamomile, but lime or lemon balm, valerian or passionflower are also good.
Another effective natural remedy are essential oils: aromatherapy has a relaxing power and promotes sleep. Try the lavender essence to believe it!
Equally useful can be the practice of disciplines such as yoga and meditation. Alternatively, treat yourself to a nice relaxing bath before going to bed.
Finally, pay attention to the power supply! Don't eat too heavy in the evening and indulge in these foods recommended to combat fatigue:
