Putting Insomnia to sleep..

Does it take you more that 30 minutes to go to sleep or to fall back to sleep after waking in the night? Does this happen more that three times a week, leaving you distressed and agitated the next day? If so, you are likely to have insomnia.

• Insomnia  is a common sleep disorder.
• People who have insomnia have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both.
• As a result, they may get too little sleep or have poor-quality sleep. 
• They may not feel refreshed when they wake up.It is important to know that insomnia is a symptom and not a disease.

Insomnia can be acute (short-term) or chronic.Acute insomnia (lasts for days or weeks) is common and often is brought on by situations such as stress at work, family pressures, or a traumatic event.

Chronic insomnia lasts for a month or longer. Most cases of chronic insomnia are secondary, i.e they are the symptom or side effect of some other problem. Certain medical conditions, medicines, sleep disorders(Restless Legs Syndrome which causes itching, burning, tingling, and movement in the limbs. This can, be an obstruction to sleep,Sleep apnea)and substances can cause secondary insomnia.Many life changes can trigger primary insomnia, including long-lasting stress and emotional upset. 

We go through two distinct phases of sleep.The first - characterised by rapid eye movement - is known as REM sleep, the second, non-REM sleep.On average it takes 90 minutes to complete a full cycle of REM and non-REM sleep. It is during REM sleep that we dream. As dawn approaches, we also tend to sleep more deeply, immersed in REM sleep.

• Insomnia can cause daytime sleepiness and a lack of energy.
• It also can make you feel anxious, depressed, or irritable.Sleep onset insomnia is a common symptom of anxiety disorders whereas those with depression usually experience early morning awakening insomnia.
• You may have trouble focusing on tasks, paying attention, learning, and remembering. These problems can prevent you from doing your best at work or school.
• Slower reaction time while operating any machinery and higher risk of accidents.
• Psychiatric problems such as depression or anxiety disorder.

See if there are any triggering factors influencing their sleep. It could very well be an environmental factor such as being in a new place, the bedroom being too warm or too cold, just the simple yet untimely caffeine or alcohol intake. So it is important to investigate the background cause of insomnia.
Shift workers should stress the importance of good sleep habits with regular bedtime and awakening.Bright light is a potent stimulus to circadian rhythm. Bright light is being examined as a rhythm synchronizer.
Chronic insomnia is usually tied to an underlying psychological or physiological problem.Lifestyle changes, including better sleep habits, often help relieve acute insomnia.Insomnia,if it lasts longer than three to four weeks, or sooner if it interferes with a person's daytime activities and ability to function,seek help of your doctor.

 General recommendations for prevention of insomnia.

• Work to improve your sleep habits. 
• Learn to relax. Self-hypnosis, and relaxation breathing are often helpful. 
• Control your environment. Avoid light, noise, and excessive temperatures. Use the bed only to sleep and avoid using it for reading and watching TV.
• Go to the bed the same time every night.
• Avoid large meals, excessive fluid intake, and strenuous exercise before bedtime and reduce the use of stimulants including caffeine and nicotine
• Avoid TV & Media Before Bed: Viewing T.V., the Internet, or video games before bed can wake up your brain, so try to avoid any media for about an hour before bed.
• Limit daytime naps to less than 15 minutes unless directed by your doctor.
•  Drinking a glass of warm milk at bedtime has long been known as a good way to fall asleep quickly. Adding a half teaspoonful of cardamom may make the treatment more effective. 
•  If you can’t sleep you need to resolve yourself to that fact and get out of bed before you condition yourself and connect being in bed with not sleeping.
•  If you do not fall asleep within 20 to 30 minutes, try a relaxing activity such as listening to soothing music or reading.
•  Do Some Progressive Muscle Relaxation- Get into a comfortable position in the bed and start contracting and relaxing each individual muscle in your body one at a time starting with those in your toes and moving slowly up your body all the way to your ears and scalp. Try to contract quickly and gradually relax them. The time spent relaxing them should be at least double the time spent contracting them. This technique will work to shut off your thinking brain and help you to calm down and relax. 

Commonly used medicines-

• Aconite is used in conditions where sleep eludes due to shock, grief, anxiety or restlessness.
• Arnica is most effective for sleep issues due to jet lag and tiredness. It is also used when the bed feels uncomfortable to sleep.
• Arsenicum Album is best suited to conditions where the individual is sleepy during the day but unable to sleep in the night
• Belladona is used for sleeplessness due to congestion, restless sleep, spasmodic motions, frightful images upon closing the eyes and violent throbbing in the brain.
• Chamomilla is used mainly for children .It is an antidote for overuse of coffee.who cannot sleep due to pain or those who have sleep tormented by vivid, fanciful and anxious dreams.
• Cocculus If exhaustion is related to changing work shifts or too many nights of staying awake.
•  Ignatia Sleeplessness caused by shock, emotional stress, or grief, where the person has become overwrought and moody.
• Nux vomica Excellent for the person who is irritable and sleepless from stopping sedatives, or from too much mental stress, alcohol.
• Coffea sleeplessness due to inability to relax due to over-excitement caused by good news or abundance of ideas.

P.S  There are no disease specific medicines in homeopathy.Every case calls for detailed study of the patient individually.Homeopathic medicines do not contain steroid.The alcohol base in homeopathic remedies is required  as a preservative in liquid formulas.
Adopt these precautions to have a sound sleep and stay healthy  :)