Lack of sleep: How to treat insomnia

Insomnia is probably the most prevalent health problem of our century. In the United Statesalone, more than $100 billion are annuallyspent for treatment  and collateral expensesrelated to sleep pathology.

Statistics show that one in three adults hasregularly difficulties falling asleep, and one infour people over 60 is even in serious trouble sleeping every night. A number of increasingly more people are awake in the night, worrying about their family budget, reliving stress from work, or remembering misunderstandings of the day untilthey have nothing left to do than grab their smartphones or get up and watch TV.

THE STAGES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD SLEEP

Sleep is a reversible phenomenon of temporary suppression of sensitivity, by which the body restsdeeply, the metabolism slows and the mind becomes unconscious to the external world, the energy required for the vital centers of the body is restored.

There are 4 distinct states of consciousness:

1. Deep sleep (delta) when the body recovers best
2. Status dream – REM sleep
3. Light sleep or superficial, which covers most of the night
4. Status wakefulness.

A healthy person needs 15 to 20 minutes to fall asleep and sleep quality seems to come naturally, without effort. If we wake up sometimes in the middle of the night, we fall asleep immediately andnaturally and wake up in the morning with a feeling of power and vitality that lasts all day. Most ofthe processes of healing and recovery occurs during periods of rest at night.

But many people hardly fall asleep, others wake up at night, and often find it difficult to fall asleepin place, while others wake up early in the morning, at 3 or 4a.m.  and cannot go back to sleep.Insomnia occurs in many organic diseases as: cardiac ischemia, asthma, chronic bronchitis,gastroesophageal reflux or ulcers, obesity, metabolic disorders, substance abuse, includinghypnotics and alcohol.

SEARCHING FOR ITS ROOTS

Despite of the many disorders listed above, that lead to insomnia, however, most cases occur due to general, daily habits.

The two deep causes of insomnia are: artificial light and standardized time meaning the alarm clock.

Throughout history, our activities have been measured after sunrise and sunset. Our body isdesigned to function after the cyclicality of natural processes: we can fall in love spring and winterwe feel depressed; the daily work of a farmer or hunter, man or woman, began at sunrise andafter the sunset was having a regenerative sleep.

Unlike our ancestral concern about the interpretation and meaning of dreams, we can not say the same about insomnia because this has become a mass phenomenon only recently. And is becoming increasingly clear for the society that lack of sleep is a real problem, a direct threat to the health of the individual, both in terms of mental and physical.

THE SLEEP HYGIENE

In a treaty of psychiatry about sleep disorders that became famous for its usefulness, Dr. Kaplan   suggests 10 simple steps that you can do at home: 

1. Wake up at the same hour, everyday.
2. Limit the time of daily stay in bed, with the one that you had before the appearance of sleep disorder.
3. Interrupting the consumption of drugs and substances acting on the nervous system, such as: caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, stimulants, cola, chocolate, black or green tea.
4. Avoid sleeping during the day (unless, in some particular cases, it induces a betternight’s sleep)
5. Creating a good physical form, through a gradual and vigorous exercise program, in the morning.
6. Avoid mental stimulation in the evening. Replace the watch of tablets, television or mobile devices with listening to the radio or with a relaxing reading of a book.
7. Before bed, hot baths will attempted, for 20 minutes, to raise body temperature.
8. Meals at regular times each day, avoid heavy meals close to bedtime.
9. Practice in the evening, a routine of relaxation techniques such as meditation, progressive muscle relaxation or yoga.
10. Arrange your sleep pleasant conditions

PHYTOTHERAPY

There are a number of herbs that have sedative effect, harmonizes body functions, relaxes the nervous system and are very effective forinducing sleep. Here are some of the best known and most easily available.

Calamus (Acorus Calamus) – Grows on the banks of swamps and marshes floodable. Contains essential oil of camphor, bitter and calming chemical substances. Introduced in Europe in sec. XVI, is famous for its favorable action on the nervous system, improves memory and it was used in the past to treat hysteria and dementia. It removes the feeling of cold and stabilizes auditory reflexes. It is also recommended in organic disease treatment such as ulcer, gastritis, colitis stress occurring substance.It is also recommended in the treatment of organic diseases that can occurr on mental stress base, such as ulcer, gastritis or colitis.
 

Hawthorn (Crataegus Oxyacanta) – Its flowers and its fruit are a true elixir for heart diseases, removes arrhythmias, the feelings of irritability in women and helps fight insomnia.
 

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) – Is a sedative stronger than St. John’s wort. Contains oxidase, flavonoids, antibiotics, essential oil. It has anxiolytic (remove excesses of fear), lowers fever and is effective in epileptic seizures.
 

St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) – Contains flavones and valeric acid with anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and antidepressant effects. Lowers blood pressure and biliary secretion at night and is recommended in neurovegetative dystonia.
 

Poppy (Papaver somniferum) – Cultivated in ancient times in China, India and Southern Europe, is mentioned in the writings of Homer, Hippocrates and Plinius the Elder. Poppy seeds and oil are used widely in food, confectionery, bakery and confectionery.
It contains codeine, papaverine and alkaloids, type morfinian, with analgesic and sedative effects. It is very effective in treating insomnia, depression and melancholy moods.
 

Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia) – Having mediterranean origins, it grows spontaneously on sunny ridges of the Alps in the south of France. Treat whooping cough, fever, migraine, neuroses, irritability. Soothes & comforts the body after exhaustion.
 

Hop cones (Humulus lupulus) – Tender sprouts are used in soups and salads. After mac, is considered the best sleeping drug. Calm sexual arousal, men anafrodisiac – eliminate nocturnal emissions. Stimulates appetite, contains linoleic acid and estrogen and thus tackle acne.
 

Source: Nature Way / www.nature-way.com

http://www.nature-way.com/lack-of-sleep-how-to-treat-insomnia/