Insomnia - refers to unpleasant, and even dangerous to health phenomena. Having noticed the signs of such a problem, one cannot ignore them. You need to immediately start looking for its main causes and try to eliminate them.
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What is insomnia, its signs and symptoms
Insomnia is called various sleep disorders. They appear in different ways. It can be problems with going to sleep, its insufficient duration, too early causeless awakening, a constant feeling of lack of sleep, and others. If a person simply does not have enough time for a good rest, this has nothing to do with insomnia.
The problem can occur in people at different ages, but more often in adults and older men, women. Representatives of the fair sex are especially often faced with insomnia during pregnancy. The situation may worsen shortly before the baby is born. In any case, it is important to eliminate the violation in time so that it does not flow into a chronic form.
A person can notice a problem for himself according to some important signs: frequent awakening, easy going to sleep in any noisy, uncomfortable place (for example, in public transport), earlier raising.
There are other symptoms of the disorder discussed:
- Long falling asleep in the evening - up to 3-4 hours.
- Drowsiness during the day, even during the holidays.
- Fatigue in the morning (soon after waking up).
- Decreased working capacity and problems with concentration.
- Awake for several hours in the middle of the night.
- Instant awakening when exposed to stimuli (for example, the rustle of a sheet or the creak of a sofa).
- Activity when falling asleep in an attempt to find a pose that is comfortable for falling asleep.
In children with insomnia, aggression, increased activity can occur. In young patients, mood often changes, learning problems associated with distraction and carelessness appear.
Causes of the disease and factors of sleep disturbance
There are many reasons for insomnia, by finding out the main one, the doctor will start working with the patient who complained about the problem under discussion. The treatment regimen will depend on the cause of the violation.
Sleep problems often result from stress, depression, and any emotional experiences. Various CNS ailments can lead to them, taking inappropriate sleeping pills (or choosing the wrong dosage), alcohol abuse, metabolic disorders in the body, hormonal problems.
Ailments capable of causing severe insomnia can cause insomnia. In this case, a person simply can not relax and fall asleep from pain. It happens that insomnia appears in people working in shifts. In the latter case, only a change in working conditions and the restoration of a normal sleep regimen will help.
The easiest way to deal with the problem is in those cases when it appeared temporarily due to external factors. For example, with a high level of noise from the street or from neighbors, due to specific climatic conditions or a change in time zone.
Home Insomnia Treatment
To quickly get rid of insomnia, you need to fight it at the first obvious signs. The correct treatment regimen should be a specialist. Otherwise, you can only worsen the condition with inappropriate medications and methods.
Medicines and drugs
Any pills for insomnia are strictly prohibited to expectant mothers. Only a doctor can prescribe medications. Specialists choose short courses of therapy with a minimum dose of the drug. This is important because the human body quickly gets used to any sleeping pills.
Pharmacy outlets offer medications for insomnia that improve cerebral circulation. This is, for example, Tanakan. As a result, the processes of inhibition / excitation in the central nervous system are normalized, which improves sleep.
Corvalol has a different effect. It inhibits the nervous system, has a strong hypnotic effect. If you take the drug for sleep disorders longer than 15 days, the patient will face physical and psychological dependence on its effects.
It is interesting: sleeping pills without prescription for a good sleep
The composition of Melatonin contains the same substance, which is responsible for normal healthy sleep. The medicine helps to cope with insomnia that occurs for a variety of reasons.
Diphenhydramine or Pipolfen can be purchased exclusively by prescription. They will really speed up the process of falling asleep, but at the same time they will cause a feeling of drowsiness and lethargy, which will be accompanied during the next day.
Effective folk remedies
Known folk remedies that help fight sleep disorders. Expectant mothers should also be used with extreme caution and only with the permission of a doctor.
Infusion of Valerian
Preparing a medicine of 1 tsp. dried plant roots, flooded with 1 tbsp. boiling water. The product must be left for 2 hours, then strain.
Drink it should be 100 ml before falling asleep. In difficult cases, it is also allowed to take medicine for 2 tbsp. l throughout the day (2-3 times). For babies, the dosage is reduced to 1 tbsp. l before falling asleep.
The effect of such a remedy can be expected within 2 days after the start of its use.
Pumpkin Broth
Fresh pumpkin peeled and sunflower seeds.The pulp coarsely coarsens. 1 cup of raw materials is sent to an enameled pan and 1 liter of purified water is poured. On medium heat, the mixture is brought to a boil, after which it is immediately removed from the heat and left on the stove turned off for 35-45 minutes.
A strained broth is drunk half a glass 1.5 hours before the alleged falling asleep. After 7-8 days, the dose is increased by one glass. The taste of the decoction can be improved with natural bee honey.
It can be given to children from 3 years. For them, the adult dosage should be reduced by 5 times.
Tea
To make tea against insomnia, you need to mix 50 g of chopped valerian root, 30 g of fresh hop cones and 20 g of chicory root and mint leaves. All is poured 1 liter of boiling water and left in a thermos for the whole night. Honey is added to the finished drink.
You need to drink the product warm. The optimal dose is 1 tbsp. about 1.5 hours before the alleged falling asleep. The first results can be expected in about a week.
Proper nutrition before bedtime
Sometimes the right supper helps fight insomnia. First of all, chocolate, Coca-Cola, any caffeinated drinks should be excluded from evening snacks.
You will need to give up energy drinks after lunch. Otherwise, they will not let a person fall asleep twice as long as strong coffee.
A hearty dinner can not only disturb sleep, but also cause nightmares. It is very important in the evening not to eat meat. His last meal was at lunch. In the evening you should have a snack with fruits, vegetables, light porridge or dairy products.
Microclimate in the rest room
To sleep sweetly all night, you should take care of the microclimate in your own bedroom. The room should be cool and fresh. Be sure to ventilate the bedroom just before bedtime. If the air is too dry, it is advisable to use a high-quality humidifier.
Good bedding is facilitated by clean bedding made from natural materials, a comfortable pillow and orthopedic mattress. The bed should not be located near the battery or other heating devices.
Psychological methods
Psychologists say that the bed should be used exclusively for sleep. Then, being in it will be perceived by a person as a signal to fall asleep. If, in bed, eating, playing, watching movies, reading, or working, then this important chain will be broken and there will be problems with going to bed.
It happens that before falling asleep a person is tormented by the memories of the past day. To calm down, you need to scroll them in the head in the reverse order. This will help to relax and fall asleep sooner.
Another psychological method of dealing with insomnia is the "sleep paradox." This is the reaction of the human brain to the settings imposed on it. For problems with falling asleep, you need to convince yourself that sleep is not necessary at all. For a tired brain, such thoughts will be a signal for relaxation.
Music as a remedy for insomnia
Any calm relaxing music allows you to deal with sleep disorders. It is advisable to start listening to it a couple of hours before falling asleep.
Today on sale you can find special "sleeping pills" collections. Often they find themselves relaxing the sound of rain or sea.
It’s useful to include Mozart’s music in the evening playlist. Favorably affects falling asleep and "white noise". This is the sound of a vacuum cleaner, hairdryer, fan. They are often used to calm and lull the baby.
Effective bedtime exercises
You can help yourself fall asleep without special sleeping pills. Sometimes this is facilitated by special exercises. During sleep, the human muscles are relaxed. But to bring them into such a state after an active day is not easy. A sudden muscle strain will help this.
For a couple of minutes you need to sharply strain and relax. You need to start with the fingers of the limbs, gradually moving on and ending with the shoulders and neck. Soon, a person will feel sleepy.
To stabilize the nervous system, you can use the following exercise:
- Draw in air very slowly through the nose.
- Hold your breath for 6-7 seconds.
- Breathe out gently and slowly through the mouth.
A few minutes of such gymnastics will lead to easy falling asleep.
Proper organization of rest and sleep
To save yourself from possible sleep problems, you should try to go to bed and get out of bed at the same time. It is advisable to go to bed before 12 at night. Early falling asleep favorably affects the state of the human nervous system.
Any active training should be moved to the first half of the day. In the evening, they should be replaced by walking or swimming.
It is very important to avoid unrest, an experience in the afternoon. You need to learn how to "disconnect" from problems before going to bed.
Any light signals that day is in the yard and should be active. Therefore, even artificial sources must be eliminated.
In the evening and at night one should refuse active work, noisy games. Very often daily work and irregular schedule leads to insomnia. If a problem occurs, work should be done exclusively in the daytime.
What to do with chronic insomnia
This version of the problem greatly interferes with a person’s normal life. The habitual way of life is broken, the working capacity is reduced.
It is very important to deal with chronic insomnia under the constant supervision of a specialist. First, you will need to undergo a full examination and identify the causes of the disease, and only after that start treatment.
To improve the condition for chronic insomnia, you need to strictly observe the regimen of the day and stop any activity already 2.5 hours before the planned falling asleep. It is important to completely abandon the "green serpent" and cigarettes, as well as caffeinated drinks, to get out of bed at the same time.
When to seek professional treatment
Short-term insomnia, at least a couple of times in their lives, is experienced by many men and women. Especially on the eve of important changes, after unrest and anxiety, with a shifted schedule of sleep and rest. At the same time, light soothing teas and decoctions, cool water procedures and pleasant emotions will help to eliminate the violation.
If problems with falling asleep occur for a week or more, the person has become irritable and nervous due to constant lack of sleep, his working capacity and concentration of attention have significantly decreased, you need to see a doctor. It is impossible to delay the treatment of an ailment.
Prevention of the onset of the disease
Prevention of the appearance of the discussed problem can be called the ability to observe the regime of the day throughout the week, abandon the habit of "falling asleep" on weekends and start to get up early even on holidays.
To prevent the development of insomnia, you should stop sleeping during the day. If without this a person cannot fully rest, then you need to go to daytime sleep for a short time, at the same time.
In the evening, you should try to avoid quarrels and any unpleasant situations. It is better to read your favorite book, take a warm shower, perform calm relaxation exercises.
It is important to create a cozy, pleasant atmosphere in your bedroom. Fresh clean linens, comfortable temperature, normal humidity, good ventilation - all this prevents the occurrence of problems with sleep.
