Insomnia is the most common of all sleep disorders. Insomnia includes difficulty going to sleep, staying asleep, or going back to sleep when you awaken early. It may be temporary or chronic.

Almost everyone has occasional sleepless nights, perhaps due to stress, heartburn or drinking too much caffeine or alcohol. Insomnia is a lack of sleep that occurs on a regular or frequent basis, often for no apparent reason. How much sleep is enough varies. Although 7 1/2 hours of sleep is about average, some people do fine on 4 or 5 hours of sleep, while others need 9 or 10 hours a night.

As you grow older your sleep patterns and lifestyle often change, combining to keep you from getting a good night's sleep. That can affect not only your energy level but your health as well, because sleep helps bolster your immune system so you can fight off viruses and bacteria.

About one out of three people have insomnia at some point in their lives. But you don't necessarily have to live with sleepless nights. Some simple changes in your daily routine and habits may result in better sleep.

Signs & Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of insomnia may include:

- Inability to sleep enough at night
- Difficulty falling asleep at night
- Waking up during the night
- Daytime fatigue or sleepiness
- Daytime irritability

Causes

Common causes of insomnia include:

- Stress. Realistic concerns about work, school, health or family keep your mind too active and unable to relax for sleep. Excessive boredom, such as after retirement or during a long illness, also can create stress and keep you awake.

- Anxiety. Everyday anxieties, as well as severe anxiety disorders, may keep your mind too alert to fall asleep at the beginning or in the middle of the night.

- Depression. You may either sleep too much or have trouble sleeping if you're depressed. This may be due to chemical imbalances in your brain or because worries that accompany depression may keep you from relaxing enough to fall asleep when you want to.

- Stimulants. Prescription drugs, including some antidepressant, high blood pressure and steroid medications, can interfere with sleep. Many over-the-counter medications, including some brands of aspirin, decongestants and weight loss products, contain caffeine and other stimulants. Antihistamines may initially make you groggy, but they can worsen urinary problems, causing you to get up more during the night.

- Change in your environment or work schedule. Travel or working a late or early shift can disrupt your body's circadian rhythms, making you unable to get to sleep when you want to. The word circadian comes from two Latin words: circa (about) and dia (day). Your circadian rhythms act as internal clocks, guiding such things as your wake/sleep cycle, metabolism and body temperature.

- Long-term use of sleep medications. Doctors generally recommend using sleeping pills only for up to 4 weeks until you notice benefits from self-help measures. If you need sleep medications for longer, take them no more than 2 to 4 times per week so they don't become habit-forming. Sleeping pills become less effective over time and may disrupt your sleep patterns.

- Medical problems. Fibromyalgia or complex diseases of the nerves and muscles may result in sleep problems. Many people with fibromyalgia experience higher-frequency brain waves than normally expected when they sleep. The higher-frequency brain waves may interfere with the restfulness of sleep.

- Behavioral insomnia. This may occur when you worry excessively about not being able to sleep well and try too hard to fall asleep. Most people with this condition sleep better when they're away from their usual sleep environment or when they don't try to sleep, such as when they're watching TV.

- Snoring. Your bed partner's snoring may keep you awake.

- Eating too much too late in the evening. Having a light snack before bedtime is OK, but eating too much may cause you to feel physically uncomfortable while lying down, making it difficult to get to sleep. Some people also experience a backflow of food from the stomach to the esophagus after eating. This uncomfortable feeling may keep you awake.

Insomnia becomes more prevalent with age. As you get older, three changes often occur that may affect your sleep. You may experience:

- A change in sleep patterns. Between the ages of 50 and 70, sleep often becomes less restful. You spend more time in stages 1 and 2 of nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and less time in stages 3 and 4. Stage 1 is transitional sleep, stage 2 is light sleep, and stages 3 and 4 are deep (delta) sleep, the most restful kind. Because you're sleeping lighter, you're also more likely to wake up. With age, your "internal clock" also speeds up. You get tired earlier in the evening and consequently wake up earlier in the morning.

- A change in activity. You may be less physically or socially active. Activity helps promote a good night's sleep. You may also have more free time and, because of that, drink more caffeine or alcohol or take a daily nap. These things can also interfere with sleep at night.

- A change in health. The chronic pain of conditions such as arthritis or back problems as well as depression, anxiety and stress can interfere with sleep. Older men often develop noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia), which can cause the need to urinate frequently, interrupting sleep. And in women, hot flashes that accompany menopause can be equally disruptive. Other sleep-related disorders, such as sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome, also become more common with age. Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing periodically throughout the night and awaken. Restless legs syndrome causes an unpleasant sensation in your legs and a desire to move them, which may prevent you from falling asleep.

Prevention & Self-Care

No matter what your age, insomnia usually is treatable. The key often lies in changes to your routine during the day and when you go to bed. Try these steps:

- Limit your time in bed. Too much time in bed can promote shallow, unrestful sleep. Try to get up at the same time each morning, regardless of when you went to bed.

- Avoid "trying" to sleep. The harder you try, the more awake you'll become. Read or watch television until you become drowsy and fall asleep naturally.

- Hide the bedroom clocks. Set your alarm so that you know when to get up, but then hide all clocks in your bedroom. The less you know what time it is at night, the better you'll sleep.

- Exercise and stay active. Get at least 20 to 30 minutes of vigorous exercise daily, preferably 5 to 6 hours before bedtime. And keep yourself busy ó boredom also can lead to insomnia.

- Avoid or limit caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. Caffeine and nicotine can keep you from falling asleep. Alcohol can cause unrestful sleep and frequent awakenings.

- Reset your body's clock. If you fall asleep too early, use light to push back your internal clock. In the evenings, go outside in the sun or sit near a bright light.

- Check your medications. If you take medications regularly, check with your doctor to see if they may be contributing to your insomnia. Also check the labels of over-the-counter products to see if they contain caffeine or other stimulants (such as pseudoephedrine).

- Don't put up with pain. If a painful condition bothers you, make sure the pain reliever you take is effective enough to control your pain while you're sleeping.

- Find ways to relax. A warm bath or light snack before bedtime may help prepare you for sleep. Having your partner give you a massage also may help relax you. Hypnotherapy or Hypnotherapy tapes and CDs are valuable tools to relax you.

- Avoid or limit naps. Naps can make it harder to fall asleep at night. If you can't get by without one, try to limit a nap to 45 minutes.

- Minimize sleep interruptions. Close your bedroom door, or create a subtle background noise, such as running a fan, to help drown out other noises. Keep your bedroom temperature comfortable, usually cooler than you keep your bedroom during the day. Drink less before bedtime so you won't have to go to the bathroom as often.

About the Author: A former professional model, Bunny Vreeland (Bunny@BunnyVreeland.com), was the #1 Image Consultant in California and one of the 'top three image consultants' in the nation for 3 years in a row. Bunny incorporated Hypnotherapy into her image business and has, for the past ten plus years, been helping people to change thier behavior for the better.

Source: www.isnare.com