How Do I Cure My Insomnia?

By Author: Jessica Jessica j
Total Articles: 35
Comment this article

Insomnia is somewhat complicated because it is often caused by other problems, making it a symptom of another condition. Such conditions could include anxiety, depression, pain, inactivity, stimulants or medicines, or bad sleeping habits. If you struggle with insomnia, talk to your doctor so they can evaluate your health and decide whether or not another health problem is at work.

Once all other factors are out of the way, you can focus on just the sleeping. Most people are able to treat their insomnia by making changes to their lifestyle. For example, some people have to refrain from caffeine, sugar, and other stimulants during the second half of the day, others have to provide themselves with a certain amount of time to relax and unwind, while others have to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every night.

For those who need to change their habits, behavior therapy is available to help. Relaxation therapy, for example, teaches progressive muscle relaxation (a process where different muscle groups are tensed and relaxed) and meditation, as well as other attention-focusing techniques. Cognitive-behavioral ...
... therapy evaluates the patient's personal beliefs that can contribute to unhealthy sleeping patterns. This has proven to be very effective, as well as long-lasting.

Stimulus-control therapy teaches the mind and body that the bed is for sleeping, not for other activities and certainly not for lying awake and staring at the ceiling. This therapy makes the patient get up if they can't fall asleep in 15 minutes. Sleep-restriction therapy is similar in that it limits the time a person stays in bed not sleeping.

If neither good sleeping habits nor therapy helps to cure insomnia, sleep-inducing medicines can be resorted to. The problem with such medicines is that they are only meant to be useful temporarily and are not considered to be cures over the long-term. Part of the reason that they're only meant for short-term use is that the body has a tendency to get used to them, making it so the person needs more and more medicine to sleep and will suffer withdraws once they stop taking them.

This is contrary to the belief of many. Often when a person struggles with sleeping problems, their first reaction is to reach for non-prescription drugs - their second reaction is to reach for more powerful prescription drugs. Few start off by talking to their doctor and evaluating what is causing the problem in the first place and how the problem can be solved at its root, and very few consider medications to be a last resort.

Not only is medication the least effective means of curing insomnia, but it can also be dangerous to a person's health. Many sleep-inducing medicines list side-effects such as anxiety, low blood pressure, and nausea.

If you need to take medicines to help train your body to sleep through the night, there are several different kinds to choose from. Antihistamines, which are also used for allergies, cause sleepiness for short-term relief. Antidepressants calm a person emotionally, making it easier to sleep. Hypnotic medicines help you fall asleep, or stay asleep. Rozerem, which has few side-effects and isn't habit-forming, regulates the body's internal clock.

Insomnia can be frustrating to treat when it involves changing habits or taking drugs with unpleasant side effects, but luckily, insomnia is curable. If you are struggling with insomnia, talk to your doctor to evaluate your options today.
Jessical J. is the author of this article on Treatments for Sleep Apnea Find more information about Treatments for Sleep Apnea here.