Erase Your Sleep-less Concerns

Everybody knows that if it’s over-the-counter, it’s got to be safe. Or is it really? After all, prescription sleeping pills are a lot more tightly regulated by doctors and the FDA. Not to mention a lot more expensive.

Let’s just start with what everybody knows already about over-the-counter sleep aids. Just so everybody’s on the same page.

Firstly, the main ingredient of over-the-counter sleep aids is an antihistamine. Antihistamines are generally taken for allergies, but also make you feel very sleepy.
And yes, while they make you get to sleep faster, there is little evidence that they improve the quality of your sleep at all, much less help treat insomnia.

Meaning, if you really had good quality sleep, won’t you be productive in your following wake hours? That brings me to the second fact that everybody already knows about OTC sleep aids.

OTC sleep aids tend to cause “morning hangovers” or what is explained as residual next-morning sedation due to the fact that antihistamines have long half-lives. That simply means they stay very long in the bodies and therefore continue to cause drowsiness.

So most people usually try to live with that limitation by simply staying away from driving or handling heavy machinery. However, did you know that you would also have to put up with constipation and a racing heartbeat through your day? Did you also know that you could be in a state of confusion, delirium and have urinary retention? These are called anticholinergic side effects of antihistamines. That certainly wouldn’t do for that important office meeting next morning.

Thirdly, common over-the-counter sleep medications are Sleep-Eze, Sominex, Nytol, and Unison that are mostly either diphenhydramine or doxylamine antihistamines.
However, other common OTC sleep aids like Tylenol PM and Advil PM are actually combinations of the painkillers acetaminophen and ibuprofen with an antihistamine, diphenhydramine.

And that is why, the Medical Letter, which reviews drugs, recommends against using antihistamines for sleep. Some doctors say users of Tylenol PM may be taking acetaminophen they do not need. Acetaminophen overdoses can cause liver failure.

As for ibuprofen, common side effects mainly involve the gastrointestinal system. It can cause ulcerations, abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, gastritis, and even serious gastrointestinal bleeding. Sometimes, stomach ulceration and bleeding can occur without abdominal pain, and black tarry stools, weakness, and dizziness upon standing may be the only signs of internal bleeding.

And finally, back to the premise that if it’s over the counter, it’s got to be safe. That is truly the costliest and harmful fallacy that everybody has believed about OTC sleep aids being safer than prescription sleeping pills.

The reason is this. OTC sleep aids are not regulated and therefore, prone to abuse. If the OTC sleep aids were used as they were originally intended for i.e. to treat allergies or relieve mild pain that usually resolve within days, their sedative side effects would have been limited.

And because using OTC sleep aids does not require a doctor’s consultation and supervision, potential drug interactions would not have been flagged out and underlying serious side effects would have gone undetected.

Also, you can develop a tolerance for over-the-counter sleep aids after using them for just a few days. You may find quickly that you’ll need to pop in more pills each time to accomplish the same effect.

Last but not least, a so-called transcient insomnia may progress into a chronic insomnia if the root of the problem is not resolved. A slippery slope indeed. Don’t we all agree that insomnia is just a symptom of an underlying problem? And for many of us occasional insomniacs, it’s always triggered by something called stress.

Here’s a tip. Today, researchers have found that the best treatment for insomnia with the highest success rates is to change our thought patterns to then change our behaviors into those that induce sleep. So, it’s really all in the mind.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sleep-articles/otc-sleep-aids-are-they-safer-than-prescription-sleeping-pills-451775.html

Insomnia is a common problem that may be temporary or chronic. As many as one in 10 Americans have chronic insomnia, and at least one in four has difficulty sleeping sometimes. But that doesn’t mean you have to just put up with sleepless nights. Some simple changes in your daily routine and habits may result in better sleep.

Insomnia can cause problems during the day, such as excessive sleepiness, fatigue, trouble thinking clearly or staying focused, or feeling depressed or irritable. It is not defined by the number of hours you sleep every night. Although the amount of sleep a person needs varies, most people need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night.

Most adults have experienced insomnia or sleeplessness at one time or another in their lives. An estimated 30-50% of the general population is affected by insomnia, and 10% have chronic insomnia. Insomnia affects all age groups. Among older adults, insomnia affects women more often than men. The incidence increases with age.

Not getting enough sleep is real curse, believe me I know. I’ve suffered from insomnia for many years now and have tried many assorted insomnia treatments with varying success. This website has been put together after years of sleep problems, with the aim of collecting together the information that has helped me with my long battle with insomnia.

Cures for Insomnia

Try a warm bath or hot shower before bedtime. Keep the bedroom temperature comfortable, not too hot or too cold. A heated blanket can be relaxing as well. Use cotton sheets with your favorite pillow(s).

Avoid stimulants such as caffeine or nicotine. It’s best to abstain from these altogether but if you can’t then try to avoid them before late afternoon/ early evening.

Do not allow yourself to take any naps during the day. While you may feel that power naps are refreshing your body throughout the day, they interrupt your nightly sleep cycle. They prevent your body from entering into the deeper sleep stages needed to refresh your body.

Participants in the study warm their hands and feet through relaxation techniques like visualization and deep breathing, which helps to draw the blood from the core of the body to the extremities.

Take from this what you will. It works for me whenever I need it, and it works for others too I understand. So if you simply need a bit of help getting to sleep, and you’d rather not resort to liquor or drugs or a depressing visit to the doctors, perhaps give this a try.

Honey is beneficial in the treatment of insomnia. It has a hypnotic action and induces a sound sleep. It should be taken with water, before going to bed, in doses of two teaspoons in a large cup of water. Babies generally fall asleep after taking honey.

Stress is something we can overcome with persistence. There are many ways of coping with stress and again, different things work for different people. We’ll look at lots of them in these pages.

Overweight people, or those with sinus problems, may have `sleep apnoea’, a term describing cessation of breath during the night, usually accompanied by heavy snoring. Consult your health practitioner, because there are cures and sleep apnoea prevents you from getting the levels of REM sleep we all need to function healthily.

Article Source: http://corwinbrown.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/insomnia-cures-for-insomnia-367308.html

When people say “insomnia,” the mental picture is usually that of the red-eyed man trying his hardest to get some sleep. With fluffy sheep prancing in front of him and the numbers ticking off to the thousands, we are so used to the belief that we have to count sheep when we get to sleep. But we can actually fight insomnia, if we knew what caused it in the first place. So read on, absorb and apply the following tips to cure insomnia.

Tip to Cure Insomnia # 1: Get yourself checked.

When you have a hard time either falling asleep or staying asleep, then you may be suffering from insomnia. Worry not, you are not alone. Insomnia is actually a common sleep disorder and so many people go through sleepless nights at some point in their lifetime.

Around a third of the world’s population, actually, are full-fledged insomniacs. May the cause be: stress, anxiety, fatigue, or depression–consult your trusted medical professional for a more accurate assessment. It may well be a sign of some unseen illness.

Tip to Cure Insomnia # 2: Have your bed companion checked too.

There is a possibility that the person you share your bed with is the very factor for your situation. If his or her snoring just jars you awake, tell your partner to see a medical professional and have his or her snoring problem checked. It may be the result of an allergy, an effect of hypothyroidism, sleep apnea, or a deviated septum. In any case, seek medical opinion. Deal with the snoring so you’ll both snooze well.

Tip to Cure Insomnia # 3: Use relaxation techniques.

Practice relaxation exercises such as yoga, meditation, and tai chi. Rest in bed and take deep breaths for five minutes or until you drift off to sleep. Picture yourself in a peaceful and quiet place, your own personal paradise. The idea is to be free of stress, even if it’s just in your dreams. Address any conflicts or problems before bedtime so you may have peace of mind and be freed to go to bed worry-less.

Tip to Cure Insomnia # 4: For crying out loud, get that leak fixed.

If the faucet is leaking and the sound of the water dripping is keeping you away from sleep, a temporary solution would be to tie a piece of string around the tap, going all the way down to the sink, so the water will merely run down the length of the string noiselessly instead of crashing down with a heavy plink. Then when you awake, seek a lasting solution and finally call the plumber.

Tip to Cure Insomnia # 5: Hide that clock.

With the clock making that annoying ticking, you get anxious; and in that agitated state, it will be all the more difficult for you to get some shuteye. So don’t look at the clock. Face it the other way if you must. If it’s the kind that ticks and tocks annoyingly, get rid of it. Use a silent one instead, the type that doesn’t have a second hand so you’re not tormented every night with the sound of each passing second of precious sleep you lose.

Tip to Cure Insomnia # 6: Sing yourself a lullaby.

There’s a reason lullabies were invented, and if they work for infants, then it will most likely work for you too. Glory in the sound of your own voice and sing in bed. I have tried this myself and found that it works miracles. Sing only the mellow stuff, however, as noisier numbers might keep even the cats wide awake.

Insomnia need not be something that makes you suffer mercilessly. With these tips to cure insomnia, I’ve shown you that the causes for your sleeplessness and even their cures may actually be so simple. Now throw those sleeping pills down the bowl, hide that clock, take deep breaths, and drift off to sleep.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/tips-to-cure-insomnia-fight-insomnia-and-get-to-sleep-easily-180092.html

Insomnia is more common in women as opposed to men. Experts say that every woman will experience a certain degree of insomnia at least once in her life due to certain hormonal imbalances. This usually happens during perimenopausal stages while younger women suffer from insomnia caused by premenstrual syndrome. Insomnia, however, must not be mistaken for getting insufficient sleep as women differ when it comes to the amount of sleep they need. There is this big difference between needing less sleep and not being able to sleep whenever you need it.

To cure insomnia in women, you have to alleviate the causes of sleeping disorders. It is easy to blame it on hormones, but more often than not, it is not the sole culprit. Chronic stress, for example, is a huge contributor to insomnia in women. Stress causes adrenal exhaustion of the DHEA hormone which is an essential sleep regulator. Too much consumption of alcohol, caffeine and carbohydrates especially right before bedtime causes unnecessary alertness that keeps you from sleeping. Unresolved conflicts and anxieties also lead to lack of sleep which makes women prone to insomnia.

There is a large misconception about over-the-counter sleeping pills as being the cure for insomnia. Truth is, sleeping pills are a mere short-term reliever and a dependency on them can induce further sleeping problems. What is needed, then, is to remedy the causes of insomnia in women through natural methods that maintain hormonal balance and ensure a healthy lifestyle.

One thing that works wonders with insomniacs is keeping a sleep journal at your bedside table to track down what exactly is causing your insomnia. On a notebook, simply write down the time you went to bed, the time you awakened in the middle of the night, and the time you got up in the morning.

You may also want to take note of your premenstrual and postmenstrual experience to see if it has an effect on your sleeping habits. Try to maintain the journal in about three months and reread it to find out if there is some kind of pattern. If the journal seems to show you that you are having transitory insomnia during your menstrual cycle, then your hormones might be causing it.

There are measures you can follow in order to alleviate the symptoms of hormonal insomnia. The easiest way is to drink at least one glass of water before going to sleep. Avoidance of caffeine 6 hours before bed time or anything high in sugar content 2 hours before, also prevents insomnia as these chemicals cause mental and physical alertness.

Eating food that is high in magnesium is the way to go for insomniacs. Magnesium-rich foods are soybeans, almonds, lima beans and the likes. Food rich in estrogen has to be added in your diet as well especially if you are in a premenopausal stage. Phytoestrogens are apples, carrots, green beans, and potatoes.

Regular exercise also prevents the symptoms of insomnia in women whose tasks are not quite physically demanding. At least 30 minutes a day, thrice a week will do to avoid insomnia. Indulging yourself in physical activities especially those that allow you to socialize at the same time also discourage stress and fatigue that usually leads to insomnia.

Maintaining a positive outlook in life is essential in keeping a sound mind and body. Always remember that creating lasting relationships and keeping a fair conscience is the best way to ensure a good night’s sleep.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/natural-treatment-of-insomnia-in-women-the-road-to-dreamland-594267.html

Been sleepless lately and you are looking for effective insomnia cures? With the present modern living and very busy lifestyle that most individuals are into, insomnia had become one of the chronic illnesses affecting every adult today. Pressures and stress about anything is the primary causes of this problem that is best described as simple the inability to get some sleep or go to sleep. It may sound simple, but getting the appropriate insomnia cure for your condition maybe very challenging.

Usually, busy people resort to sleeping pills or taking those tea and other sleep inducing drinks before going to bed. But here is another way to fight insomnia without taking anything literally. This approach is generally called drug-free techniques to relax the mind and body thus promoting sleep.

Technique #1: Manage stress and relax (The do-it-yourself insomnia cures)

As mentioned, stress and pressures are the main causes why you cannot sleep. Therefore, the foremost technique that you should try is to learn to put yourself in a relaxed state. There are a number of activities that you can do while you are lying on your bed to promote relaxation like:

• Mind counting or spelling. Engaging the brain in a task which is boring for you. If you do not like number, then you can make your own version of the exercise called “counting sheep”. The main purpose here is to render the brain numb.
• Deep breathing. Adults are usually caught guilty of improper breathing so, doing the proper deep abdominal breathing can let in adequate supply of oxygen. Also, the activity itself, breathing through the nose and breathing out through the mouth are already good relaxing moves.
• Muscle relaxation. This technique is basically voluntarily tensing and relaxing your muscles from your feet going up. As you lie on your bed, you start working on the muscles of your feet and tense it to the max and relaxing it after. Do the tensing and relaxing by group of muscles going up until you reached our head.
• Visualization. With the help of music, you can close your eyes and visualize yourself in a calm and peaceful place. Concentrate on the calmness and feel it physically. There are a number CDs that you can purchase in stores that are recommended to be used for this activity.

Technique #2 Seek Professional Help

When your insomnia condition does not respond positively with the abovementioned easy strategies, maybe it is the time to consider seeing a professional to assess your condition further. Sometimes, other undiagnosed illness may cause the insomnia. Proper assessment is needed in order to determine the appropriate insomnia cure for your condition. Persistent insomnia is mostly only a sign of an underlying sleeping disorder that needs to be discovered and treated together with the insomnia itself. Depression and anxiety are two most common forms of these underlying conditions. Therefore, the usually do-it-yourself insomnia cures may need additional support from medications and/or further assistance from a professional.

If you are experiencing insomnia today and are desperately looking for effective insomnia cures, you can employ either of the techniques mentioned above. Further, observe the frequency and the gravity of your insomnia attacks so that you can better decide which of these two techniques to follow.

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