Insomnia

Insomnia is a feeling of not being able to get enough sleep. It is usually related to finding it hard to get to sleep, waking up without having had enough sleep, or having unrefreshing sleep.

The first thing experts will tell you about sleep is that there is no "magic number." While you may be at your absolute best sleeping seven hours a night, someone else may clearly need nine hours to have a happy, productive life.

The symptoms of insomnia typically include:

• difficulty getting to sleep (taking more than 45 minutes to get to sleep),

• Difficulty staying asleep (frequent awakenings and difficulty getting back to sleep),

• early morning waking,

• feeling tired and unrefreshed in the morning.

The exact function of sleep is not fully understood, but the effects of lack of sleep suggest that its main function is to rest and repair the body. Some people notice that the irritability that results from their insomnia has an effect on partners, families and work colleagues. Accident statistics have shown that daytime sleepiness can double the chance of having an accident while operating machinery or driving a car. There's also a link with physical illness and people with insomnia have an increased risk of dying from cancer, heart disease or stroke. There is a greater likelihood of obesity due to an increased appetite caused by sleep deprivation and an increased risk for psychiatric conditions including depression and substance abuse.

Insomnia can be described as either transient, intermittent or chronic. Transient lasts only a few nights to a few weeks. Intermittent insomnia occurs occasionally but not every night. Chronic insomnia occurs most nights and lasts three or more weeks.

Typically, there is no single cause for insomnia but a number of factors are known to contribute.

• Lifestyle - eating late at night, jet lag, hunger, alcohol, caffeine, stimulant drugs, including nicotine.

• Environment – noise (eg partner snoring), stuffy room, uncomfortable bed or bedroom.

• Physical health problems – sleep apnoea (abnormal breathing while asleep), asthma, tinnitus, pain, prostate problems that mean frequent trips to the toilet at night, and indigestion.

• Psychological – including stress or grief.

• Mental health problem such as depression or anxiety.

• Medication – eg certain tablets for asthma and treatments for nasal congestion, vertigo and depression.

Rarely, insomnia occurs even when none of the above are present. This is known as 'primary' insomnia.

There are a number of things that people affected by insomnia can do to help themselves.

• Avoid taking cat-naps during the day.

• Reduce the number of cups of coffee, tea or cola drinks you drink, especially later on in the day.

• Only drink alcohol in moderation. It may bring on sleepiness, but will tend to cause early waking.

• Stop smoking – nightime breathing problems are more likely in smokers.

• Take regular exercise, but avoid strenuous activity immediately before going to bed.

• Try to get into a daily routine. Go to bed the same time each night and get up the same time each morning.

• Finish eating at least 2-3 hours before your regular bedtime

• Work out how many hours sleep you can manage with before daytime sleepiness becomes a problem. Becoming unnecessarily stressed over insomnia can lead to a vicious cycle.

• If you can't sleep, get up and read in a dim light until you feel sleepy. Don't watch television or lie in bed thinking about how much sleep you are missing.

•Create a relaxed mood include taking a warm bath, having a milky drink, or listening to soothing music - – begin an hour or more before the time you expect to fall asleep

•Mentally dealing with the day's unfinished business is also helpful. Writing down any worries to deal with the next day may help to clear them from the mind and prevent them re-surfacing in the early hours.

•Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex (keep "sleep stealers" out of the bedroom – avoid watching TV or using a computer in the bedroom as these also contribute to electro magnetic stress).