пятница, 30 августа 2013 г.

Insomnia and treatment methods available

A sleep disorder is a major disturbance of a person’s regular sleep habit that may influence their ability to continue with daily routine. When not treated properly, sleep disorders can have a number of serious health consequences. Sleeplessness, sleepwalking, sleep apnea, narcolepsy and sleep terrors are the most frequent sleep disorders occurring in millions of patients. Sleep apnoea is a condition that leads to short periods of oxygen deprivation, when the patient can stop breathing while sleeping. Narcolepsy is a condition of neurological nature characterized by bouts of sleepiness that cannot be controlled. Night terrors and sleepwalking are two problems most frequently found in children. Insomnia is by far the most frequent sleep disorder of all, with over 60% of adults in the United States likely to suffer from it at least once every week.

The most common symptoms of insomnia include daytime sleepiness, waking up tired, difficulty falling asleep, waking up often during the night and difficulty concentrating. The most frequent causes of insomnia include stress, everyday anxieties, depressed mood, substance or alcohol abuse, having health conditions like arthritis, lung disease, stroke or GERD, and poor sleep routine or environment. Some medicine may also cause sleeplessness, especially antidepressants, heart drugs, high blood pressure drugs, cold or allergies drugs and painkillers. Sleep deprivation caused by insomnia can lead to poor concentration, a serious illness or feeling depressed.
The treatment is recommended based on the cause of the problem and has to be tailored to the patient’s needs. Insomnia is usually treated with a combination of prescription drugs that help you rest while sleeping and certain lifestyle modifications. You will need to think of certain new habits and routines that will help you fall asleep sooner and avoid waking up during the night. Sound sleep hygiene is another crucial aspect of increasing the quality of your sleep. Your bedroom has to be used for the purpose of sleeping and sex, while all other activities have to be done outside of it. It’s key that you have a special bedtime routine and a solid schedule so that your body would get plenty of rest during the time it has to. You may consider taking a good look at your present sleeping atmosphere, introducing any changes necessary to make it more comfortable for soothing sleep without waking up for no obvious reason. Lifestyle adjustments like consuming less caffeine, avoiding food close to bedtime, getting physical exercise in the first half of the day and starting a sleep diary may prove very useful for most people with insomnia.

You may be recommended to take advantage of special relaxation techniques, cognitive-behavioral therapy combined with positive thinking, diet changes, being more physically active and avoiding sleeping during the day. In some cases, however, you will have to take special sleeping medicine like cheap Ambien for a few days. Such sleeping medicine will let you rest while making other long-term changes in order to cure sleeplessness and forget about its symptoms.