Insomnia Treatment

Insomnia is a debilitating condition that causes sleepless nights for millions of people. Despite it being a widespread condition, it is still relatively ignored, even by those who suffer from it. Fortunately there are many insomnia treatments available, suited for the type of insomnia you have, and the reasons behind it. These include medical insomnia treatments, herbal insomnia treatments and even psychiatric insomnia treatments.

While there is a lot of medication available for insomnia, some insomnia medication can be addictive, and will become ineffective after continual use. Some people find their insomnia comes back worse when taken off these drugs. For this reason things such as lavender bags make great herbal remedies for insomnia sufferers.

For many forms of insomnia, psychological treatment is by far the best solution. A huge number of insomnia cases are caused by stress, bereavement or other mental shocks. While medical insomnia treatment and herbal insomnia treatment can both be effective for treating these types of insomnia, they do not cure the underlying problem. This makes psychological insomnia treatment an important first step for many insomnia sufferers.

Due to the nature of medical insomnia treatment for most medical insomnia remedies you will need to consult a doctor for a prescription. There are several types of medical insomnia treatments available

Benzodiazepines for Insomnia

Benzodiazepines are hypnotic drugs which are commonly prescribed by doctors for insomnia. Regular use of Benzodiazepines can cause users to develop a tolerance, which can also lead to dependence if used for an extended period of time. Benzodiazepines often appear in drugs such as Temazepam, nitrazepam, flurazepam, triazolam and midazolam.

Non-Benzodiazepines for Insomnia

Non-Benzodiazepines have a much more acute affect on users than benzodiazepines, and also have less side effects. Unfortunately there is also some debate as to the effectiveness of non-benzodiazepines when compard to benzodiazepines. Non-benzodiazepine medication can also cause dependence in physical and mental forms, so must be closely monitored by medical staff.

Antidepressants for Insomnia

Antidepressants can help relieve stress, and many antidepressants can also give sedative like affects, including doxepin and trazodone. Anti-depressants are on occasions prescribed to insomnia sufferers, however due to addictiveness, side effects, and general ineffectiveness on serious insomnia sufferers, it is rare they are given for this condition.

Melatonin for Insomnia

Melatonin can be bought over the counter, and is a fairly mild hormone replacement drug which can help kick start a health sleep/wake cycle in insomnia sufferers. Unfortunately the success rate of melatonin for insomnia is still under debate, and is not a guaranteed cure. melatonin is more ideal for mild cases of insomnia or sleep disturbances than for a chronic or acute insomnia sufferer.

Antihistamines for Insomnia

Antihistamines are another non prescription sedative which can help with sleep cycles. While it is easy to obtain over the counter, and is rather effective, people using antihistamines may become tolerant extremely quickly. This can lead to extreme groggyness.

Herbal remedies tend to be passed along as old wives tales, however there is no doubt that there are some herbal remedies for insomnia which are extremely effective. These herbal remedies for insomnia are,

• Valarian
• Chamomile
• Lavender
• Cannabis

Valerian has shown great promise in insomnia treatment, and can have a beneficial affect on insomnia sufferers, likewise cannabis has shown particularly effective treatment for insomnia sufferers, though unfortunately it is illegal in most states.

Lavender and chamomile are often used as herbal remedies for insomnia, in lavendar bag form, or as a herbal tea.

Alcohol is often turned to as a way of defeating insomnia, and it can work. However an alcohol induced sleep is not restful, and often results in a hangover, leaving the patient unable to function properly the next day.

On top of medical and herbal insomnia remedies there are plenty of well known techniques for inducing sleep. This can include experimenting with warm and cold milk, exercise every afternoon, a warm bath, and even self hypnosis or meditation.

While these are not often clinically proven, they can still help treat insomnia!