Insomnia Can Be A Nightmare

Many adults would like to get more sleep. I know that I would, although it is not clear how much sleep is absolutely essential. I have found that I often feel more tired after 10-12 hours of sleep then if I had slept for a mere 7-8 hours. It is a fact that human beings do need a certain amount of sleep and that sleep must come in certain stages. It is also true that not everyone needs nor functions on the same amount of sleep.

Conventional thinking is that the average healthy adult needs around 8 hours sleep per night. In reality, people need the amount of sleep that they can function best at. Some people function great with only 5 hours of sleep per night while others may need 10 or more. In addition, sleep needs can vary throughout a single persons lifetime for various reasons including, age, health, and stress levels, among others.

Insomnia is one of the more common sleep disorders. Over 50% of adults have experienced one or more symptoms of insomnia in their lifetime. Symptoms include; trouble falling asleep. trouble staying asleep, and trouble sleeping through the night. One or two nights of insomnia will not cause much trouble, but chronic insomnia can indirectly be life threatening.

Chronic insomnia can cause you to have a higher risk of accidents and poor judgment which can sometimes be fatal. Driving while sleepy can often be as risky as drinking and driving. In more severe cases, insomnia can cause severe sleep deprivation, which can mimic psychosis. Some researchers believe that the psychosis is actually wakeful dreaming, but either way it can be very dangerous. Whether psychosis is caused from a psychiatric disorder or caused by sleep deprivation, it is still a break from reality.

Researchers tell us that there are five stages of sleep; stages one through four and REM sleep.

Stage one is a very light sleep, with two, three, and four getting progressively deeper. It is very difficult to wake someone out of a stage three or four sleep. REM sleep is when dreams occur. REM stands for rapid eye movement and in normal sleep patterns the physical body is paralyzed for safety. Each cycle of sleep (the five stages) last from 90 to 110 minutes.

There are various causes of insomnia including but not limited to; stress, worry, pyschological disturbances, physiological conditions, and chemical reasons. Certain medications can cause insomnia as can some illicit drugs.

The most common cause is stress and worry; meditating for about 20 minutes before bedtime can help and soothing sounds may help one drift off to sleep.

Insomnia can be treated both chemically and naturally. A natural treatment is more beneficial and should be exhausted before resorting to chemical treatments. Natural treatments include a reduction of stress, regular exercise, healthy eating, and a regular sleep schedule. As always, consult a doctor if you feel that your condition is chronic. Sleeping pills can be habit forming and may exacerbate the problem in some cases. Sometimes a warm cup of herbal tea and an understanding spouse may be all that you need. Get some rest!