Insomnia: Causes,Treatment and Help

Insomnia is an extremely difficult thing to cure because it has so many causes. What it really is? Is just a general indication that something is wrong mentally or physically? Almost everybody goes through phases of insomnia. This is normal and on average lasts only a day to a few weeks. This is not a problem that requires medical or psychiatric intervention. However, in the case of a much smaller percentage of the population it can last for a year or more. Insomnia can be broken down into two main problem categories: falling asleep and staying asleep. Falling asleep is usually associated with problems of anxiety whereas staying asleep is usually associated with depression. People do not necessarily know they suffer from depression. Depression does not always make itself known via the "woe is me" type of thinking. Men much more than women are often unaware that they suffer from depression. Also different people have different sleep requirements. Just because you only sleep four hours a day does not mean you are an insomniac. If you feel rested you have probably had the proper amount of sleep. Food allergies, drug reactions, metabolism problems, etc. can also cause insomnia. Peter Hauri calls one of the best books on this subject I've read "No More Sleepless Nights". This book goes into numerous causes and solutions, covering material that many of the others don't.

Insomnia is a prevalent condition affecting about 10% of the adult population on a chronic basis. It involves difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, early morning awakenings, or no restorative sleep. Insomnia can occur as a unique disorder, as in primary insomnia, or may be secondary to another medical (e.g., cancer) or psychological condition (e.g., depression or anxiety).

In the past 20 years, there has been an increasing interest in psychological and behavioral factors contributing to insomnia. This had led to the development of diverse psychological therapies for insomnia, many of which have been shown to produce significant and durable effects. However, these interventions remain underutilized because they are not well known to health care practitioners and are less easily accessible, both physically and financially, than pharmacotherapy.

A self-help treatment for insomnia is a valuable alternative to overcome some of these barriers by making treatment more accessible, at a low cost, to a larger number of individuals with insomnia. Self-help treatment refers to any intervention, either for a psychological or physical condition, that is implemented with the assistance of printed material (e.g., books, pamphlets), audio or videotapes, or any other medium (e.g., Internet). It can be implemented with or without guidance from a health care professional

Types Of Insomnia

Cause of Insomnia

Insomnia Treatment

Managing Insomnia

Pregnancy insomnia

Pregnancy and the growth of the child are nothing short of a miracle. Just two cells multiply into trillions of cells and form body parts and organs. There are billions of biochemical processes that have to be just right. To support this creation, female hormones are increased and reduced in production. This causes some problems to the mother -- insomnia being one of the worst. Over three quarter of pregnant women suffer from insomnia, defined as lack of adequate sleep.

Besides hormonal imbalances, pregnancy specific causes of insomnia are - increased size of the stomach causing sleeping posture problem and uneasiness; back pain, as the back muscles have to bear the additional weight; need to urinate more frequently, as the uterus presses against the bladder and reduces the capacity; heartburn, as the stomach is also pressed; anxiety about the delivery and movement of the baby at night. The non-pregnancy specific causes like physical, mental and behavioral patterns that cause insomnia have to be ruled out.

The treatment for insomnia during pregnancy involves effecting life style changes and behavior changes. Relaxation therapy reduces anxiety. There are many relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, music and aromatherapy. The patient should have enough pillows in a large comfortable bed support her changing shape. If frequent urination is a problem, fluid intake should be restricted after late afternoon. A comfortable temperature has to be maintained and external noise should be avoided. Having a warm bath before bedtime will help. Some mild exercises like walking everyday might also help. Stimulants like caffeine and nicotine should be avoided. Taking too many naps in the daytime should be avoided. Having milk before bedtime will induce a good night's sleep. One should not get into bed until sleepy. If the person does not sleep within a short time after getting into bed, it is better to get out of bed and do something else until feeling sleepy again.

Pregnant women should avoid using sleeping pills, as the effects have not been clinically tested for ethical reasons.

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