For chronic insomnia it is possible to have a formal evaluation and diagnosis conducted by a sleep specialist to find out if it is caused by a medical or other condition. Part of such an assessment may involve having your sleeping patterns analyzed.

For those who are interested in a sleep self-test, I have put together a series of questions that can be used as a way to start to track your sleeping behavior. By answering the ten questions below you can identify your sleep habits and patterns.

This information can help you to figure out how to sleep better and to choose the best of the natural cures for insomnia for you.

To gain a more accurate and consistent sleep assessment, you could keep a log on a daily basis to record the patterns in your sleep history.

• 1. Do you frequently have difficulty falling asleep and/or maintaining sleep?

• 2. For how many hours, do you tend to sleep at night?

• 3. What time do you tend to fall asleep?

• 4. How many times during the night do you tend to wake up?

• 5. If you wake up during the night, how long do you tend to be awake before you fall asleep again?

• 6. How many nights per week do you tend to snore? (Ask your partner or family members!)

• 7. How many nights per week do you tend to move restlessly in your sleep? (Ask your partner or family members!)

• 8. What time do you tend to finally wake up in the morning?

• 9. If you take a nap during the day, at what time do you tend to go to sleep?

• 10. If you take a nap during the day, for how long do you tend to sleep?

DISCLAIMER:

The content and opinions delivered through this website are offered as a source of information about health and well-being and are for informational purposes only. The articles and written comments made on this site are not to be understood as a substitute for the accurate and appropriate professional medical advice in a one-on-one relationship with a Medical Doctor.

Insomnia is a condition of having difficulty in falling asleep and/or maintaining sleep. Insomnia is experienced as a result of either poor quality or quantity of sleep, despite having the time and desire to sleep.

What Type of Insomnia Do I have?

Uncovering the type of insomnia will give you insight into the cause and solution for the problem as well as suggest for you some natural cures for insomnia. Take the time to answer the questions below to identify the possible type of insomnia.

Which of the following statements is true for you?

• I tend to be unable to sleep for one week or less. (This is called transient insomnia.)
• I tend to be unable to sleep for between one to three weeks. (This is called short-term insomnia.)
• I tend to be unable to sleep for more than three weeks and up to three months. (This is called chronic insomnia.)

For transient and short-term insomnia, the insomnia resolves itself quickly when the cause passes or is removed. For chronic insomnia, seeking insomnia help from a Doctor who is a sleep specialist is highly recommended. There may be medical and psychiatric conditions responsible for causing chronic insomnia.

Do you have any of the following factors occurring in your life?

• Physical discomfort
• Snoring
• Shift work
• Drug or alcohol withdrawal
• Caffeine before bed
• Cigarette smoking
• Stressful life or work situation

All of the above factors can be the source of insomnia in the short-term and you may sleep better once they have been removed or corrected.  It usually does not last for more than 3 weeks. With short-term and stress-related insomnia it is easily reversed when the situation causing the stress is over or is resolved. It will pass.

Some types of insomnia may not be connected with an underlying condition.  Consider the following questions:

• Are you unable to relax your mind due to busy thoughts?
• Does your thinking increase when you try to fall asleep?
• Do you often feel anxious when going to bed?

If you answer ‘yes’ to these three questions, you may suffer from a combination of psychological and physiological insomnia.

Finally, there is a type of insomnia where you may complain of insomnia, but if you were to have a professional sleep study done it would indicate that you have a normal pattern of sleep.  It is where you don’t think you have slept at all, but your partner tells you were asleep and you might remember that you were dreaming. This is called subjective insomnia.

What Insomnia Treatments Are There?

The treatment depends on the source of the problem. If you identified the obvious cause earlier in this article, it is simply a matter of dealing with the factor or issue. Removing the cause will likely cure the insomnia. If you don’t tackle the problem and deal with the underlying cause, the insomnia may continue.

For lifestyle problems such as poor diet, lack of exercise, stress and worrying – it is simply a matter of changing your habits during the day (read my 7 Steps article for more information.)

For snoring problems, there are many natural snoring remedies including pillows, alcohol and smoking reduction, weight loss, and nasal strips (check out this anti snoring aids site for more information.)

If your insomnia persists a medical evaluation by your Doctor is definitely advisable. Medicinenet has more information on insomnia diagnosis and treatments.

DISCLAIMER: The content and opinions delivered through this website are offered as a source of information about health and well-being and are for informational purposes only. The articles and written comments made on this site are not to be understood as a substitute for the accurate and appropriate professional medical advice in a one-on-one relationship with a Medical Doctor.

If you answered yes to these questions, you may be highly sensitive. Your level of sensitivity may explain your insomnia. Your causes of insomnia may be different than other people because of your sensitivity. Seeing and understanding the underlying cause is a major part of the cure.

Elaine Aron writes about the personality trait of high sensitivity that affects one out of every five people. According to Dr. Aron, this person has a sensitive nervous system and therefore is more easily overwhelmed in a stimulating environment. It  is not uncommon for very sensitive people to have sleep problems because they are SO aware of the subtleties in their environment.

They are built to experience everything very deeply and tune into all the details around them. As they are strongly sensitive to distractions, noises, movements, temperatures, and sensations, they are more likely to notice them as well as be awakened by them.

So… Are You Highly Sensitive?

Take this self-test to find out your degree of sensitivity. There is also a super sensitive person self-test that you can take to get more detailed feedback.

What is the Cure for Insomnia for Sensitive People?

If you are one it is important therefore that you understand and accept the way you are. There are many things you can do to help yourself to sleep better at night. The key is to avoid over-stimulating yourself in the evening and giving yourself time to relax.

Here are some natural cures for insomnia:

• Create a nest – a safe place to sleep – that is quiet and dark and set at a cool temperature. Block out as much light and sound stimulation as possible. Maybe earplugs and a sleeping eye mask will help you to tune out and turn off at night. (Personally, I don’t like them as the ear plugs hurt my ears and the mask makes me sweat)
• If you sleep with a partner who tends to be restless, you may find that you need your own bed or room to sleep in
• Go to bed around 10pm
• Do not watch stimulating TV at night
• Do not use a computer before bed
• Do not exercise in the evening
• Eat your evening meal by 7pm
• Take regular warm baths with a few drops of lavender oil before going to bed (put a drop on your pillow)
• Schedule some down time for yourself every day
• Give yourself plenty of opportunity and time to think during the day (let your mind roam like a herd of buffaloes across the plains)

For more information on and practical help with your high sensitivity, check out the following books.

The Highly Sensitive Person:

Daily Exercises For Calming Your Senses:

DISCLAIMER: The content and opinions delivered through this website are offered as a source of information about health and well-being and are for informational purposes only. The articles and written comments made on this site are not to be understood as a substitute for the accurate and appropriate professional medical advice in a one-on-one relationship with a Medical Doctor.

It is all about letting yourself rest and relax in order to improve your ability to get to sleep and stay asleep for the night. In fact, the bottom line is that you do know how to fall asleep. You have had this ability since you were young.

I have had insomnia on and off for many years. The following are the natural cures for insomnia that I’ve found provide the best help over time. Try the following insomnia remedies to improve your ability to get to sleep and improve the quality of your sleep.

1. Natural Supplements

For immediate relief from chronic insomnia, try taking natural supplements that contain GABA, melatonin and valerian. But check with your Doctor first. I only like to take them as an occasional insomnia treatment as I don’t want to develop a psychological dependence on them even if they are natural.  Furthermore, I believe that insomnia drugs are only a short-term solution and might make you worse in the long run. For more information on natural aids for sleeping, take a look at this site: About Natural Sleep Aids.

2. Develop An Evening Routine

Having a regular routine at the end of the day is conducive to sleep. The aim is to train yourself (mind and body) to relax before going to bed. Try to go to bed at about the same time every night. Many people like routine. It is comforting.

Identify if you are a lark or an owl – as your natural body clock can affect the quality and quantity of rest you are getting. Set your regular time for falling asleep based on whether you are a lark or an owl. Furthermore if you are a lark, taking a nap if possible around 1pm can improve your well-being. If you are an owl, the best time for a nap is around 2.30pm.

3. Manage Your Stress Levels

We live in a stressful world. Managing stress is important in adjusting your lifestyle to help alleviate insomnia and improve your quality of life. There are activities that can help reduce your stress level, such as playing sports; connecting with friends; taking care of plants and pets; massages; stretching; walking in nature; regular vacations; and talking about your life to a trusted friend.

4. Regular Light Exercise

Aerobic exercise three times per week will help improve your health and well-being and play a part in your insomnia cure. I suggest going for a light run in a park or on a field if you can – even if it is only running for 30 seconds. Gradually increase the time you do run.  I find that a brisk walk is the next best thing. I like to go for a brisk walk or run on a Saturday morning, a swim for 30 minutes on a Monday evening, and go dancing for an hour on a Thursday evening. All kinds of dancing provide light aerobic exercise, such as tango, jive, hip hop, jazz and cha cha cha, The best time I find for exercise is between 5pm and 7pm. Exercising later than that can cause insomnia for some people.

5. Eat Well, But Eat Right

What you eat can be one of the insomnia causes. Eating a healthy diet can help you sleep better at night because your body is better able to digest some food more than others. What you eat and how you eat is also your best defense against disease and illness. Certain foods can interfere with sleep, especially those that stimulate wakefulness.  Spicy foods can cause heartburn.

6. Reduce The Addictions

Over time, aim to minimize your dependence on caffeine, sugar, alcohol, drugs, and TV. These addictions can affect the length and quality of your sleep through the over-stimulation of your nervous system. They can impair your body and lower your immune system.

7. There’s No Need To Worry

Do you have trouble switching off your mind at night? Do you find that you can’t stop thinking about the events of your day? If so, often writing out your worries will allow you to let go of these thoughts and relax. Each night before going to sleep, write down all of your worries on a piece of paper and put them into a worry box for safe keeping. Now you can forget about them until the morning when you can take the worries out once more and deal with them.

Conclusion

Focus on applying the above steps as best as you can. Little by little. One small step at a time will lead to the cure for insomnia. It is important that we get adequate amounts of sleep. Most people need at least seven to eight hours per night.  Getting enough sleep lightens our mood,  increases our energy levels and improves our health and well-being.

DISCLAIMER: The content and opinions delivered through this website are offered as a source of information about health and well-being and are for informational purposes only.  The articles and written comments made on this site are not to be understood as a substitute for the accurate and appropriate professional medical advice in a one-on-one relationship with a Medical Doctor.

Many people struggle to fall asleep during the night.  Insomnia can make you and those around you miserable.

So, Why Do Some Of Us Just Stop Sleeping?

The internet is full of pages discussing a variety of factors which could contribute to insomnia, all illustrating that there is no single cause for this condition. I’ve witnessed many different causes having lived with insomnia myself and known people who have suffered from it.

Causes of insomnia are often separated into categories which can cause insomnia for different periods of time.  Insomnia can be transient, flitting in and out of our lives, short-term or in the worst case scenario – chronic.

One of the most prominent categories is psychological problems.  This category includes anxiety, stress and depression, which could be evoked by situations such as relationship problems, bereavement, work problems and ironically, anxiety about not being able to sleep.  Generally ‘worrying’ about something in your life can prevent you from sleeping.

If you suffer with back pain or you’ve sustained an injury, physical pain can break your sleep pattern and leave you with insomnia.  I have asthma and once had a chest infection which left a niggling cough.  I continued to wake from coughing every night for 3 months.  Many women also suffer from insomnia during the menopause, experiencing broken sleep due to hot flushes.

Medicines and drugs themselves can have side effects that reduce your quality of sleep. These are not natural cures for insomnia.  When you stop taking a medication a type of withdrawal may be experienced in the form of insomnia.

Lifestyle habits can also contribute to insomnia.  It could be your sleeping environment –excess noise or light, the temperature of your room, your partner’s snoring!  What do you do before bed, are your end of day activities stimulating you?  Playing computer games, watching TV and exercising before bed can prevent you from falling asleep.  Caffeine and nicotine are common stimulants associated with insomnia, even eating late at night can have an effect.  Many of us think an alcoholic drink, a ‘night cap’ will help us sleep, but alcohol is actually associated with sleep disruption.

Jet lag and working shifts also ‘knocks’ our natural body clock out of rhythm which causes insomnia until our body’s rhythm is restored.

As you can you see, there are many things that can prevent a good night’s sleep, once you identify your personal ‘triggers’ you’re on the road to sleeping soundly.

We will go into more depth on the various causes and how to identify your causes in future articles.

When you see and understand the source of the problem, you can find the right natural cure for you.

This article was written by Anna T.

DISCLAIMER: The content and opinions delivered through this website are offered as a source of information about health and well-being and are for informational purposes only.  The articles and written comments made on this site are not to be understood as a substitute for the accurate and appropriate professional medical advice in a one-on-one relationship with a Medical Doctor.