Insomnia is estimated to affect more than half of the U.S. adult population and can take several forms: difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, waking up too early or waking up feeling unrefreshed. Sleep loss can have a major impact on our lives, including impairing work performance and communication, and can lead to additional health problems,
Statistics
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that 60 million Americans suffer from chronic insomnia annually. It is considered to be more common in the elderly and often related to other underlying health problems such as sleep apnea, depression, anxiety, or pulmonary or cardiac disease.
In a survey by the National Sleep Foundation, 58 percent of adults reported having insomnia at least a few nights a week.
Medications
In a 2002 poll, 15 percent of Americans surveyed reported using a sleep medication, with that number rising significantly each year. Prescription sleep medications have been considered highly effective to induce sleep, but often come with side effects such as memory loss, headaches, nausea, depression, dizziness, confusion and reduced ability to perform on the job. Commonly used sleep aids are benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines, barbiturates and anti-depressants. Sleep aids carry the risk of addiction, abuse and overdose.
Alternative Therapies
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NIH) analyzed data from a national survey of 31,044 adults conducted in 2002. Of those with insomnia or trouble sleeping, 4.5 percent reported that they had used CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) to treat the condition, which is equal to about 1.62 million adults in the general population. Survey respondents who were younger and who had a higher level of education were more likely to use CAM to help them sleep. Among those who used CAM therapies for their insomnia, 65 percent used biological methods, which include herbal medicines, diet interventions and vitamin therapy.
A study published in the February 2004 by American Psychiatric Press Inc. showed that acupuncture treatment done over a five-week period significantly increased nocturnal melatonin secretion and sleep efficiency, and reduced insomnia and anxiety.
Nutrition
In another study from the NIH titled "The Treatment of Sleep Disorders of Older People," one of the underlying causes of insomnia was thought to be a nutritional deficiency of magnesium and calcium. Calcium is usually thought of as food for our bones, but it's also a natural sedative that releases the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan.
Magnesium is necessary for the movement of ions across cellular membranes and the transmission of nervous impulses. Known for its ability to affect sleep, sleep-related neuroendocrine functions and EEG (electroencephalogram) patterns, magnesium also helps relax the muscles, balance cholesterol levels and assist in temperature regulation. People suffering from a magnesium deficiency can exhibit a wide variety of symptoms such as muscle weakness and spasms, angina, asthma, headaches and anxiety.
Lifestyle
Smoking, alcohol, caffeine, consumption of liquids and exercising close to bedtime are common lifestyle contributors to insomnia. Overthinking, long work hours and overexposure to the media, the Internet and social media are becoming primary sources of sleep disorders. Stress and emotional health, if not managed, will play a significant role in decreasing the amount and quality of sleep.
What to Do
Make sure you have enough outlets through which to reduce the emotional, mental and physical stress in your life. Take a break from work or your laptop and do something else, such as take a short walk, do some deep breathing or catch up with a friend. Take mental health days whenever possible. Go to a spa for a massage, have lunch at a favorite restaurant, meditate, do yoga, hike. Do whatever takes you out of your normal routine for awhile and allows you to let loose and relax.
Try adding 300-500 mg of magnesium citrate and 500-750 mg of calcium to your diet. Taken one hour before bedtime, the combination will help you and your muscles relax and provide valuable minerals you may be missing. It's important to use calcium with vitamins D and K to ensure proper absorption.
Take a look at what you're eating. Getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat by eating plenty of green leafy vegetables and avoiding fatty, refined foods will help keep you on track. Avoiding caffeine and stimulants before bedtime and drinking chamomile or valerian tea instead will put you in a more relaxed state.
Turn off the TV, computer and cell phone! Or at least mute them. Give yourself an hour of down time before you go to sleep. Read a book, listen to relaxing music, do light yoga stretching and keep activity to a minimum. If you must watch TV, avoid the news and enjoy a comedy or reality show. Keep the lights low and your bedroom dark to limit distractions and produce a better sleep environment.
Find an alternative health practitioner. Acupuncture and herbs are very effective and safe alternatives to . Hypnotherapy and guided meditation are also useful and beneficial alternatives.
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