According to statistics, about 40 million Americans struggle with insomnia each year. Of course, insomnia is a sleep disorder and it is a condition in which an individual finds it difficult in falling and staying asleep. Some people fall asleep but can’t stay asleep for long and that leads us to the different types of insomnia.
There is a need to understand the types, symptoms, and causes so that we can then find an appropriate solution. In this case, there are two types of insomnia and that includes acute and chronic insomnia. Acute insomnia is whereby an individual loses sleep for a short period of time and some of the causes include stress, excessive worry, bad news, illness, and emotional discomfort among other causes.
Chronic insomnia is whereby the symptoms of insomnia persist or a situation where you fail to fall asleep for a longer time and in more days of the week. Some of the causes of chronic insomnia can include depression, chronic stress, anxiety, or pain and discomfort at night.
Symptoms of insomnia
It is important also to understand the symptoms of someone suffering from this sleep disorder so that it can be easy to prescribe the solution. Some of the symptoms or signs that can easily show a person is suffering from this sleep disorder include:
- Difficulty in concentration
- Mood swings and behavior disturbances
- Aggression and impulsive behaviors
- Experiencing daytime sleepiness
- General feeling of lack of energy
- Decreased performance in school or at work
How to treat and overcome insomnia
Now that you know the two types of insomnia; that is acute and chronic insomnia, the causes, and the symptoms, if you are suffering from the same and you need to deal with it, there are some of the proven ways that can work for you. Here are some of the few tips to help you restore your normal sleep.
See a doctor
If it’s a disease or illness, you can’t avoid that unless you visit a doctor or therapist. Some of the illnesses and diseases that cause insomnia can be treated and that would lead to better sleep once that illness has been dealt with. In some cases, you might also need to see an acupuncture therapist and he or she will help you with some of the ways to cope with stress or depression.
Make your bedroom comfortable
Bedroom environment should be kept clean and comfortable at all times. When the bedroom environment is messy, dusty, and uncomfortable, you may find it difficult to fall or stay asleep due to irritation. In this case, you need to get the right type of blankets, comfortable bed, clean your room, and even have a cool mist or warm mist humidifier for getting rid of dry hot or cold air at night. That way, you will have dealt with issues that perhaps are causing your sleeplessness.
Develop a bedtime ritual
Bedtime ritual is whereby you keep a consistent schedule of the time that you go to bed and the wake-up time. To deal with insomnia, and to train your body so that you will always fall asleep at the right time, you need to keep a consistent sleep time and wake up time. In addition to that, keep your bed only for what it intended for and don’t do anything else like reading while on the bed. That has been proven to be helpful and it will also be a solution that you need to try.
Avoid alcohol and stimulants
Alcohol and stimulants like caffeine are some of the worst to take when it is almost bedtime. Therefore, if you want to avoid or overcome sleeplessness if this is the case, then you need to limit your intake of caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine is known to activate the mind and will remain active in mind for a long time hence you need to stop afternoon stimulants if you are to fall and stay asleep at night.
Engage in regular exercises
Exercises are also important. It has been proven that engaging in regular exercises is helpful in improving sleep quality and also the sleep duration. However, it has also been noted that exercises that come immediately before bedtime can still make your body and mind active and that can also result in sleeplessness. Therefore, you need to carry out your exercises some good hours before bedtime.
If you know what ails your sleep, then it would be easier to apply the right solution to the same problem. If it’s caffeine, alcohol, or other stimulants, you need to avoid. If it’s the condition or the bedroom environment, then you need to change it for the better and so on.
