I’m not asleep… but that doesn’t mean I’m awake. ~ Author Unknown

At some point, we all have problems falling asleep. Lying awake at night, tossing and turning. Staring at the clock watching the seconds tick by. For some, it’s an occasional annoyance, but if it continues, it can morph into a major problem.

Lack of sleep not only makes you drowsy during the day, long term it can lead to serious mental and physical health issues. With insomnia, it’s important to be proactive. With a little effort and some life changes, you can live healthier with a good night’s rest.

When we are asleep, there are many strange things that can happen–

• sleep walking
• sleep talking
• nightmares
• grinding teeth
• restless leg syndrome

It’s amazing we get any sleep at all. One common reason you may not be able to fall asleep is an improper sleep schedule. Our bodies adapt to going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day. If we don’t follow the same schedule every day, our brains don’t know when to go to sleep and when to wake up. While it may be more convenient to stay up late and sleep in on weekends, it’s likely going to keep you from getting to sleep on time during the week.

Not staying on a sleep schedule may not only stop you from getting rest at night, it may also affect the kind of sleep you have. If your sleep is restless or you’re not getting enough of a certain type of sleep, you’ll find yourself feeling tired even when you get your full eight hours.

If you don’t get enough sleep the day before, you’ll probably get some coffee or other caffeinated beverage to get yourself going. The problem is that the caffeine could be what’s causing you to toss and turn. Some people can drink a cup of coffee and go right to bed, but others need several hours or longer for the effects to wear off. While caffeine withdrawal will probably leave you dragging for a while, if you lay off the coffee, you’ll probably start getting enough sleep not to need it.

Stress and anxiety could be a big reason for your tossing and turning. If this is the problem, you probably already know it. You’ll often find your mind running through lists and figuring out problems instead of sleeping or even going to bed. To clear your mind and sleep better, try meditating before bedtime to clear your mind and ease you to sleep.

Another reason your brain might have problems shutting off is because you’re doing other things rather than trying to sleep. While watching tv, reading, or listening to the radio might relax you, it doesn’t necessarily put you to sleep – in fact it might be keeping you awake because these are things your mind associates with being up and moving.

If you have tried all the things listed here but still aren’t able to get to sleep at night, consider seeing a doctor. While most people are hesitant about going on a sleep aid, the side effects are generally less troublesome than the side effects of sleep deprivation. If you’re not sleeping well, it can severely affect your physical and emotional health.

Resource: Sleep Well Tonight

Sleep problems are either intrinsic — caused by us — or extrinsic — caused by something else. Two examples of extrinsic causes would be medication or noisy neighbors, but the list of things that can interfere with a good night’s sleep seems endless –

Any of these things can result in excessive daytime sleepiness and abnormal sleeping patterns. Many people have no trouble falling asleep at night, but then wake up a few hours later and can’t get back to sleep. While this is annoying, it may also be indicative of a health problem.

One sleep disorder that doesn’t get much attention is Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS). A person with DSPS feels sleepy during the day and functions well at night. The circadian rhythm in a person with DSPS is in a complete reversal to what is considered normal. Sometimes, but not always, the circadian rhythm responds to light as does the body’s production of melatonin.

A major sleep disorder that is intrinsic in nature is obstructive sleep apnea. One in 20 men suffer from sleep apnea. The problem occurs when the airway becomes occluded or partially occluded. The nasal passages or tongue relaxes against the back of the throat and the airway is blocked. The oxygen level in the blood goes down, and the brain sends out a warning. The episode usually ends with a loud snort.

The cycle will repeat many times during the night. Many people with sleep apnea don’t even realize they wake up during the night. They simply don’t feel rested after a full night’s sleep (and with all that snoring, neither does their spouse). Symtoms are –

• daytime sleepiness
• headache
• bad mood
• high blood pressure
• heart rate abnormalities
• coronary artery disease
• pulmonary vascular disease
• diabetes
• low good cholesterol

Snoring doesn’t automatically mean you have sleep apnea. The biggest risk factor is obesity. A sleep study may be indicated to determine any abnormalities in your sleeping pattern. In general, you can apply any or all of these techniques to get a good night’s sleep –

• regular sleep schedule
• exercise
• modify sleep environment
• stress management
• maintain proper weight
• reduce caffeine intake
• don’t smoke
• meditate
• sleeping pills (if indicated)

In Chinese medicine, the body’s energy or chi circulates through 12 meridians in a 24-hour period. Each meridian relates to an internal organ. If a person wakes at the same time every night, it indicates that there is an imbalance in an organ system that is highlighted at that time of the day.

Energy peaks in the liver meridian around 3 a.m. which is why people often wake up then. The two organs most out of balance in insomnia are the heart and the liver. Nightmares indicate the gallbladder meridian. Imbalances can also lead to dreams that are repeated over and over.

To practice good holistic sleep hygiene –

• reduce caffeine/nicotine/alcohol
• avoid late night exercise
• employ a relaxation routine
• acupuncture
• homeopathic remedies
• take nutrients (melatonin, 5htp, shark liver oil)
• oxygen therapies
• avoid synthetic bedding

Sleep apnea, as well as most sleep disorders, can be successfully treated so don’t ignore the symptoms thinking there is no help for you or that you’ll only end up being prescribed pharmaceuticals. Despite years of research into the area of sleep, there are still many unanswered questions about why we need to sleep and why we developed the ability to dream. What is known for sure is that sleep is essential to our physical and psychological health.

Resource: Say Goodbye To Insomnia

Recently sleep researchers from around the world met for SLEEP 2009 aka the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. Many of the research abstracts introduced explored relationships between stress and sleep.

One interesting theme was how the quality of sleep is more important than previously thought. We all know how important a good night’s sleep is to living a healthy life, but depending on what stage of life you’re at, you may find yourself suffering physically and mentally on what was previously adequate sleep.

Everyone knows that you are supposed to get eight hours’ sleep a night, but many people don’t realize that this may not apply to them. While most people need close to eight hours, a few people only need four or five hours of sleep a night while others need up to eleven. That’s why it’s important to listen to your body and figure out what’s most healthy for you.

The amount and type of sleep we need changes as we get older. This is fairly obvious by looking at babies, who spend most of the day sleeping. You may also have noticed that we again require more sleep as we hit puberty and become teenagers, but the changes don’t stop there. Alterations in our sleeping patterns continue all the way through adulthood and into our senior years.

Once you hit adulthood, you’ve probably figured out how much sleep you really should be getting. After that, the amount of sleep you need probably isn’t going to change very much. The problem is that as we age, our quality of sleep goes down. Older people wake up more often in the middle of the night and simply don’t get as restful a sleep. This may make you feel more tired during the day so you think you need more sleep, or may cause you to wake in the middle of the night, giving the illusion you need less sleep.

While many people notice changes in their sleep quality as they age, that doesn’t really mean that aging is the cause. As we age, we also develop more physical and mental health problems, which could be the real cause of our loss of sleep quality. Not only can the illnesses themselves wreak havoc on our sleep schedules, but so does the medicine used to treat them. Plus, if you’re not getting appropriate amounts of sleep, you may notice a worsening of your symptoms because you body is too tired to respond appropriately.

If you are an adult who has noticed changes in your sleep pattern, amount, or quality, take the time to see your doctor. They can run tests to rule our medical reasons for your sleep issues and can even put you in a sleep study to further diagnose the problem. Even if there is no medical cause, there are new non-habit forming drugs that can help you get a better night’s rest. With proper treatment, you will be able to get more high quality sleep and feel rested and ready for every day.

Resource: Stop Being Tired