How to get rid of insomnia at home

Insomnia. If we could use it for our own purposes: if you do not want to sleep, do business, create, study. But insomnia is not just an impossibility to fall asleep. It is also weakness, accumulated fatigue, stress and, as a result, deterioration of health. What is the cause of this phenomenon and how to get rid of it?

Concept and signs of insomnia

Surely anyone faced with sleep problems. Who among us at least once did not toss and turn in bed, being unable to sleep after a strong coffee, a hearty dinner, or because of disturbing thoughts? If insomnia rarely bothers you, and only in such "special" cases - it is rather a normal variant.The disease should be considered as regular sleep disorders, leading to chronic lack of sleep.

If we approach this issue from the side of psychology and psychiatry, we can distinguish three groups of disorders, which are called insomnia in the people:

1. Problems falling asleep are the most common type of insomnia. A person can not sleep for a long time, sometimes suffering for several hours.
2. Constant awakenings during the night. Sleep with this ailment is superficial, and, therefore, very sensitive. Waking up is so frequent that a person does not have time to relax and rejuvenate. Normally, such a phenomenon is also characteristic of a healthy person who has fallen into a new environment.
3. Impossibility to fall asleep after waking up in the middle of the night, or, in other words, early awakening.

For any of these sleep disorders, there is one common feature: a person may experience severe sleepiness during the day, but not close the eye at night.

Causes of Insomnia

Insomnia can be overcome only by finding out its causes, which can be divided into two large groups:

Internal - these are features of the nervous system, temperament and human health, as well as his habits:

• mental illness (eg, Parkinson’s or Alzheimer's disease);
• hormonal disorders;
• diseases accompanied by severe pain;
• medication, a side effect of which are sleep disorders;
• stress, distress, depression;
• abuse of tonic and invigorating drinks;
• overeating before bedtime or, conversely, the rejection of dinner.

Increased brain activity can also cause insomnia: a person is often unable to relax when they need to solve a problem. As a result, the brain is actively working on it, even at night.

External - this is what surrounds us:

1. Unsuitable conditions for sleeping: uncomfortable bed, improper air temperature, stuffiness, light (even muffled), unwanted sound. It would seem that these are trifles, but not all people can fall asleep in any conditions;
2. Sleeping in a new place: a person in unaccustomed conditions sleeps most often restlessly, sensitively, often waking up and falling asleep again. But as the adaptation proceeds, this reaction disappears and sleep is getting better;
3. Excess information: life in the Internet era not only helps to provide quick access to information, but also makes it difficult to restrict its flow. Who of us at least once a month did not linger at the computer until late at night, saying to himself: "Another five minutes and that's it!".

These are the most common causes of insomnia. In some cases it is not difficult to determine them, in others they may not be so obvious. But it is always necessary to work on their identification, since only their elimination is the key to a good sleep.

What is dangerous insomnia

Unlike simple lack of sleep, insomnia is fraught with serious consequences for human health. It provokes not only a worsening of the general state of health, weakness, irritability, but also causes much more significant damage to the body.

Chronic lack of sleep inhibits the central nervous system, brain activity, disrupts hormonal balance, often causes depression.

The manifestation of insomnia can also be:

• reduced immunity;
• wilting muscles and skin;
• blood pressure problems;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• decrease in the level of metabolism and, as a result, excess weight;
• decrease in mental and physical activity.

How to get rid of insomnia at home

If the cause of insomnia is not a serious disease, then you can try to cure it with the help of traditional medicine methods. However, you must first revise some of your habits and adjust your lifestyle.

The first step is to correct the following areas of life:

1. It is necessary, whenever possible, to get up and lie down at one time. It is not recommended to sleep during the day, because this is easy to move the sleep schedule.
2. Try to eat right. Prefer light and scant supper. It is necessary to avoid heavy, fatty foods, the assimilation of which requires considerable time. But to refuse the evening meal is also impossible. The best will be eating 2-3 hours before bedtime.
3. Reducing the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes, you will provide a great service to your body. This will allow to restore all metabolic processes, physical and mental tone, as well as improve immunity.
4. Moderate exercise helps to increase muscle tone, overcome stress, give energy and just give a good mood.
5. You should not watch or read criminal news, thrillers, horrors before bedtime. Learn to not take to heart small troubles and work problems. A variety of meditation practices, as well as yoga, will help maintain emotional balance.
6. Determine what conditions for sleep you find best and try to provide them for yourself. For example, the effect of total darkness can be achieved with a cloth eye mask, and a night light can help create a soft light. Do not forget to ventilate the room and humidify the air in it (especially during the heating season). Great importance for a comfortable sleep and bed. Buying an orthopedic mattress and pillow will be a profitable investment in your own health.

Folk remedies for insomnia

In addition to all the above, recipes of traditional medicine will help to cope with insomnia. They are based on only natural ingredients, so there are practically no contraindications to them.

Honey is considered an effective remedy for insomnia. Recipes based on it are often very simple, just mix the honey with 1-2 available ingredients, and the tool is ready.Herbs are also popular: decoction of them can not only be drunk, but also added to the water while taking a bath. In addition, pillows are stuffed with dry herbs.

Here are some effective and simple recipes:

1. Drink from a tablespoon of honey dissolved in a glass of warm water. This cocktail should be drunk before bedtime. If desired, the water can be replaced with slightly warmed milk.
2. Pour 20-25 grams of hawthorn with a glass of boiling water and let stand for half an hour with the lid closed. Then strain and drink 30 minutes before the planned bedtime.
3. Prepare a mixture of lemon balm leaves, motherwort and valerian roots in equal shares. A tablespoon of the resulting dry mixture should be poured 300 ml of boiling water and insist a half to two hours. Take this infusion should be 50 grams three times a day, before meals.
4. Finely rub two tablespoons of hawthorn fruit and pour 400 ml of boiling water over them. After 30 minutes, strain. Divide the drink into three servings that you need to drink one at a time before each meal.
5. A tablespoon of mint chopped and pour a glass of hot water. After 20 minutes, strain. The drink should be taken before meals (15-20 minutes).
6. A cushion full of dry herbs with soothing properties will give a good effect: St. John's wort, oregano, hop, mint, laurel, lavender, fern.This pad can be kept at the head of the bed. And if you put it on a warm battery, the unobtrusive smell of herbs will fill the whole room.
7. For making a soothing bath, it is good to use infusions of such plants as a series, calendula, oregano. A tablespoon of any of these herbs should be poured a glass of boiling water and let stand. Then strain and add to the water, the temperature of which should be around 37-38 ° C, not higher. It is advisable to take a bath just before bedtime and always on an empty stomach (before meals or 3 hours after). The water level should be below the level of the heart. Also, do not take a bath every day, 2-3 times a week will be enough.
8. Not less effect will give a bath with essential oils, provided that you are not allergic to them. It is enough to add two drops of chamomile oil, orange and mint to feel the positive effect. The main thing - do not take a bath in a state of severe fatigue, because in this case, the risk of falling asleep is high.

Medicines for insomnia

When insomnia becomes ominous, there is no other way out than treatment using traditional medicine methods.When does going to a doctor become necessary? You should not postpone the visit to the doctor if:

• The use of folk methods and the adjustment of habits do not bring results;
• Insomnia visits you almost every night;
• After a sleepless night, you suffer from body aches, aches, and shortness of breath.

And also if insomnia is a consequence of diseases of the brain, nervous system, internal organs, etc. Only a doctor will help you choose the optimal treatment regimen for the underlying disease, which will help eliminate and manifest its symptoms, manifested in the form of sleep disorders.

Medications taken by a doctor can be divided into two groups:

Herbal remedies - have a rather mild action, because They are based on natural ingredients. They include peptides, amino acids, herbal extracts (valerian, hops, peony), vitamins and trace elements. These drugs help to get rid of irritability, improve blood circulation, compensate for the deficiency of vitamins and minerals, increase physical and mental tone. The most famous of them are: Biolan, Balansin, Ortho-Taurin, Balansin, Neurostabil.

Medications - have a strong and fast action, helping to fall asleep within 10-20 minutes after ingestion. Their reception is not recommended if a person needs to wake up at night (for example, while caring for a child), as well as those whose activity is associated with elevated sources of danger (driving a vehicle, working with dangerous chemical compounds, etc.). Often these drugs help to cope with depression, because contain antidepressants. The following drugs are considered to be the most effective and safe: Rozerem, Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata, Trittico.

To take any drugs, whether plant or medicine, can only be prescribed by a doctor. This is especially important in the treatment of insomnia in the elderly, pregnant women and children.

How to get rid of insomnia in old age

If young people usually have insomnia instable, random, then with age they have to deal with it more often. Statistics say that the older a person is, the more sleep problems he has. But is age alone to blame for this?

Closer to old age, the phase of deep sleep becomes shorter, and the surface one becomes longer. A person sleeps lightly, restlessly, easily waking from sleep.But a significant contribution to sleep disorders in old age also contributes to how life was lived. Abuse of nicotine or coffee, unhealthy diet, lack of regular exercise in the past affect the quality of sleep and overall well-being in the present. Meanwhile, sleep is very important for older people, because it is at this point that the body is restored, pressure and blood circulation are regulated, and the immune system is working.

If the causes of insomnia lie in chronic or acute illnesses or mental disorders, a doctor's prescription will help to fundamentally solve this problem. In other cases, a good effect can give up some old habits and the acquisition of new ones.

It is necessary to abandon excessive physical activity in the evenings, as well as reduce the consumption of coffee, cigarettes, alcoholic beverages. It is necessary to visit the fresh air more often and air the room before bedtime: oxygen calms the excited areas of the brain and it becomes easier to fall asleep.

Benefit will bring scheduling bedtime: it will help the brain to tune in to regular sleep by a certain time.

If changing daily habits does not help, then you should consult a doctor who will prescribe appropriate medications. However, taking the prescribed medication, you should not stop the implementation of the above recommendations, only an integrated approach will help to cope with insomnia. Sleeping pills are not designed for long-term use. Their goal is to help the brain acquire the habit of "turning off" at a certain time, after which the medication is gradually stopped. And if by this point new habits will not become something permanent for you and not requiring a reminder, then insomnia is likely to become your frequent guest again.

How to get rid of insomnia during pregnancy

Insomnia is one of the most frequent companions of pregnancy, especially in recent periods. Among its causes are worries about the future birth and the unborn baby, back pain, cramps in the legs, sleeping in one or two poses (usually pregnant women can only sleep on their side), fatigue.

What can be done in such cases?

1. To realize that insomnia in pregnant women is a temporary phenomenon.You need to try to rest during the day, if the night's sleep does not allow you to properly recuperate. If suddenly you can not sleep, then you should not force yourself to lie in bed waiting for sleep. It is better to get up and do some inactive monotonous work, listen to quiet music, read a light book.
2. Try to move more, more often be on the air and eat balanced. Low physical activity and poor diet will only aggravate the situation. You need to additionally take a multivitamin, because provide themselves with all the vitamins and trace elements, it is quite difficult. You should also abandon the heavy meals in the evenings, dinner should be light and useful.
3. If possible, follow a specific schedule of bedtime and morning rise.
4. Abandon products based on cocoa beans and coffee, especially in the evening.
5. Arrange a place for a comfortable night's sleep. Pregnant women often sleep on their sides, because sleep on the stomach is impossible for obvious reasons, and on the back is harmful for the unborn child and uncomfortable for the mother. As a result, a woman often wakes up at night from body aches.In order to avoid or minimize this discomfort, you need to experiment with body position. It is possible that sleeping in the half-sitting position, supported by large pillows, will be much more comfortable than lying on one side.

To escape insomnia, you should not take any medication without a prescription. Caution should also be applied to the methods of traditional medicine; Far from all herbs are safe for a pregnant woman.

Distraction, fatigue, weakening of the immune system, reduced mental and physical tone - these are just some of the effects of insomnia. Having noticed its signs, you should not give up. You can cope with it not only with the help of drugs, but also with the methods of traditional medicine. And in some cases, for victory, it is enough just to correct your daily habits and join the basics of a healthy lifestyle.

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