Did you know that 237 million people across the globe suffer from Insomnia? The condition is quite common but it can be disruptive to how you feel, the energy you have, and what you feel like you can do day to day. There are between 50 and 70 million people in the U.S. that are affected by insomnia and while the amount of people with this condition is well into the millions, the good news is, that it can often be cured with simple lifestyle changes. What’s even better is that Insomnia can often be cured by the person suffering from it. With 17% of those 65 and older abusing prescriptions, it’s a good thing that you can get rid of insomnia without having to resort to medication if you don’t prefer that method.
Most people deal with one of three main issues when it comes to their sleep. Usually, those issues will involve having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or even having trouble waking up feeling as if they slept at all. If you’re a senior living in Florida and currently suffer from Insomnia, you suspect that you suffer from it, or you’re just a bit curious, keep reading to find out more.
What Is Insomnia Exactly and How Can It Affect Your Life?
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can make it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up feeling refreshed. If you aren’t sure if you suffer from insomnia, but you suspect that you do, you should pay attention to your habits. If you;
- Lie awake at night or toss and turn
- Have difficulty falling asleep
- Feel tired throughout the day
- Consistently wake up at night after falling asleep
- Have difficulty napping
These are all things that could indicate you are experiencing insomnia.
Different Types of Insomnia
Did you know that insomnia is usually categorized in two ways? Those are usually primary or secondary insomnia. Primary basically means that your sleep problems aren’t necessarily linked to another health condition. Secondary means the opposite, sleep problems caused by primary medical illnesses or mental disorders. There are also a few specific types of insomnia including
Transient
This type of insomnia is a short-term problem that may be related to stress, travel, or a change in your schedule. Its effects often last less than one month.
Chronic
This type of insomnia lasts for a long period. It is often long-term and is usually related to an underlying medical or psychological problem.
Short-term
This just means that the issue lasts between one or six months
Long-term
Long-term insomnia accounts for issues lasting longer than six months.
What Are Some Common Causes for Insomnia?
Insomnia has multiple causes with stress and irregular sleep patterns being two of them. A variety of other things can, unfortunately, contribute to difficulty falling and staying asleep as well and a few of those things are:
- Mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety
- Certain medications
- Pain
- Neurological Issues
Did you know that when we are stressed out, our bodies produce a hormone called cortisol? Cortisol is a hormone that is intended to help you deal with things that cause you stress. Some physicians refer to this hormone as our own internal alarm clock. While cortisol is a beneficial thing meant to help us regulate how we process feelings of stress, high levels of it can be harmful.
For example, high levels of cortisol can also cause persistent high blood pressure. Something like that can result in things like type 2 diabetes. Overall, elevated levels of cortisol can also cause sleep issues and yes, this could contribute to your insomnia. If you’re wondering how this is possible, it’s because the HPA axis, which helps to coordinate our cycles of sleep, produces this hormone. Any type of disruption to it could cause negative effects like chronic stress levels and poor nutritional habits. All of these effects could result in insomnia or general disturbances in our sleep patterns.
Alcohol and caffeine are two other things that could cause insomnia. It’s not necessarily a cup of coffee or a drink at a happy hour that could completely throw off your ability to get quality sleep. It’s how much you consume in a sitting and over time. Overusing caffeine can actually increase feelings of sleepiness as well as your chances of waking up in the middle of the night. Overusing alcohol presents the same issues as well as they could cause persistent disruptions in your sleep and result in bad quality sleep over time. While multiple things could affect our sleep, it’s how we use or how much we use certain things that could pose an issue.
What Are Some Common Ways to Get Rid of Insomnia?
There are a variety of ways that don’t include medication to help you get rid of insomnia. While it will take some dedication to form better habits, it’s very much doable. A few things that you could try are to:
- Limit the number of naps you take in a day
- Try to complete work and other things that could keep you awake before getting in bed
- Do your best to stop eating or drinking before bedtime, especially anything caffeinated
- Nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol should be eliminated from your routine and diet
- Exercise more regularly
- Pay close attention to the side effects of your other medications
Overall, the best thing that you can do is to try and get yourself on a schedule and stick to that schedule. This can be difficult for people who have to work different shifts or have children, but it’s the best thing for your body. Keep in mind that you can tailor your sleep schedule around your life so even if you’re constantly busy, or work odd hours, it’s still possible.
70 million people across the U.S. suffer from chronic sleep issues and many of the main causes such as poor quality of life, loss in productivity, and overall well-being are all things that could be fixed with lifestyle changes and finding a sleep schedule that works for our bodies and our daily lives. The key is to pinpoint why you struggle with Insomnia and to tackle that issue and anything underlying if you expect results.
Insomnia Doesn’t Have to Takeover Your Life
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can make it difficult to fall and stay asleep, stay asleep. While insomnia will often either present as an acute or chronic issue, there are ways to naturally combat the effects of it, regulate your sleep habits on your own, or by using medication if you choose this route. The first step is to identify what could be the cause of it. The next thing you’ll want to do is work on combating those negative effects in the best way you can. Keep in mind, that consulting your physician is one of the best places to start if the issue becomes persistent and starts to affect your daily life.
