Thirty per cent of the population complain of insomnia.
Insomnia Examined
By D. S. Mitchell
PJ’s And A Pillow
Are you having problems sleeping? Well you are not alone. Thirty per cent of the general population complains of regular sleep disruption. Insomnia saps energy and affects mood. Sleeplessness can put your health and work performance at risk. Common symptoms include difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the night, waking up too early, daytime tiredness, difficulty focusing, irritability, depression and anxiety. Sleep, seems like such a normal thing. You put on your PJ’s, hop in bed, and off to na-na land you go. However, for many people, sleep is as elusive as a hole-in-one. Poor or inadequate sleep is the cause of a long list of health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Simple adjustment in lifestyle and routine can often be helpful.
Caffeine Consumption
Stop drinking coffee in the afternoon.
Obviously a cup of coffee as a late afternoon pick-up may cause insomnia later that night. Everyone metabolizes caffeine at a different rate, so the cut off time for caffeine ingestion is different for each person. Often it isn’t a cup of coffee, but other caffeine laden products we don’t even think about when we eat or drink them. Examples; iced tea, chocolate, hot cocoa, yogurt, headache remedies, ice cream and breakfast cereals. If you are having trouble sleeping, cut out coffee after lunch. But, don’t stop there; read labels and eliminate those items that contain caffeine.
Schedule It
Seniors often experience increased insomnia. After retirement schedules often go out the window. Often seniors feel schedules are a thing they left behind when they took that gold watch. It may seem as if bed time or wake up time is no longer important, since there is no job to go to. But in fact, schedules are important whether you are old or young. It is important to promote as regular a schedule as possible, even on weekends. These times affect the release of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the sleep–wake cycle. Typically, melatonin levels start to rise in the mid-to-late evening, after the sun has set. They stay elevated for most of the night while you’re in the dark. Then, they drop in the early morning as the sun rises, causing you to wake up.
Menopausal Insomnia
Reduced estrogen levels can cause insomnia. Hot flashes are common in the middle of the night. At least one-quarter of all menopausal women have sleep disturbances severe enough to impact their daily lives. Several options are available. Talk to your doctor about hormonal therapy, patches and oral medications can give real symptom relief, and sleep. Consider using sheets and pajamas that wick moisture. Such fabrics can head off hot sweaty middle of the night wake-ups. Try using a buckwheat pillow that is more cooling than traditional latex or feather pillows. If you have a partner that likes it warmer consider sleeping in separate beds, or have a separate comforter for each side of the bed.
Afternoon Naps
Skip that afternoon nap and replace it with a bit of exercise. Go for a jog.
Adults often find themselves napping in the afternoon. It isn’t that they plan to fall asleep in the middle of the day, but when not busy it is a natural tendency. The energy level of humans takes a predictable dip between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. If you are sleeping for an hour or two in the afternoon it may keep you from being tired at bedtime. If you experience low energy in the afternoon, schedule an activity for that time. Work out, take a walk, go for a run, join the Y. The Y has an amazing array of exercise options, including Tai Chi, swimming, and handball. Research indicates exercise does more than keep you fit, it helps you sleep. There is a warning. Remember to wrap up your exercise routine at least 3 hours before bedtime. This will allow your body adequate time to relax, allow your heart rate, body temperature and adrenaline to drop.
Blue Light Awareness
Experts advise electronics should be turned off at least an hour before bedtime. Electronics such as TV’s, cell phones and computers emit a blue light that suppresses melatonin and insomnia can result. Melatonin is that hormone that controls the sleep-wake cycle. There are many that believe an hour is not enough time and suggest that even watching a couple of hours of television after dinner will delay melatonin production. Fear not, you don’t need to abandon your devices. There is eyewear available on-line that blocks blue light. Just slip on the eye glasses after dinner as you enjoy TV, or work on the PC and you will have no problems winding down and falling asleep with ease.
Bed Is For Sleep And Sex
If you have a book you are reading, keep it out of the bedroom. Although, many view reading as relaxing, it should not be done in bed. If you want to read, do it on the couch or in an armchair. Even seemingly relaxing endeavors like adult coloring books, reading, and crossword puzzles cause your brain to associate the bed with activities that you pursue while awake. That fact, can affect your ability to fall asleep.
Alcohol Effects
Alcohol before bedtime decreases sleep quality.
A glass of wine, or a cocktail can be relaxing, and make it easier to go to sleep. Unfortunately, researchers have found that although you may fall asleep quickly, there is a rebound effect, that causes a lighter more fragmented sleep pattern. Often a person will wake up in the second half of the night. Waking up at 3:00 a.m. is no fun, and getting back to sleep can be difficult. Alcohol before bedtime decreases sleep quality, often causing a person to wake up tired and lethargic. It is recommended that you stop drinking alcohol at least three hours before bedtime. Moderation will also help reduce the negative effects of alcohol. The CDC suggests limiting alcohol intake to one drink for women, and two drinks for men.
Prescription Side Effects
Poor dosing times of your medications can cause sleep problems. Blood pressure medication and diuretics cause a person to urinate more often. If taken late in the day these medications can wake a person up two or more times a night, leading to insomnia. Antidepressants particularly SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) can be sedating or energizing, depending on the type your doctor prescribed. Chat with your MD and find out what the best dosing time is for your medications to make sure your meds won’t interfere with your sleep.
Bedroom Insomnia
Spending hours in bed trying to force yourself to sleep generally backfires. Your brain can get to the point where it becomes convinced that laying awake in bed is normal. If you find yourself unable to get to sleep, don’t just lay there, get up and go into another room. Try to find something relaxing to do. If you feel like it, take a warm soothing bath, listen to calming music, meditate; all in low light. This is not the time to go on-line. Accepting, and understanding that sleep will come, maybe not as soon as you would like, but recognizing that it will come, is important. If you slept poorly during the night do not try to compensate by sleeping in the next day. Get up and go about your day’s business, you will likely sleep better the next night.
Anxiety Pressures
Right now, coronavirus is a common worry. The goal is to stop worrying in the middle of the night.
After a busy day, getting to sleep is often easy, thanks to what is identified as “sleep pressure”. But, often in the early morning hours, people wake up and stare stupidly at the ceiling, their minds spinning wildly with worry. Right now, coronavirus is a common worry. The goal is not to stop worrying in the middle of the night, but to address the root causes of that worry, during the day. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help restrain your thoughts and slow your racing mind. In the past, patients would seek help from a trained CBT therapist, but times have changed. Today, CBT is available in the form of apps that teach you these important skills. It is not recommended to use these apps at 2:00 a.m. It is best to practice with this technology during the day. If you need to use your app at night, put on those blue light eyeglasses, or set your smart phone to night settings, so the light doesn’t increase wakefulness.
A Medical Condition
Nathaniel Watson, M.D., puts it this way, “Insomnia is both a symptom and a disease.” If after a month of using the advice suggested in this article, such as sticking to a regular sleep schedule, avoiding afternoon caffeine, avoiding afternoon naps, and your insomnia does not improve; you may have a medical problem. Two disease candidates often responsible for insomnia are depression and obstructive sleep apnea. During the COVID-19 pandemic your sleep disturbance will not be considered serious enough to visit your physician. If your doctor is using a tel-a-med system you may be able to arrange a tele-a-conference. But, remember the doctor has many patients that are desperately ill. Do not take up your doctor’s valuable time if your symptoms can be dealt with for a bit longer. Do not risk contracting coronavirus by sitting in a busy doctor’s office. Stay home, stay safe.
