Insomnia
Insomnia or sleeplessness has assumed alarming
proportions in present times, especially among the upper classes in urban
areas. This is evident from the wide range of medication for this condition
prescribed by physicians and sold by chemists. Instances of persons taking an overdose
of sleeping pills with fatal results are quite frequent. Insomnia deprives a
person of mental rest and thereby interferes with his activities in the daytime.
It constitutes a severe health hazard when it becomes a habit.
Sleep is a periodic state of rest for the body which
is absolutely essential for its efficient functioning. Sleep gives relief from
tension, rests the brain and body and a person wakes up in the morning fresh
and relaxed after sleep. The amount of sleep, however, varies within very wide
limits from individual to individual. Normally, seven to eight hours of sleep
every night is adequate for most people. Some, however, do well with four to five
hours because their sleep is deeper and more refreshing.
Insomnia is common among the elderly for a variety of
reasons. The sleep of the elderly is often punctuated by brief periods of
wakefulness during the night. In such cases it is the quality rather than the
quantity which is most affected. With age, there is gradual reduction of
periods of deep sleep. The older person, therefore, gets roused easier. Sleep
requirements also diminish with ageing. From nine hours of sleep per night at
the age of 12 the average sleep needs decrease to eight hours at the age of 20,
seven hours at 40, six and half hours at 60 and six hours at 80.
Symptoms
The signs of pathological insomnia are dramatic
changes in the duration and quality of sleep, persistent changes in sleep
patterns, lapses of memory and lack of concentration during the day. Other
symptoms are emotional instability, loss of coordination, confusion and a
lingering feeling of indifference.
Causes
The most common cause of sleeplessness is mental
tension brought about by anxiety, worries, overwork and overexcitement.
Suppressed feelings of resentment, anger and bitterness may also cause insomnia.
Constipation, dyspepsia, over-eating at night, excessive intake of tea or coffee
and going to bed hungry are among the other causes. Smoking is another
unsuspected cause of insomnia as it irritates the nervous system, especially
the nerves of the digestive system. Often, worrying about falling asleep is
enough to keep one awake.
Treatment
Sleeping pills are no remedy for sleeplessness. They
are habit forming and become less effective when taken continuously. They lower
the I.Q., dull the brain and can prove fatal if taken in excess or before or
after alcohol. The side-effects of sleeping pills include indigestion, skin rashes,
lowered resistance to infection, circulatory and respiratory problems, poor
appetite, high blood pressure, kidney and liver problems and mental confusion. To
overcome the problem, one should adhere to a regular sleeping schedule, going
to bed at a fixed time each night and getting up at a fixed time
each morning. Early to bed and early to rise is a good rule. Two hours of sleep
before midnight are more beneficial than four after. It is sheer folly for
students, at examination times, to keep awake till long after midnight,
drinking one cup of tea after another, as that is only apt to cause blackness
and inability to concentrate in the examination hall.
Research has shown that people with chronic insomnia
almost invariably marked deficiencies of such key nutrients as B-complex
vitamins, and vitamin C and D as also calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium
and zinc. The sleep mechanism is unable to function efficiently unless each of
these nutrients is present in adequate amounts in the diet.
A balanced diet with simple modifications in the
eating pattern will go a long way in the treatment and cure of insomnia. Such a
diet should exclude white flour products, sugar and its products, tea, coffee,
chocolate, cola drinks, alcohol, fatty foods, fried foods, foods containing
additives, that is chemicals for preserving, colouring and flavouring,
excessive use of salt and strong condiments.
In the modified eating pattern, breakfast should consist
of fresh and dried fruits, whole cereals, seeds and yogurt. Of the two main
meals, one should consist of a large mixed salad and the other should be
protein-based. A cup of milk sweetened with honey at bedtime is helpful as the amino-acid
tryptophan contained in milk induces sleep.
Sleep is often elusive. Any attempt to force it only
drives it further away. It is better to divert the mind with soft music or
light reading. While going to bed, visualise a blank black wall occupying the
entire field of vision. Turn your thoughts to light and cheerful matters. Use
light bed clothes and relax. Do not lie on your back, put on your side with one
or both knees brought well up and the head and shoulders slightly forward.
During the night, the position of the arms and legs should be changed
frequently and a healthy sleeper usually shifts from one side to the other several
times in the course of the night. Controlled breathing is also a great help in
inducing sleep. The method is to lie on your side in bed, and then take three
deep breaths expanding the abdomen completely. Then hold your breath as long as
you can. Next, take three more breaths and repeat the breath-holding. While you
hold your breath, carbon dioxide accumulates in the body and induces natural
sleep.
Regular, active exercising during the day and mild
exercise at bedtime enhances the quantity and the quality of sleep. Exercise
stimulates the elimination of lactic acid from the body which correlates with
stress and muscular tension. Regular exercise also produces hormonal changes which
are beneficial to the body and to the sleep pattern. Walking, jogging,
skipping, swimming are all ideal exercises. Vigorous exercise should, however,
be avoided at night as this can be over-stimulating.
Yogic asanas
Yoga helps a majority of cases of insomnia in two
ways. Firstly, yoga treatment helps tone up the glandular, respiratory and
nervous system. Secondly, yoga also gives physical and mental relaxation as a
safety value for one’s disturbing problems. The traditional yogasanas which are
effective for insomnia patients are shirsana, sarvangasana, paschimottanasana, uttanasan,viparitakarni
and shavasana.
Hydrotherapy is also effective in treatment of insomnia.
Application of hot packs to the spine before retiring, hot fomentation to the
spine , hot foot bath or an alternate hot and cold foot bath at bedtime are all
time-tested methods. The cold hip bath with the feet in hot water and the prolonged
neutral immersion bath (92° to 96°F) at bed time, when one’s nerves are usually
irritable, are also effective measures.
Along with the various measures for the treatment of
insomnia, all efforts should be made to eliminate as many stress factors as
possible. The steps in this direction should include regular practice of any
relaxation method or meditation technique, cultivating the art of doing things slowly
(particularly activities like eating, walking and talking) limiting the working
day to nine to ten hours and five and a half days weekly, cultivating a
creative hobby and spending some time daily on this, avoiding working against
unrealistic targets and completing one task before starting another.
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