A good night's sleep can be the start of a great day while sleep problems can certainly top any "bad hair day." Many people are far afield from this goal and may be getting increasingly more distant. According to the May 2010 Time Magazine interview by Laura Fitzpatrick in "Why Can't We Sleep?," increased industrialization, including inventions like TV, radio and the automobile, have disrupted sleep. There is no doubt that the increasingly hectic pace of life and the ever-growing array of technological innovations will further interfere with healthy sleep patterns.
Insomnia is the most frequent of the sleep disturbances. Insomnia includes various manifestations: early morning awakening; difficulty falling asleep (more than 15 minutes); frequent awakenings; interference in daily functioning; and, falling asleep during the day. Insomnia basically involves an imbalance amongst body chemicals. Enervating chemicals such as adrenaline and noradrenaline interfere with the chemicals involved with sleep such as serotonin and GABA. Disruptions in sleep can occur in any of the phases of sleep, whether these occur during non-REM sleep or the theta brain wave state during which dreams occur.
The Dynamics of Insomnia
Sleeping problems involve psychological, physical and situational factors. As a result, each of these areas needs to be addressed in working to resolve disturbances in sleep. Each part of this triad can be involved in causing insomnia, and each can also be strongly affected by insomnia. Given the fact that these three dimensions also affect each other, a lasting vicious cycle can be created which will only be put to a stop when targeted, appropriate interventions are made. For such a widespread, serious problem shockingly few people, about one of 20, according to Paul Martin in Counting Sheep, seek professional help for disturbed sleep. Being open to this action and taking responsibility for self-management are the keys to beating insomnia.
Using Your Head to Resolve Insomnia
Psychological factors such as anxiety, depression, stress and frustration may underlie as many as one-half of sleep problem cases. Accordingly, it is suggested that consultation with a professional could be of great value. In addition, though, self management plays a major role in addressing these issues.
Cognitive therapy is based on the notion that thoughts cause emotions and behavior. Accordingly, to change the latter, it is necessary to address one's thought patterns. "Stinking thinking" or unrealistic, negative thinking underlies depression, anxiety and stress. One example is forecasting in which one always expects the worst to occur. Another is catastrophizing in which an individual blows everything out of proportion. There are a number of such distorted styles of thinking and attempting to sleep while emotionally laden words bombard one's mind is certainly not conducive to healthy sleep. One way to handle this is thought stopping in which an individual says aloud or silently, "Stop", and replaces irrational thoughts with peaceful, relaxing ones. The other way is to challenge irrational thoughts with reality testing and realize that the likelihood of the fearful events is very small indeed.
Lack of sleep itself can cause the aforementioned disturbances, such as depression, anxiety and irritability. In addition, it greatly impairs performance, memory and concentration. It is important to use cognitive awareness throughout the day to ensure that stress does not build up until bedtime when it's difficult to start calming oneself.
Keeping a sleep journal to track patterns in thoughts, moods and triggers can be useful in ridding oneself of unhealthy patterns underlying insomnia.
Physical Factor in Sleep Problems
Once again, it is important to consult with a health professional to look at causes and cures for insomnia. Serious conditions, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, sleep apnea (when breathing stops) and hormonal changes may actually be the underlying causes of insomnia and need to be treated. Physical health is also affected as a consequence of sleep disruption and the American Medical Association lists immune system disruptions, heart disease, obesity, and increased accident rates as just some of the problems. Insomnia may underlie an increased risk in cancer and diabetes as well.
People try innumerable remedies ranging from OTC materials to prescription medications to natural supplements to ease sleeping problems. Natural sleep aids include kava kava, melatonin, valerian root, and calcium plus magnesium. Dr. Nancy Londsorf, author of The Ageless Woman, asserts that Ashwaganda lowers cortisol and adrenaline, two stress hormones, and boosts calming GABA. A study at the Swedish Herbal Institute in Maine showed that taking 200 mg. nightly reduced insomnia in over 80% of the women. Check with a health professional before trying these.
A healthy diet with a multivitamin/multi-mineral is crucial and when sleep is difficult, a small snack of tryptophan containing foods such as milk, cottage cheese, turkey and soy may help. Avoid large meals, especially spicy ones, and heavy exercise three hours before sleep. Also avoid alcohol and sweets prior to bedtime.
To relax physically, try diaphragmatic breathing, meditation, visualization, and progressive relaxation. Many books and articles describe these techniques in depth.
Insomnia and Situational Factors
Sleep hygiene consists of the controllable factors for healthy sleep. Peruse this checklist to increase the chance of refreshing, restorative sleep:
- Turn lights down one hour before bed and sleep in a darkened room.
- Turn down the thermostat shortly before bed.
- If very sleepy, nap early for no more than one hour.
- Turn alarm clocks facing away.
- Bed is for sleep and sex only.
- Comfortable, supportive mattresses are critical; replace every 10 years.
- Sleep and awaken on a fixed 7-day schedule.
- Be positive and laugh frequently.
- Lead balanced lives replete with meaningful activities.
The combination of mind, body and situational factors are crucial to consider as they may be both causes and cures to the disruptive and unhealthy consequences of insomnia.
References:
American Medical Association-Complete Guide to Prevention and Wellness (John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New Jersey, 2008).
Martin, Paul. Counting Sheep. (Thomas Dunne, New York, 2002). p. 237.
Simone Ravicz - Dr. Simone Ravicz has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and an MBA in Marketing from UCLA. She received her BA in Psychology from Brown ...
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