Insomnia: symptoms and treatments

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in the general population. It consists of a reduction in the ability to sleep or to stay asleep. It can also manifest itself through multiple awakenings throughout the night or an early morning awakening. The result is the poor quality of sleep and insufficient rest.

This disorder significantly affects the quality of life, and its most immediate consequences are daytime sleepiness, low concentration, and the inability to maintain an active life. In the long term, it can favor the development of various diseases. It is estimated that the risk of mortality increases significantly in those who sleep less than 6 hours a day.
The total hours of sleep required to vary significantly from one person to another, although the general average ranges between seven and eight and a half hours, we can find people who need 4 hours of sleep to perform adequately, to people who need 10 hours, both values being within normality.

Possible treatments

CBD oil: CBD does not work like sleeping pills because it is not a sedative that will help people sleep but instead can regulate the sleep-wake cycle.
The anxiolytic and analgesic properties of CBD will also help if the insomnia is caused by chronic pain, depression, anxiety, or stress.

During the day, CBD activates the body, which would be beneficial for people suffering from daytime sleepiness due to irregular sleep patterns. During the night, CBD will induce more profound and more relaxed sleep.
Some CBD oils for sleep include melatonin to prevent waking up in the middle of the night.

Unlike traditional sleep medications, CBD oil is not addictive and has no side effects. These medications can have side effects such as dizziness or lightheadedness, prolonged drowsiness, weight gain, memory problems, or headaches.
By regulating sleep naturally with CBD, the balance between sleeping and waking hours can be restored. A few drops of CBD oil can help to naturally regulate these sleep disorders and get back to sleep better without risking addiction to pills or having side effects.
It is always advisable to consult with your physician before purchasing CBD oil. you can get it in pharmacies or through online marketplaces like sarahsblessing.co.uk

Pharmacotherapy: Drugs are used to treat the symptoms of insomnia or the physical or psychological illnesses that cause it. In the first case, hypnotics are administered before going to bed, and in the second, anxiolytics, antidepressants, or neuroleptics. The patient should not self-medicate in any case since these substances can worsen their pathology, generate resistance or create addiction. The doctor must prescribe the treatment, who will assess the need to administer them under the origin and severity of the disorder.

Phytotherapy: It is a natural treatment that involves medicinal plants. The most used are Valerian (it is calming and induces sleep), passionflower (which helps maintain sleep, so it is recommended for people who wake up throughout the night), California poppy (which helps avoid early awakenings). It is essential to consult with the pharmacist on which preparation is indicated in each situation and to inform him of other medications taken to identify possible interactions.

Relaxation techniques: They are effective in reducing physiological hyperactivity in insomniacs. Also, psychotherapy can help the patient to recognize their psychological conflicts or traumatic experiences

What causes insomnia?

Insomnia is usually the result of a combination of medical, psychological, and personal factors that vary from person to person.
There are primary causes, which are those that have to do with maintaining adequate sleep hygiene or psychological aspects, like:

– Physiological changes: Aging produces changes in the sleep pattern. In older people, a reduction in the hours and quality of sleep and an increase in daytime sleepiness are frequent. Pregnancy and menopause are also factors to consider.
– Lifestyle: Constant schedule changes, either due to work or travel reasons (jet lag), cause circadian rhythm disorders. Unhealthy lifestyle habits such as staying up late, a lack of a bedtime routine, physical hyperactivity, watching TV, or surfing the Internet just before sleep are also factors.
– Drugs: Among the drugs and substances that can alter sleep are antihypertensives, anticholinergics, hormones, stimulants, steroids, antidepressants, bronchodilators, decongestants, antineoplastics, caffeine, and levodopa.

On the other hand, there are secondary causes, which are those that have to do with an existing pathology in the patient or environmental factors, like:

– Physical or psychological pathologies: Cardiovascular disorders, pulmonary disorders, eating disorder (ED), endocrine disorders, and neurological disorders
– Environmental factors: Extreme temperatures, changes in schedules, or travel are factors that modify the sleep pattern and can cause insomnia.

There is a greater vulnerability in people with a greater tendency to worry, with a pessimistic tendency, perfectionists and demanding, with the need to maintain everything under control, difficulty in externalizing their problems, etc., since their mind enters in a circle of worry and anxiety when trying to fall asleep.

What are the symptoms?

As mentioned before, the main symptom of insomnia is difficulty falling or staying asleep. The result is lack of sleep and consequent tiredness. However, there are three main symptoms:
* A great difficulty falling asleep. The person spends a lot of time lying down or tossing and turning in bed before being able to fall asleep.
* Waking up frequently during the night or sleeping fitfully.
* Waking up too early in the morning feeling tired and showing drowsiness, irritability, and difficulty concentrating during the day.

It is essential to keep in mind that insomnia can be a symptom itself; of some other problem such as depression, chronic pain, or stress. It can also be the side effect of treatment with certain medications.

Tips to improve sleep

There are some things people with insomnia can do to help improve their sleeping time. Here are some:

• Stick to a bedtime schedule. Go to bed and get up at the same time.
• Get up if you can’t sleep. If you stay awake for 15 minutes, get out of bed and go to another part of the house. This will make your bed less likely to become a stressful place.
• Do something calm and relaxing like reading a book. * Get a comfortable mattress.
• Make sure the room has the right temperature.
• Check the light. Use curtains and doors to darken your room so you can sleep. You can also try wearing a sleep mask.
• Make sure your room is as quiet as possible. You can use a fan, soft music, or a “white noise” sound machine to let you sleep.
• Hide the watch. Watching the hours go by can be stressful.
• Put away electronics.
• Practice relaxation