By Heather McCauley
Almost everyone has experienced occasional insomnia; a restless night here and there. Here’s a statistic you may find surprising from the National Institute of Health: Nearly 60 million Americans live with chronic or frequent insomnia - which can wreak havoc on their waking lives. Insomnia is classified as having trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep (waking frequently) or waking too early and not being able to fall back asleep. The figure above is in addition to the nearly 40 million Americans suffering from more serious sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy.
A lack of sleep is cause for concern because our body’s necessary sleep cycles are interrupted. The first stage of sleep is the non-R.E.M. (rapid eye movement) variety and ranges from light to deep sleep. Once the body cycles through this sleep, it can begin R.E.M. sleep. This is the dream-state when the brain is very active. A full sleep cycle takes approximately 90 minutes to complete. If your sleep is interrupted at any stage, your body cannot complete a full cycle. Have you ever told someone that you don’t dream, to which they reply “of course you do, everyone dreams”? You may very well be experiencing a lack of R.E.M. sleep and not be dreaming! The fact is that our bodies need multiple complete cycles of sleep every night for optimum mind and body recuperation.
The symptoms one can experience from occasional or frequent insomnia range from mild to severe: Reduced learning and memory functions, lack of concentration, slowed metabolism (weight gain), irritability and moodiness, bodily fatigue, reduced immune function, high blood pressure, depression and irregular heartbeat. Rest assured, there are a variety of natural therapies and modifications to try if you experience insomnia. The National Sleep Foundation recommends avoiding daytime naps, nicotine, caffeine and eating too close to bedtime. Getting quality exercise earlier in the day will also assist the body in shutting down more readily at night. In addition, you can help set the stage for sleep: a comfortable bed and bedding, maybe a white noise machine to drown out environmental sounds and not watching television in bed. There are natural products such as melatonin, valerian root, kava kava and herbal teas to promote better sleep. Aromatherapies such as lavender and chamomile have been known to work as well. If you experience anxiety at the thought of another sleepless night, behavioral modifications such as positive thoughts and affirmations, yogic breathing, meditation techniques and guided imagery may help you drift into a peaceful sleep.
Wishing you sweet dreams!
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