One third of the adult population in Malaysia complains about their sleep and it happens everywhere worldwide. Some sleep too little, some fitfully and some too much. Although one-third of our lives are spent asleep, most of us don’t know much about sleep. We don’t even know exactly why we sleep.
One third of the adult population in Malaysia complains about their sleep and it happens everywhere worldwide. Some sleep too little, some fitfully and some too much. Although one-third of our lives are spent asleep, most of us don’t know much about sleep. We don’t even know exactly why we sleep. Sleep problems profoundly disturb both sleeping and waking life. It is more common in women, but the quality of sleep decreases equally in both women and men as we age.
Sleep disturbances place an uncalculated, but enormous, burden on most adults. Many industrial and automobile accidents are related to undiagnosed and untreated disorders of sleep. School and job performance, and even everyday social relationships, are also affected. Most sleep disorders, whether caused by physical or mental factors, can be treated or managed effectively once they are properly diagnosed. The sad part is that the majority of sleep disorders go undiagnosed.
Insomnia the most common sleeping disorder
Insomnia is a relatively common sleep disorder. Typical symptoms of insomnia include problems falling asleep, waking up frequently in the night with difficulty falling back to sleep, waking too early in the morning, and feeling unrefreshed when waking in the morning. The causes of insomnia are varied. Noise, temperature changes, medication side effects, jet lag, and a change in surroundings can all cause insomnia, as can PMS, menopause, menstruation, or pregnancy.
Insomnia can be chronic (ongoing) or acute (short-term). Chronic insomnia means having symptoms at least 3 nights a week for more than a month. Acute insomnia lasts for less time. Some people who have insomnia may have trouble falling asleep. Other people may fall asleep easily but wake up too soon. Others may have trouble with both falling asleep and staying asleep. As a result, insomnia may cause you to get too little sleep or have poor-quality sleep. There are two types of insomnia. The most common type is called secondary or comorbid insomnia.
This type of insomnia often is a symptom of an emotional, neurological, or other medical or sleep disorder. Emotional disorders that can cause insomnia include depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease are examples of common neurological disorders that can cause insomnia.
A number of other conditions also can cause insomnia, such as:
Conditions that cause chronic pain, such as arthritis and headache disorders
Conditions that make it hard to breathe, such as asthma and heart failure
An overactive thyroid
Gastrointestinal disorders, such as heartburn
Stroke
Sleep disorders, such as restless legs syndrome and sleep-related breathing problems
Menopause and hot flashes
Secondary insomnia also may be a side effect of certain medicines. For example, certain asthma medicines, such as theophylline, and some allergy and cold medicines can cause insomnia. Beta blockers also may cause the condition. These medicines are used to treat heart conditions. Commonly used substances also may cause insomnia. Examples include caffeine and other stimulants, tobacco or other nicotine products, and alcohol or other sedatives.
Some of the Natural ways to combat Insomnia, beyond drug dependency
· If you suffer from insomnia, try to stick to a routine at bedtime, and go to bed at the same time every day.
· Avoid caffeine and nicotine before bedtime, and get plenty of exercise during the day.
· A dark room free of noise may also help. You may consider buying a "white noise" device if your bedroom is noisy.
· If you are having trouble falling asleep, try relaxation techniques like breathing exercises, meditation, or yoga.
Flower Power to banish your sleep problem safely.
What is Bach Flower remedies?
Developed almost 100 years ago by Dr. Edward Bach, Bach flower therapy is a homeopathic-type of treatment used specifically for healing the emotions. There are 38 flower remedies and the flower essences are useful for treating many types of sleeping problems. They are especially good for sleep problems of psychological.
As beneficial as meditation, yoga, and a good workout are for our overall health and sleep patterns, sometimes we just don’t make time for them. Using flower essences requires no major time commitment. It’s easy and convenient: take 4 drops sublingually 4 times a day, or put a dropperful into your water bottle each time you fill it up and drink it throughout the day. Taken regularly, they greatly benefit any health and wellness regimen (including meditation, yoga, and your workout).
Flower essences have no side effects.
They are safe for adults, pregnant and nursing moms, children, and the elderly, with no contraindications. This is revolutionary, because the side effects of sleeping pills can include dizziness, uncontrollable shaking, grogginess, stomach pain–the list goes on and on. Some are habit-forming and yet others cause parasomnia, which includes engaging in activities like driving and eating while fully asleep.
On the other hand, the short-term effects of flower essences are a greater sense of peace, strength, clarity, and happiness. When used regularly over time, they eliminate non-constructive patterns, accelerate personal growth and help you operate from your best self all the time.
They address root causes of sleep issues, which can be different for each person.
For example, if you wake up in the middle of the night and you can’t get back to sleep because your mind is racing or thinking about your to-do list, white chestnut flower essence helps to quiet the mind making it easier to fall back asleep.
The clock counting minutes and hours, but the much awaited sleep does not seem to come. Time becomes an upsetting issue in your thoughts, as you start getting nervous, tossing and turning in bed, counting the hours left until morning and seeing that the time that remains is becoming less and less, minute after minute. Then you find yourself getting more and more impatience and anxious when you cannot sleep. Impatiens helps you let go and take a break–and when you wake up, everything you were previously busy trying to ‘figure out’ seems to have natural solution.
And if you feel tired even after a good night sleep and find it very difficult to get going in the morning, maybe needing several cups of coffee in order to be ready to face the day, Hornbeam essence will help you to restore your strength, mentally or physically.
Perhaps you are over-active and have difficulty falling asleep because of the excitement and the tension which you continue to experience after finishing her/his work. Essences such as Vervain will help the body and the mind slow down and take a break from the enthusiasm and constant movement of the day and will give the organism permission to rest.
Being aware of the way we experience stress is the key to knowing how to get deep sleep every night. Once establishing that, we have access to an abundance of gentle, natural remedies from flowers to help us solve any problem we could dream up, including sleepless nights. And those same remedies not only help us sleep better, but make us happier and more fulfilled in life.
By: Ms Esther Peh - SOL Senior Naturopath
Very informative!