Sleep Disorders: Stress and InsomniaSleep disorders such as insomnia cause more than just sleepiness. If you can't sleep this can affect your relations, productivity, and overall enjoyment of life.This guide can put you on track to getting a better nights sleep.Do you have difficult falling asleep? Do you wake up frequently throughout the night? Do you rely on sleeping pills or alcohol to fall asleep? These are some of the common symptoms of insomnia, one of the most common sleep disorders. Insomnia is a condition in which you experience chronic sleeplessness. You that whenever you go to bed for the night you constantly toss and turn, lie awake and cannot get to sleep no matter what remedy you try. Though you may take comfort in the fact that nearly 32 million adults in the United States experience insomnia, the condition may worsen and exacerbate other problems in your life, if left untreated. Two well-researched issues that are indelibly linked to each other are stress and insomnia. Stress on insomnia: What's the connection?The underlying cause of why chronic stress and anxiety can cause insomnia can be understood through the role of stress hormones. When the body experiences a threat, including stress from any source, the body prepares to either flee or fight, depending on the nature of the threat. During this critical period, the body releases hormones like cortisol and corticotropic-releasing hormone. In turn, these hormones can disrupt sleep, leaving you vulnerable to experience a night of sleeplessness and insomnia. If you experience anxiety in addition to stress, you're three times more likely to develop insomnia or other sleep disturbances, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Aside from stress, other conditions can also cause insomnia and sleep disorders. Stress-related disorders like depression, bipolar disorder and PTSD may induce insomnia. Medical problems that can cause insomnia include asthma, kidney disease, or even allergies. In addition, sleeping disorders like sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome can also be the culprit. Treatment for insomniaWhen seeing your doctor for treatment of insomnia, you may be prescribed sleeping pills or other sleep aids to help you get a restful night of sleep. However, the best treatment for insomnia is to target the underlying cause of the problem. For many people, this means getting help for stress and managing chronic stress on a daily basis. The Mayo Clinic reports that cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, with a trained psychologist or counselor, is an effective treatment and can help you develop good sleep habits. Cognitive behavioral therapy with a professional involves:
Psychotherapy can help you manage stress and change the way you think about stressful situations and your inner self, a necessary step to decrease worries, anxieties and overall stress. Other elements of this type of treatment may include stimulus-control therapy, sleep restriction, sleep hygiene, relaxation training like hypnosis or meditation, and biofeedback. Here are some hypnosis techniques to get a better nights sleep:
Self-help techniques to cure insomniaAnother technique for getting insomnia and some other sleep disorders under control is by keeping a sleep diary. Practicing this involves keeping a record of the times that you go to bed, wake up as well as when you experience times of restlessness. You write down your sleeping patterns, but you also keep track of your daytime habits. This may help you understand some of the triggers of insomnia. For example, some issues that often exacerbate insomnia include late-night caffeine, Internet surfing or watching TV late into the night. So any natural sleep aids may target these issues through proper sleep hygiene. Similarly you can use natural sleep remedies such as herbal supplements like valerian or lavender that may be useful to get a better nights sleep. Though insomnia is a serious problem that must be treated, you can practice many self-help techniques to improve the condition. You can practice a regular routine of yoga, meditation or even deep breathing, all exercises that have been shown to relieve stress and improve your health. You can also adopt new habits to help you sleep and prevent nights of sleeplessness. These may include anything from sticking to a regular sleep schedule to avoiding stressful situations before bedtime or throughout the day. All of these techniques, in addition to professional help, can help you combat insomnia effectively. Search here for other information to get a better nights sleep Related stress management articles
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