INSOMNIA CAN LEAD TO:
• drowsiness/fatigue
• impaired concentration and memory
• stress intolerance
• mood changes & irritability
• muscle tension
• hormonal imbalance & weight gain
• increased health problems such as infections.
10 TIPS TO IMPROVING INSOMNIA
1. Get on a schedule with consistent sleep and wake times. Try to give yourself at least 8-9 hours for sleep.
2. When you feel sleepy, go to bed. Try not to stay awake to complete a task or project. Your body may release epinephrine to help you keep going. Epinephrine is a stimulant & can take 30-45 minutes for your body to process.
3. Avoid taking naps if you have trouble sleeping at night.
4. Reserve the bed for sleep and sex only. Do not read, watch TV, eat, or worry in bed.
5. If you find that you’ve been lying awake in bed for 15-20 minutes, get out of bed. Do something mundane until you feel sleepy, and then go back to bed. Repeat this as often as needed.
6. Your sleeping environment should be quiet, cool and comfortable. The room should be clutter-free. Reduce the amount of ambient light as much as possible.
7. Exercise regularly, but avoid exercise late in the evening.
8. Exposure to sunlight early in the morning and late in the afternoon or evening encourages a strong circadian rhythm. The hormone melatonin, which helps create a sleep state in the body, is suppressed in light and secreted in darkness.
9. If you have problems with waking during the early hours of the morning, have a small protein snack just before bed to ensure consistent blood sugar levels throughout the night. Consistently get exposure to sunlight as late in the day as possible.
10. Caffeine & nicotine are stimulants. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon/evening. Quit tobacco – for assistance call your state tobacco quit line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
Resources
1. Dement MD PhD, William. The Promise of Sleep. 1999. Dell Publishing. New York, NY.
2. Jacobs PhD, Gregg. Say Goodnight to Insomnia. 1998. Henry Holt and Company. New York, NY.
3. Ross DC, Herbert, Brenner Lac, Keri and Goldberg, Burton. Sleep Disorders.
4. Bastyr handout.
My Husband suffers from insomnia. He has experienced all the side effects. He takes melatonin to help. It seems to but I don't know enough about it to worry about long-term effects or if there are any...do you?
ReplyDeleteHi Kaisa,
ReplyDeleteMelatonin is a hormone that we produce & maintain. So, you husband is mainly supplementing his natural supply. If he is experiencing any short-term problems with melatonin, I suggest he speak with his physician as soon as possible. With any hormone supplementation, there are bound to be metabolic actions and possible interactions with other hormones. As far as long-term effects, there really hasn't been research with much information. I would be concerned that the supplemented melatonin may lead to issues with the body regulating it's own levels (no research to prove this.)