Insomnia
Insomnia or sleeplessness has assumed alarming proportions in
present times, especially among the upper classes in urban areas. This is evident from
the wide range of medication for this condition prescribed by physicians and sold by chemists.
Instances of persons taking an overdose of sleeping pills with fatal results are quite
frequent. Insomnia deprives a person of mental rest and thereby interferes with his activities in the
daytime. It constitutes a severe health hazard when it becomes a habit. Sleep is a periodic state of rest for the body which is absolutely essential for its efficient functioning. Sleep gives relief from tension, rests the brain
and body and a person wakes up in the morning fresh and relaxed after sleep. The amount of
sleep, however, varies within very wide limits from individual to individual. Normally, seven to
eight hours of sleep every night is adequate for most people.
Some, however, do well with four to
five hours because their sleep is deeper and more refreshing. Insomnia is common among the elderly for a variety of reasons.
The sleep of the elderly is often punctuated by brief periods of wakefulness during the night.
IN such cases it is the quality rather than the quantity which is most affected. With age, there is
gradual reduction of periods of deep sleep. The older person, therefore, gets roused easier. Sleep
requirements also diminish with ageing. From nine hours of sleep per night at the age of 12
the average sleep needs decrease to eight hours at the age of 20 , seven hours at 40 , six and
half hours at 60 and six hours at 80.
Symptoms
The signs of pathological insomnia are dramatic changes in the
duration and quality of sleep, persistent changes in sleep patterns, lapses of memory and lack of concentration during the day. Other symptoms are emotional instability, loss of
coordination, confusion and a lingering feeling of indifference.
Causes
The most common cause of sleeplessness is mental tension
brought about by anxiety, worries, overwork and overexcitement. Suppressed feelings of
resentment, anger and bitterness may also cause insominia. Constipation, dyspepsia, over-eating at
night, excessive intake of tea or coffee and going to bed hungry are among the other causes.
Smoking is another unsuspected cause of insomnia as it irritates the nervous system,
especially the nerves of the digestive system. Often, worrying about falling asleep is enough to keep
one awake.
The Cure
Sleeping pills are no remedy for sleeplessness. They are habit
forming and become less effective when taken continuously. They lower the I.Q., dull
the brain and can prove fatal if taken in excess or before or after alcohol. The side- ffects of
sleeping pills include indigestion, skin rashes, lowered resistance to infection, circulatory and
respiratory problems, poor appetite, high blood pressure, kidney and liver problems and mental
confusion. To overcome the problem, one should adhere to a regular
sleeping schedule, going to bed at a fixed time each night and getting up at a fixed time each
morning. Early to bed and early to rise is a good rule.
Two hours of sleep before midnight are more beneficial than four after. It is sheer folly for students, at examination times, to keep awake till
long after midnight, drinking one cup of tea after another, as that is only apt to cause blackness and
inability to concentrate in the examination hall. Research has shown that people with chronic insomnia almost
invariably marked deficiencies of such key nutrients as B-complex vitamins, and vitamin C and D
as also calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium and zinc. The sleep mechanism is unable
to function efficiently unless each of these nutrients is present in adequate amounts in the
diet.
A balanced diet with simple modifications in the eating
pattern will go a long way in the treatment and cure of insominia. Such a diet should exclude white flour
products, sugar and its products, tea ,coffee, chocolate, cola drinks, alcohol, fatty foods,
fried foods, foods containing additives, that is chemicals for preserving, colouring and flavouring,
excessive use of salt and strong condiments. In the modified eating pattern, breakfast should consist of
fresh and dried fruits, whole cereals, seeds and yogurt. Of the two main meals, one should consist of
a large mixed salad and the other should be protein-based. A cup of milk sweetened with
honey at bedtime is helpful as the amino-acid tryptophan contained in milk induces sleep. Sleep is often elusive.
Any attempt to force it only drives it
further away. It is better to divert the mind with soft music or light reading. While going to bed, visualise a blank black wall occupying the entire field of vision. Turn your thoughts to light and
cheerful matters. Use light bed clothes and relax. Do not lie on your back, put on your side with one
or both knees brought well up and the head and shoulders slightly forward. During the night, the
position of the arms and legs should be changed frequently and a healthy sleeper usually
shifts from one side to the other several times in the course of the night. Controlled breathing is also a great help in inducing sleep.
The method is to lie on your side in bed, and then take three deep breaths expanding the abdomen
completely.
Then hold your brath as long as you can. Next, take three more breaths and repeat the breath-holding. While you hold your breath, carbon dioxide accumulates in the body
and induces natural sleep. Regular, active exercising during the day and mild exercise at
bedtime enhances the quantity and the quality of sleep. Exercise stimulates the elimination
of lactic acid from the body which correlates with stress and muscular tension. Regular exercise
also produces hormonal changes which are beneficial to the body and to the sleep pattern.
Walking, jogging, skipping, swimming are all ideal exercises. Vigorous exercise should, however, be
avoided at night as this can be over-stimulating.
Yogasanas
Yoga helps a majority of cases of insomnia in two ways.
Firstly, yoga treatment helps tone up the glandular, respiratory and nervous system. Secondly, yoga also gives physical and mental relaxation as a safety value for one’s disturbing problems.
The traditional yogasanas which are effective for insomnia patients are shirsana, sarvangasana,
paschimottanasana, uttanasan, viparitakarni and shavasana. Hydrotherapy is also effective in treatment of insomnia.
Application of hot packs to the spine before retiring, hot fomentation to the spine , hot foot bath or an alternate hot and cold foot bath at bedtime are all time-tested methods. The cold hip bath with
the feet in hot water and the prolonged neutral immersion bath (92
o to 96 o
F) at bed time, when
one’s nerves are usually irritable, are also effective measures.
Along with the various measures for the treatment of insomnia,
all efforts should be made to eliminate as many stress factors as possible. The steps in
this direction should include regular practice of any relaxation method or meditation technique,
cultivating the art of doing things slowly (particularly activities like eating, walking and
talking) limiting the working day to nine to ten hours and five and a half days weekly, cultivating a
creative hobby and spending some time daily on this, avoiding working against unrealistic targets
and completing one task before starting another.
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