Dealing with Simple Insomnia
There are quite a number of reasons for why people tend to get insomnia. The best way to tackle insomnia is to deal with the problem in a systematic fashion so that you eliminate the causes one by one. Some experts suggest that you keep a journal or a check-list so that you can keep track of the various things that might be affecting your ability to sleep.
The first place you should start is to eliminate all of the physical and environmental problems that might be causing your insomnia and then move on to the emotional aspects of the problem. The body doesn’t do a good job of distinguishing between physical stress and psychological stress. If you don’t eliminate the physical and environmental stressors first, you might be misperceiving the psychological stressors.
Get a Medical Check Up
Insomnia can be the first sign of significant health
problems. So, if you have been
dealing with insomnia for more than a couple of weeks, the first thing to do is
to get a complete medical check-up in order to rule-out any physical problems.
Also, review whatever prescribed medications you might be taking with
your doctor. Many prescription drugs
for all sorts of medical conditions can stimulate the central nervous system so
that you have difficulty sleeping at night.
Review the drug action of your prescriptions with your physician.
If any of your medications indicate the possibility of agitation or
insomnia, consult with your doctor to see if this can be addressed.
Don’t do this on your own, work with you physician.
Insomnia, Alcohol and Drugs
To date, there isn’t a drug on the market that will give you a natural night’s sleep without some disruption of the natural sleep pattern. This includes all of the newer sleep medications. Ambien was supposed to be a miracle drug that had no side effects until a number of reports of people sleepwalking and doing things like driving while sleepwalking. (See the NY Times Article on this: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/08/business/08ambien.html or Newsweek’s article: http://www.newsweek.com/id/47241?tid=relatedcl.)
The truth of the matter is that most drugs have a primary drug effect and a secondary drug effect. Since many people use alcohol as a folk remedy to get to sleep, let’s use alcohol as our example for understanding the primary and secondary effect of a drug.
The primary drug effect of alcohol is that it acts as a depressant. Many people use alcohol’s primary effect to get drowsy so that they can fall asleep. This might work for an hour or two; however, alcohol’s secondary effect, agitation and depression kicks in for 4 to 6 hours. This secondary effect will stimulate the central nervous system so that the person will actually wake up later in the night. This means that if you take alcohol, narcotics or tranquilizers for sleep, you will get some help initially. However, make no mistake about it; the very agents you are using to put you to sleep will later wake you up in the middle of the night. Even worse, aside from the danger of addiction, after prolonged use, your sleep cycle can be disrupted for weeks or months afterward. I have seen addicts who have been using alcohol, benzodiazapines, or narcotics have their sleep disrupted for 6 to 18 months after discontinuing their drug use.
There is a significant risk of addiction when you use these drugs on a regular basis. If you are using alcohol, benzodiazapines and narcotics and you suspect that you might be addicted to them, speak to your physician about your use of them. Don’t try to discontinue these drugs by yourself. The withdrawal can be medically dangerous. Consult with your doctor about this.
By the way, I know you have heard this before, but if you are addicted to nicotine, now might be the time to quit. Nicotine is a stimulant and it is highly addictive. My clients often protest that a smoke or chew is actually relaxing. This is because the nicotine addict is withdrawing from the nicotine and experiences this as stress. The withdrawal from nicotine can actually wake you up. Taking a hit of tobacco simply prevents the nicotine addict from going further into withdrawal which reduces the physiological stress. This is falsely perceived by the addict as “relaxation”, but just serves to keep the cycle of addiction going.
Despite the evidence that drugs simply don’t provide a good night’s sleep, people who are desperate enough to get a decent night’s rest will attempt to use drugs. While there is a time and place for sleep medication, it should be your last resort and not your first.
Cut Down On Caffeine
Ok, notice that I didn’t say quit. I need my cup of go-juice in the morning like everyone else. However, caffeine is a stimulant. Need I say more? So long as you are having insomnia, don’t use caffeine (including coffee, tea and soft-drinks) 6 to 8 hours prior to going to sleep. Now, some of you will say: “I can sleep on top of caffeine; it just doesn’t affect me that much.” OK, I grant that you that this is possible. However, we all get older and our bodies do change with time. It’s worth experimenting to see if your body is metabolizing this drug differently.
Get Enough Exercise at the Proper Time
Yes, I know, you don’t have enough time to exercise. Do you have enough time to have insomnia? Your body also needs a moderate amount of activity each day. Sleep is part of your activity and rest cycle. Look at it this way, not enough activity, not enough rest. You may not be getting enough sleep simply because you are not getting enough physical activity.
Twenty to 30 minutes of light to moderate daily exercise may be the ticket to a sound night’s sleep. However, it’s important to get this exercise at least four to six hours before you go to bed. Too close to bedtime, your body will be stimulated from the activity and you might find it difficult to go to sleep. If you exercise regularly, make sure that you do it early enough so that your sleep is not affected.
Light stretching and Yoga poses designed to relax you before bedtime can also help. However, remember, it’s important not to stimulate the body prior to sleep. Otherwise, your stretching can have the unwanted effected of keeping you awake.
Eat Healthy
A good diet is essential for good sleep. Don’t eat foods or food supplements before bedtime that have a stimulant effect. Also, the amount you eat prior to bedtime can affect your sleep. Too much food will keep you from falling asleep. Too little food could give you a mild case of low blood sugar or send your boding into ketosis (fat-burning). This can create sufficient physiological stress to wake you up at night.
Some foods are natural tranquilizers.
Dairy products provide lots of calcium and magnesium.
For those who are lactose intolerant,
Keep the Lights Low and Avoid Stimulation
Our body is stimulated into wakefulness by light. If you wake up in the middle of the night, keep the lights low and avoid sensory stimulation. Avoid television, music that is too stimulating, and computer use. Do something that is quiet and even boring. Take a hot bath. Listen to a relaxation CD.
Get Out of Bed
We are aware of our surroundings throughout most of the night. Most people have difficulty distinguishing between light sleep and wakefulness. In order to train your body to get down into the deeper, more satisfying parts of sleep, get out of bed until you are tired enough to fall into a deep sleep.
Stop Ruminating About Tomorrow
If you are awake because you can’t get an idea out of your head, get out of bed and write the idea down, make a to-do list or action plan.
Rely on Your Spirituality
Pray, meditate, or read a spiritually uplifting book.
Deal with the Emotional Stressors
There are all kinds of relationship, job and other lifestyle stressors that can create enough tension in your life to keep you awake at night. Fear of going to sleep at night because of bad dreams or intrusive thoughts can also create insomnia. These types of stressors are often complicated and need the time and attention it takes to come up with creative options to eliminate the problem. Waiting for a simple or magical answer only delays the solution. Get the help you need. Psychotherapy or counseling might be needed for these issues. Give these problems the respect they deserve and get the help you need.
Recommended Readings
Remember to Get The Help You Need from a Qualified Professional
The information on this page is intended
for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace the assessment,
diagnosis or treatment of a licensed medical or mental health professional.
For Individual or Couples Counseling Contact:
Jacob Spilman, LPC, LMFT, CEAP
Spilman & Associates LLC
833 SW 11th Avenue Suite 218
Portland OR 97205
(503) 227-3187
email: jacobspilman@msn.com
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