Do you find it very difficult to fall asleep? It could be Insomnia – a sleep disorder. People with insomnia find it difficult to fall asleep. It is linked to heart disorders, high blood pressure, depression, loss of focus and memories. An immediate effect of insomnia is lethargy, low attention span and mood swings that interfere with your daily activities.

That is why it is essential to seek treatment for insomnia. In this article, we will discuss how insomnia is treated.

• Cognitive or Behavioral Therapy

This form of therapy is immensely helpful in teaching people to live with several psychological or personality issues. Insomnia is often the result of turmoil in our mind or an overabundance of stimuli or simply some of our habits. Cognitive therapy will help identify the issue and teach you to resolve it.

Behavioural therapy has been proven immensely effective and people observe results in just a few weeks. A few tips in dealing with insomnia are given below.

Avoiding stimulants like nicotine or caffeine in the evenings. Exercising a few hours before going to bed. Completing your dinner 3 hours before you try to sleep. Creating a quiet and peaceful ambience in your bedroom.

Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature. Remove electronic devices, such as TVs, computers, and smart phones, from the bedroom. Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime.

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD

• Relaxation Techniques

Unable to relax? Relaxation therapy teaches you how to relax your muscles and control their twitches and spasms. This is different from relaxing your mind through meditation. Once you have mastered the art of relaxing your muscles, your nerve impulses will not run rampant in your body. This will help induce sleep. You will have to perform this relaxation exercise before going to bed every night.

Relaxation can also rely on external triggers such as soothing music or a gentle voice (playing on an app) guiding your mind to a peaceful state or swirling patterns or images on a screen that make you drowsy. You may also be taught certain breathing techniques to help relax your mind.

Read More: 7 Different Relaxation Techniques That Help Fight Stress

• Stimulus Control

The mind of the insomniac associates the bedroom with wakefulness. So what is the goal of stimulus control? It is breaking this association. So that means your therapist will suggest a few dos and don’ts. For example, you will not be allowed to do any strenuous work in your bedroom; you will not read or watch movies there; you will always have to dim the lights in your bedroom. This way, your mind will strongly associate the bedroom with sleep.

People with insomnia may have a tenfold higher risk of developing depression than people who get a good night’s sleep. And among people with depression, 75 per cent have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, understanding the relationship between insomnia and depression can help you spot risks early, get the right help, and recover more fully if you are experiencing both.

Dr. Ashish Bajaj – M.B.B.S, M.D.

• Medicinal Help for Insomnia

There are sleeping pills that can help in dealing with insomnia. These sleeping pills reach your brain and urge it to produce more sleep hormones. Some pills relax the nerves and the mind to make sleep possible. There are different kinds of sleeping pills.

These pills control the GABA receptors of the human brain that regulate alertness and wakefulness. There are medicines for insomnia that modify the human sleep/wake cycle or the circadian clock, controlled by the hypothalamus. These drugs target this part of the brain to reduce the hours of wakefulness. If depression or anxiety is the cause of sleeplessness, doctors prescribe antidepressants.

Conclusion

Insomnia is treatable. It does not have to make your life miserable. Just adhere to your therapist’s instructions and take all your medicines on time to sleep better.

Must Read: 9 Side Effects of Less Sleep

Disclaimer: The above information has been prepared by a qualified medical professional and may not represent the practices followed universally. The suggestions listed in this article constitute relatively common advice given to patients and since every patient is different, you are advised to consult your physician, if in doubt, before acting upon this information. Lupin Limited has only facilitated the distribution of this information to you in the interest of patient education and welfare.