HOW TO DEAL WITH SLEEP PROBLEMS?
Are you suffering from sleep problems? How to identify? Because we rarely think about a good sleep and its importance for our daily life. There are some simple symptoms which help us to understand our sleep quality.
- Not feeling fresh after waking up in the morning.
- You feel sluggish and lazy for the whole day.
- You are not able to concentrate on your work.
- You are not able to sleep early at night.
- You wake up frequently in the middle of night.
- You have very light sleep, it disturbs with little noise also.
If you have any 1 problem with your sleep from the above list, then this article is for you.
Sleep is the most important part of human life. But nowadays because of our new age lifestyle most of us are struggling with sleep problems.
It’s very bad that most of us are neglecting this issue and dealing casually with it. But they are not realizing that this sleep issue may lead towards chronic diseases like diabetes, hypo-hyperthyroidism, BP, and heart problems.
SLEEP: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
In Physiology sleep is defined as, “ State of consciousness that differs from alert wakefulness by a loss of critical reactivity to events in the environment with a profound alteration in the function of the brain.”
Sleep is a relaxation state for our body, mind and emotions. Sleep not only improves our mood, concentration, energy but also regulates our physical, mental and emotional health.
If you sleep properly, you feel fresh in the morning, energetic for the whole day, you can make proper decisions, you keep yourself healthy.
INSOMNIA: SLEEPLESSNESS
There are two types of insomnia. Primary insomnia is the result of our bad habits while secondary insomnia is because of underlying chronic disease conditions.
PRIMARY INSOMNIA: If recently you are suffering from sleeplessness problems, then it belongs to primary insomnia.
- You are not able to sleep till midnight. You toss in bed.
- Little noise disturbs your sleep and you remain awake for the whole night.
- In the morning you do not feel fresh and for the whole day you feel sluggish.
- You are not able to concentrate on work or study.
In this article I will discuss how to manage primary insomnia at home without medications!
SECONDARY INSOMNIA: Here, insomnia is associated with other chronic conditions like depression, anxiety and stressful life.
- You are suffering from arthritis, or back pain. Chronic pain diseases disrupt our sleep.
- Sleep apnea or snoring may interrupt your sleep cycle.
- Sometimes asthma, heart problems, cancer-like conditions or digestion problems may disturb your sleep.
In secondary insomnia, we should treat the underlying cause of insomnia and treat it first.
WHAT TO DO FOR A GOOD SLEEP:
Having a good sleep is like a habit! You should schedule your daily routine in such a way that you can sleep at least for 7–8 hours.
Some people think that Sleep is useless but If our body requires daily sleep at night then this is the most important part of our life cycle.
1. AVOID MOBILE, I-PADS, TABS, LAPTOP AND TV at the bedtime and put them outside of your bedroom.
There is a sleep article in Harvard Medical School journal where you can read about how blue light is dangerous not only for our sleep but also for our health.
Try to avoid looking at screens beginning 2–3 hours before bed. If you are working at night shift on laptop or on mobile, wear blue blocking glasses or install an app that filters blue rays.
2. SLEEP EARLY RISE EARLY: We all know “sleep early and rise early make a man wealthy.”
It’s really a good habit. It not only provides you good relaxed sleep but also increases your productivity. Motivational writer Robin Sharma beautifully explains, “How early morning workout, meditation and day planning help your health and wealth” in his 5AM CLUB book.
In Ayurveda , this thought is emphasized under a good habit.
3. GOOD ENVIRONMENT OF BEDROOM:
If possible, bathe with warm water, and wear clean clothes before you go to bed at night. Do not drink caffeine or tea at night. Instead, you can try a stress relief drink like chamomilla tea or warm turmeric milk.
If you like, you can read a book or listen to relaxing soothing music.
4. MEDITATION:
It really helps me. You can try different styles of Meditation for 10–15 minutes at bedtime. Like chanting omkara or Concentrate on a breath, take a deep breath in and out. Calm your mind and body.
Yoga Nidra- is one of the best options you can try for good sleep. It’s a yogic talk which makes your body relaxed and calm. It guides you to give attention to your body part from toes to head. This kriya makes you live in the current moment and simultaneously you feel sleepy. There are many videos present on You-tube under the name yog nidra. You should try it. If you want a personal session, contact me at any time. I Will provide a yog-nidra session online.
5. EXERCISES:
Doing regular exercise helps your sleep quality.
One systematic review about Relation between sleep and physical exercise published in American Journal NCBI states that, “Physical exercise is an effective intervention for those who do not experience adequate sleep quantity or quality.” That means regular minimum 30 minutes exercise helps us to improve our sleep and mood.
If you or your closed one is suffering from sleep problems, do not neglect the symptoms. Try these simple ways for good sleep. You can consult a cognitive therapist. But sleep medication, keep this as a last option. There are some homeopathy medications which are useful for primary insomnia. I will write my next blog about homeopathy medicines and yog nidra.
DR. SUJATA CHOUGULE, MD (HOM).
