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The term insomnia literally denotes a
complete lack of sleep. It is, however, used to indicate
a relative inability to sleep that consists of difficulty
in falling asleep, difficulty in staying asleep, early
awakening or a combination of any of these complaints.
Insomnia deprives the person of mental rest and thereby
interferes with his activities in the day time. 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. It is
the indispensable condition to the recuperation of
energy. It gives relief from tension, rests the brain and
body and a person wakes up in the morning fresh and
relaxed. Sleep has been aptly called the " balm of
hurt minds and the most cheering restorative of tired
bodies. "
The amount of sleep 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 a gradual reduction of
period of deep sleep. 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, 6 1/2 hours at 60
and 6 hours at 80.Symptoms
Although
difficulty in staying asleep is the most common type of
insomnia, the single symptom that most frequently makes
the onset of insomnia is the difficulty in falling
asleep. 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 overexcitment.
Suppressed feelings of resentment, anger and bitterness
may also cause insomnia. Constipation, dyspepsia,
overeating at night, excessive intake of starches,
sweets, 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. Environment factors
such as overcrowding, excessive noise and poor bedding or
housing conditions may also lead to transient sleep
difficulties. Often, worrying about falling asleep is
enough to keep one awake.
Dietary
Cure
Sleeping
pills are no remedy for sleeplessness. They are
habit-forming and become less effective when taken
continuously. The side-effects 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.
Diet is an important factor in the treatment of insomnia.
Research has shown that people with chronic insomnia
almost have 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.
Of the various food elements, thiamine or vitamin B1 is
of special significance. It is vital for strong, healthy
nerves. A body starved for thiamine over a long period
will be unable to relax sufficiently to induce natural
sleep. The valuable sources of this vitamin are whole
grain cereals, pulses and nuts.
A balanced diet with simple modifications in the eating
pattern will go a long way in the treatment of insomnia.
Such diet should exclude white four products, sugar and
its products, tea, coffee, chocolate, cola drinks,
alcohol, fatty foods, fried foods, foods containing
additives, preservatives, colouring and flavouring,
excessive use of salt and strong condiments.
The patient may adopt an all-fruit diet for three or four
days at the beginning of the treatment. In this regimen,
he should have three meals a day of fresh juicy fruits
such as oranges, grapes, apples, pears, peaches, and
pineapples .This will help cleanse the blood stream and
relieve possible digestive and intestinal disturbances.
The bowels should be cleansed daily with a warm water
enema during this period.
After the all-fruit diet, the patient may follow a
modified eating pattern in which breakfast should consist
of fresh and dried fruits, 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 the milk induces sleep.
Celery is also considered beneficial in the treatment of
insomnia. Its characteristic small arising from the
concentration of plant hormones and essential oils induce
sleep.
Taking meals late in the night often leads to
sleeplessness. The sufferer from insomnia should,
therefore, eat his last meal at least three hours before
going to bed. Food should never be taken when one is
emotionally disturbed or suffering from fatigue or acute
depression as it will result in gastric discomfort. Those
suffering from insomnia should always take meals in a
relaxed atmosphere. This is important at any time of the
day, but more especially at night.
Along with dietary treatment, other effective measures
should also be adopted to overcome the problem. These
include application of hot fomentation to the spine, hot
foot bath or an alternate hot and cold foot bath and
prolonged neutral immersion bath ( 92 o to 96 o F) at
bedtime.
All efforts should also 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
thing slowly, particularly activities like eating,
walking and talking, limiting the working day to nine or
ten hours, and 5 1/2 days weekly, cultivating a creative
hobby and spending some time daily on this.
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