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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-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.
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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