Insomnia

What is insomnia?

Insomnia has been defined quite simply as "sleeplessness". But there is nothing simple about the inconvenience that insomnia causes in everyone's life at some point. No-one is completely certain why humans require sleep, but the fact that sleep deprivation has many serious impacts upon our lives demonstrates its importance.

The amount of sleep that is necessary for individuals varies, as does each person's fitness, and their physical and emotional expenditure during each day. It is approximated that most people require 7 hours sleep each night, with 8% satisfied with 5 hours or less and 4% requiring 10 hours or more. It depends entirely on the individual. It becomes obvious that you are not receiving the amount of sleep your body requires if you begin to experience adverse affects on your life.

What are some of the causes of insomnia?

Although causes may vary from individual to individual, some common causes include:

• stress & anxiety
• depression
• trauma in your life (major or minor)
• overeating just before bed
• caffeine intake (coffee, chocolate, cola)
• poor diet
• lack of exercise
• conditions that don't encourage sleep (noise)
• concerns about work or school
• concerns about daily living (money, violence, transport, job, relationships)
• illness

What are the symptoms of insomnia?

The symptoms of insomnia can be extremely mild to serious. If symptoms of insomnia are affecting your ability to function effectively you will need to consider seeking help.

Some consequences of insomnia may include:

• inability to sleep or waking frequently during the night
• decreased problem solving skills
• lowered mental alertness
• drowsiness, falling asleep at every opportunity
• inability to concentrate
• decrease in efficiency
• nervousness
• irritability & anger
• increased anxiety
• feeling depressed or down
• fatigue, lowered physical performance

What can I do to manage insomnia?

• Implement routine: Try to go to bed & wake at the same time daily.
• Limit the bed to sleeping: Try not to study, watch TV, read or eat in bed.
• Exercise: Do some exercise during the day to induce tiredness.
• Relax before bed: Have a warm bath, listen to soothing music, use deep breathing techniques, yoga, tai chi etc.
• Avoid naps: Napping during the day may minimise your ability to sleep at night.
• Minimise anxiety: Try not to tackle anything that may cause stress & anxiety just before bed time, or write down any worries you may have.
• Avoid stimulants: Avoid having caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, cola) or cigarettes before bed. [NB: alcohol may make you drowsy but can disrupt sleeping patterns.]
• Warm & soothing drinks: Warm chamomile or peppermint tea or a milk-based drink may help you sleep.
• Lavender: Lavender is considered a natural sedative, so sprinkling some oil on your pillow may assist.
• Natural Remedies: Valerian is considered a non-addictive, sleep-inducing herb that also assists in Relieving stress & anxiety. St John's Wort is another natural product which is used to treat anxiety, stress & insomnia. Both are available at supermarkets or your local pharmacy.
• Medication: If your inability to sleep is disrupting your life, it is advisable to see your pharmacist or doctor. They may provide medication to assist in rectifying your disrupted sleeping patterns, but ensure you know about the drug before taking it. Many of these are addictive & cause periods of drowsiness upon waking, which may cause problems if you require alertness for work or school.
• Other professionals: Your doctor may also treat or refer you to other professionals to address the causes of the insomnia.

See link to the left hand side of this fact sheet for other helpful organisations and professionals.