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Insomnia Treatment With Pills And Medications

March 6th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Majority of people suffering from sleep disorders turn to pills and medications. This proves to be working at first but gradually there arise certain disadvantages and risks that need serious consideration before one starts with a particular kind of sleeping pills or medication. These days, both over the counter medications and prescriptions pills are used for insomnia treatment.

Over The Counter Medications

Over the counter medications for insomnia are usually ineffective in log term insomnia treatment. First of all, they do not ensure the quality of sleep enjoyed by healthy people. They give about 5 % duration of deep sleep while in healthy sleep this duration is 10 % to 25 %. Secondly, over the counter drugs for insomnia mostly work by the action of antihistamines (anti-allergic chemicals) present in them. These include chemicals like diphenhydramine citrate, diphenhydramine hydrochloride, and doxylamine succinate. While antihistamines do cast a sedating effect, they are not to be used by people with prostate problems, angina, heart problems, and urinary problems. Antihistamines can add to the intensity of these conditions.  Finally, over the counter drugs have a number of side effects like: drowsiness and dizziness (that may remain for twenty four hours), memory lapses, dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, and urinary retention.

Prescribed Medications For Insomnia Treatment

Various types of medications, collectively called hyptonics, are prescribed for insomnia treatment. Hypnotics generally fall in three categories: benzodiazepines, non-benzodiazepines, and antidepressants.

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines is a class of prescribed drugs for treating insomnia and include names such as Dalmane, Doral, Frisium, Halcion, Ativan, Xanax, Klonopin Restoril, and Rohypnol etc. Benzodiazepines work by slowing down the Central Nervous System (CNS).

Non-benzodiazepines

Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata, and Imovane are the commonly prescribed non-benzodiazepines for insomnia treatment. These drugs have been reported to ensure greater health safety than the more popular benzodiazepines.

Antidepressants

Trazodone (Desyrel ) is the most common antidepressant prescribed for treating insomnia. It works by regulating the balance of neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. Other antidepressants include Elavil, Endep, Pamelor, Aventyl, and so on.

Duration Of Insomnia Treatment

Most of the health experts agree on using insomnia medications for a short period only. This is because these drugs do not eliminate the root causes of sleeplessness, which are quite complex for any one of these to cure radically. In addition, these medications cause drug tolerance and/or dependence of the patient on them. In all cases of using over the counter drugs or prescribed medications, it is important that the patient educate him/herself well on the possible side effects

Are You Wondering About Insomnia? Here Are Some Insomnia Facts

January 5th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Insomnia or sleeplessness as it is commonly known is a little understood affliction. In fact, you will find that insomnia is both a symptom and a malady by itself – and hence, its diagnosis is a bit troublesome. There are many insomnia facts available in different information forums; the insomnia facts compiled in this article are meant to educate the reader on basics on this problem.

The Insomnia Facts That You Should Know

1. Insomnia or lack of sleep can be of two types, i.e. (i) transient and (ii) intermittent. The former is when one experiences sleeplessness for a period of maximum 2-3 weeks; while the intermittent insomnia is when this gets repeated every now and then. This will mostly be a projection of an underlying problem, such as anxiety, depression, drug abuse, etc.

2. Then there is the chronic insomnia – this is when sleeplessness will last for more than 30 consecutive days and your body feels and reacts to the shortfall of sleep.

3. Females over 60 years are more prone to suffer from insomnia than any other category of people. This will be further aggravated if the person was previously suffering from depression.  In some cases, insomnia can be induced by medication.

4. The diseases that usually result in insomnia (depending on the health history of the person) are asthma, kidney problems, narcolepsy, Parkinson’s disease, heart problems, high blood pressure, hyper-thyroid, arthritis among others. If you suffer from any of the above, then insomnia may become part and parcel of your life.

5. You are said to suffer from insomnia even if you wake up too many times during the night; this is because unless you have at least 2-3 hours of uninterrupted sleep the body feels and reacts to the short fall.

Some Insomnia Facts That Will Help You

If you are at a loss for what to do when you experience these insomnia attacks, try using the following insomnia facts as home remedial measures till you get to a doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment.

1. When you cannot sleep do not fight for it. You need to relax hence, you should undertake any such activity that brings you pleasure as well as relaxes you. For example, a good movie on TV (should not be an action movie, or ghost/ horror movies, etc – it should not be anything that brings on any excitement), a book to read, a hot bubble bath, and so on.

2. Some foods and drinks will help you get your sleep back – a hot cup of milk, a hot cup of chamomile tea or green tea, a glass of wine at room temperature, and so on would be great in courting your sleep back.

Chronic Insomnia Disorder

January 5th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Among the types of insomnia, chronic insomnia is a complicated condition in which the patient has difficulty in sleeping or getting refreshing sleep for more than a month.  It results from a variety of underlying causes, both physical and mental. Depression is a major cause of chronic insomnia. Other causes include diseases like arthritis, heart problems, kidney problems, respiratory diseases (asthma for example), Parkinson’s Disease, hyperthyroidism, sleep apnea, and several other conditions. Constant experience of mental stress and excessive use of stimulants like caffeine (coffee, tea etc.) are also responsible for causing chronic insomnia.

Treatment Methods

Treatment of chronic insomnia consists of diagnosing and eliminating the underlying medical/psychological disorders. Stopping or minimizing behaviors that aggravate insomnia are also part of the treatment plans.

Sleeping Pills

Sleeping pills may be prescribed by the physician for temporary use but they are not allowed for long-term use since they cause addiction and can aggravate chronic insomnia. They also cast side effects, which add to the problems of the patient.

Behavioral Techniques For Treating Chronic Insomnia

Different behavioral techniques are employed to treat chronic insomnia. These include techniques like relaxation therapy, sleep restriction therapy, reconditioning, and using bright light.

Relaxation Therapy

Relaxation therapy aims at treating chronic insomnia by reducing anxiety and body tension. This is accompanied by mental relaxation, which is the key to restful sleep. Effective relaxation therapy requires greater time and effort.

Sleep Restriction

Sleep restriction is based on the approach of reducing sleep time of insomniacs so that they can get sufficient sleep in proper time. Therapists have noted that some insomniacs spend a lot of time in bed, i.e. in relaxed state, so their natural urge to sleep suffers. By restricting their easy hours, therapists promote the natural urge to sleep and hence treat the insomnia symptoms.

Reconditioning

One way of helping insomniacs get sufficient restoring sleep is to condition their sleep with their bed and a proper time of sleeping. This technique requires that patients do not use their bed for activities other than sleep, e.g. reading, playing cards etc. He/she is only allowed to go to bed when the need to sleep is felt. Taking naps in the day is also not allowed.

Bright Light

The use of bright light is a technique that helps in resetting the patient’s biological clock to sleeping at a proper time in the night and waking up at a desirable time in the morning by exposure to bight light. For example, if the patient is exposed to some bright light in the evening, he/she will not sleep too early and hence not wake up too early in the morning. Bright light exposure technique should be monitored by a skilled behavior therapist.

The Problem Of Insomnia In Children

January 4th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

The Problem Of Insomnia In Children

While insomnia prevails among a notable proportion of adults, children too suffer from sleep disorders. Insomnia in children is characterized by signs of wakefulness or restlessness daily at night, irritability or heaviness on waking from sleep, mood swings, lack of concentration, and unusual difficulty with remembering.

Causes Of Insomnia In Children

In children, the causes of insomnia are generally more easy to work out that in grown ups. If your child suffers from any of the symptoms listed above, look for any one or more of these causes that usually cause insomnia in children: stress, diet, anxiety, fear, physical problems (constipation, pain etc.), and disturbed routine (watching TV late in the night, over use of computer, video games etc.)

Anxiety And Stress

The child may be facing various stressful situations at home, with friends, or at the school and the resulting anxiety may prey upon his sleep. The best way of tracing the cause of the child’s anxiety is to let him/her vent it out in conversation. One cause of anxiety noted in children is the apprehension of a coming baby. In such cases, daily reassuring and affectionate treatment should be given to the child to let him feel safe about his importance in the family and help him sleep well.

Fear Of Sleeplessness

Sometimes the fear of not getting sleep itself becomes a cause of insomnia in children. The child fears that his sleepless condition may let him down in school or at home. This happens especially in cases where children are living in demanding situations. Do not stress your child a million times daily for optimum performance. This will help him/her sleep well.

Stomach Problems

Digestion problems like constipation or an upset tummy are frequently the cause of insomnia in children.  While many children are able to share this problem, some may not be able to do so readily. To prevent this problem, watch over the diet your child takes. Do not allow him excess intake of sugary foods or eating late in the night, just before he goes to sleep. Encourage him/her to take more water and fresh fruit juice instead of canned sugary juices or sweets.

Pain

Insomnia in children can also result from fibromyalgia, or muscle cramps after a hard sport session. Prevent the child from over exertion and in case the pain lasts long, take him/her to a pediatrician.

Disturbed Routine

Some common disturbances in normal sleep routine can lead to sleeplessness in children. An increasing cause of these is watching TV or using computers late in the night. Light emitted from the screens of TV and computer monitors interfere with sleep after their use.

Co-Existence Of Anxiety And Insomnia

January 3rd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

There are a number of physical problems for insomnia like digestive problems, heart problems, fibromyalgia, and so on. However, certain psychological problems too cause insomnia quite frequently. An important one of these is anxiety. Anxiety and insomnia have been found as causally related in people who remain excessively worried about some problem or coming event. While sleeplessness on account of mild anxiety for a couple of nights is normal in many cases, prolonged sleeplessness accompanied by constant worrying is clearly a case related to the causal relation between anxiety and insomnia.

Symptoms Of Insomnia Caused By Anxiety

A screening test, called Anxiety Screen, is conducted to determine if the patients’ insomnia is an effect of anxiety. Symptoms looked for include: restlessness, difficulty in concentrating, muscle tension, fatigue, irritability, and excessive sleep disturbance. If any three symptoms of these occur, along with constant worrying, for six months or longer, the insomnia is believed to be caused by anxiety.

Nature And Prevalence Of Anxiety

Anxiety is not a single disorder but a group of psychological disorders called Anxiety Disorders. These include generalized anxiety, panic and phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In America, about 20 million people suffer from some form of anxiety each year. These include people of all ages. More commonly, anxiety is experienced by senior citizens, ages 65 or above.

Treatments For Anxiety And Insomnia

Different approaches treat anxiety and related insomnia differently. These include psychological counseling, psychotherapy, prescribed medication, nutritional treatment, herbal formulas, and alternative treatments like acupuncture.

Psychological Treatment

Psychological counseling or therapy attempts to better equip the patient for meeting day to day challenges without appeal to ongoing drugs or medication. It takes quite some time, depending on individual case of insomnia caused by anxiety. But there are no such side effects as those caused by drugs or alternative treatment methods.

Reboxetine

Reboxetine is a drug used for treating anxiety-related insomnia in some patients. Its common brand name is Edronax. Besides insomnia and anxiety, it has been reported to relieve depression and improve social adaptation. However, Reboxetine is not usually given to patients with a history of convulsions since it might cause seizures in them.

Nutritional Treatment For Anxiety And Insomnia

Nutritionists reveal that anxiety and insomnia can also result from the imbalance of minerals like calcium and magnesium. Nutritional supplements containing these minerals are thus recommended for patients of insomnia and anxiety. Vitamin D and K are also needed in proper amounts to help in the metabolism of these minerals.

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