Do you have difficulty getting to sleep?

There was a time in my life when every time I went sleep I would suddenly jerk violently in fear & wake up. Once awake I would find it increasingly difficult to go back to sleep. It got to

Years later I still often find it difficult to drift of peacefully & get a really good night’s sleep. Busy work schedules, a new baby, sick children… even our own body clock can influence our sleep patterns. These factors not only affect us, but every member of the family.

So are you a 'night owl' or a morning person?

My son sits up every night until about 3am (5 or 6am on weekends) then is able to manage with only a few hours sleep & he's bright & chirpy. I on the other hand can be so grumpy if anyone tries to rush me in the morning... even if I've had a good 8 hours sleep, I need a couple of shots of caffeine & time to drift into the day. This is because we all need different amounts of sleep.

So how much sleep do we need? 

Ø    Infants - about 16 hour’s per day.

Ø    Teenagers - about 9 hour’s average

Ø    Most adults – Between 5 hour’s & 10 hour’s each day.

Ø    Pregnant women – During the first 3months of pregnancy most women need several extra hours of sleep each day. I slept a great deal right through my pregnancies.

Many factors can affect our ability to get a sound night’s, for example:

Ø    Did you know that the consumption of caffeine, alcohol & nicotine can all contribute to insomnia? Note: many soft drinks contain caffeine.

Ø    Our bodies’ reaction to stress & anxiety plays a major part in how well we sleep.

Ø    Congestion can cause some people to snore which can become a problem if you stop breathing during sleep & have to wake up to catch your breath. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/76140/health_effects_of_snoring.html

Ø    Many children & adults can have difficulty sleeping due to re-current nightmares. Night Terrors are a common sleep problem among children. About.com ‘Children who have night terrors are usually described as ‘bolting upright’ with their eyes wide open, with a look of fear & panic, & letting out a ‘blood curdling scream’. These kids will usually also be sweating, breathing fast & have a rapid heart rate. Although it will seem like they are awake,,during a ight terror, children will appear confused, will not be consolable & won’t recognize you. Typicallly night terrors last about 5-30 mniutes & afterwards, children usually return to a regular sleep’. http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/sleep/a/night_terrors.htm

Ø    An older person still needs about the same amount of sleep that they did when they were younger however then tend to sleep 'lighter'. Perhaps that’s why we see our parents ‘cat napping’ throughout the day.

Ø    Half of all people over 65 have sleeping problems & are no-longer are able to enter 'deep sleep'. This is partly due to aging, but medical problems, their associated treatment & medications do play a part.

Ø    Diet pills; Birth control pills; Anti-depressants; Blood pressure medications can all affect our sleep.

Some tips to help you sleep soundly

‘Create a nest’. By eliminating clutter & maintaining a comfortable sleeping temperature. Cosy bedding really does help. I CAN’T get a decent night’s sleep unless I have my own special pillow, no-matter how much I try. On the rare occasion when I’ve had to make do, I lie awake for hours tossing & turning before dozing off, then wake up with a dreadful headache in the morning. (When this happens no-one wants me around).

Light Snacks or a hot milky drink. I personally like to have a piece of fruit or a cracker biscuit about ½ an hour before I go to bed otherwise I have a tendency to feel hungry all night… causing me to stay awake. This light snack can be just enough to keep my hunger pangs at bay. When my tummy feels full I’m more content & am able to sleep better. Note that I said a ‘light snack’. Too much to eat causes me to have a ‘guilt trip’ over the possibility of gaining weight… then I can’t sleep. Can we ever win?

Night lights, street light & bright moonlight can interfere with quality sleep.  I hate light getting into my room when I’m trying to sleep. I have good heavy curtains to block out street lighting & passing car headlights, plus I place my alarm clock away from the bed as the florescent numbers annoy me.

Warm bath. A soothing bath can help tense body muscles to unwind, add aroma therapy bath crystals or oil, lavender is a great choice because of its antidepressant, antiseptic, calming, balancing, sedative qualities, but caution should be used as it is a potential skin irritant for those with extremely sensitive skin. I like to light a candle & play a relaxing CD while I soak as it helps me totally unwind. By the time I get out of I'm ready to simply drift off to the land of nod.

Read a book. I read recently that if I took a good book to bed, tried to keep my eyes open & fight any inclination to go to sleep that it would have the opposite effect. For me this does work! I actually go to bed & read myself to sleep... Almost every night without fail I am fast asleep within ½ an hour of going to bed. I wake up long enough to turn off the light & place my book on the side cupboard then happily dream my night away.

Listen to music. This is a great solution for many people… Sadly not for me however as I get so caught up in listening to the music that I find I cant drift off till the CDs finished.

Just do it! Releasing endorphins after orga sms can help you fall into a deep sleep…

If all else fails get out of bed & do something boring as it sure beats lying in bed watching the ceiling.

I advise anyone who regularly suffers from insomnia to go see their doctor as you need to find out the cause. Regular sleep deprivation is not good for our bodies.

Sleep deprivation can be a cause of Obesity & can lead to early-stage Diabetes Type 2 as it disrupts the hormones that regulate glucose  metabolism & appetite. Sleep deprivation also adversely affects brain function.

Don’t forget to check out some of the external links below for more facts on insomnia & sleep deprivation.