Insomnia is a common sleep disorder characterized by difficulty relaxing to sleep, but also difficulty staying asleep. Adequate sleep is considered to be that which lasts 7-9 hours without breaks, so that there is real mental and physical rest. People with insomnia have obvious signs of fatigue, lethargy, daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, sadness and reduced functioning.
How is insomnia related to stress?
It is estimated that 30% of the general population has insomnia and 10% have daytime symptoms. There are pathological causes which are responsible for it insomnia, but the most common cause is the daily stress, where in turn insomnia exacerbates it thus creating an interrelated condition.
The type of work and hours, midday sleep, messy sleeping hours, preoccupation with other matters in bed, environmental conditions (lighting, noise, temperature, disturbances), physical fatigue before going to bed, the type and amount of food at night, alcohol, caffeine, smoking directly affect sleep. So all of the above cause one anxious state which predisposes the person to insomnia.
Insomnia and age
It is more common in older people due to changes in sleeping habits, changes in physical activity levels, health problems, etc.
However, it is not excluded that sleep difficulties occur in healthy adults, children and adolescents. However, in this case they are usually due to different causes, such as a different “setting” of the biological clock or stress about school activities.
Coping methods
Making changes and adopting good habits can help deal with insomnia.
- Establish one fixed sleep schedule.
- Go to bed without delay when you feel sleepy.
- Do not engage in other matters while lying down.
- Take care the bedroom environment to relax you.
- Remove electronic devices from the bedroom.
- Do not consume heavy and rich dinners.
- Limit, especially in the evening, alcoholic and caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea, coca cola, dark chocolate).
- You take any medicines that have stimulating properties early enough, before going to bed (consult the leaflet and your doctor).
- When you go to sleep forget your worries.
- Do not take a nap at noon or even if the nap does not last more than 30′.
- Exercise regularly but be done exercise at least 3 hours before bedtime.