Insomnia
Habitual sleeplessness is classified as insomnia. Failure to enjoy an entire night’s sleep on most nights over a one-month period is considered chronic insomnia.
Insomnia can take the form of being unable to fall asleep when you first go to bed or waking during the night and being unable to go back to sleep.
Chronic insomnia is often a symptom of depression, stress, anxiety or grief. There can be a wide variety of causes including arthritis, asthma, breathing problems, hypoglycaemia, hyperthyroidism, indigestion, kidney or heart problems, muscle aches and pains. Caffeine consumption, jet lag and the use of certain drugs, including many antidepressants, can also lead to insomnia.
Lack of the nutrients calcium and magnesium can cause you to wake up after a few hours and not be able to return to sleep. Systemic disorders involving the brain, digestive system, endocrine system, heart, kidneys, liver, lungs and pancreas may all affect sleep, as can poor nutritional habits and eating too close to bedtime. A sedentary lifestyle can be a major contributor to sleep disorders.
Restless leg syndrome prevents millions of people from getting to sleep. These people have leg jerks, twitches and kick involuntarily. Restless leg syndrome has also been linked to the painful night time leg muscle cramps that afflict so many people. A deficiency of magnesium may be involved in RLS.
In times of prolonged stress, disturbed sleep is common, especially waking after only a short period of sleep. Night sweats are also common and may result from inappropriate physiological function where the body works day and night in response to the stress.
Recommendations
In the evening, eat bananas, dates, figs, milk, nut butter, tuna, turkey and whole grain crackers or yoghurt. These foods are high in tryptophan which promotes sleep. Eating a grapefruit half an hour before bed also helps.
Avoid alcohol. A small amount can help induce sleep initially but it invariably disrupts deeper sleep cycles later.
Avoid tobacco. While smoking may seem to have a calming effect, nicotine is actually a neurostimulant and can cause sleep problems.
Avoid heavy meals up to three hours before bedtime.
Avoid bacon, cheese, chocolate, aubergine, ham, potatoes, sauerkraut, sugar, sausage, spinach, tomatoes and wine close to bedtime. These foods contain tyramine, which increases the release of norepinephrine, a brain stimulant.
Establish a set of habits and follow them consistently to establish a healthy sleep cycle.
- Do not nap during the day
- Exercise regularly in the late afternoon or early evening – but not immediately before bedtime. Physical exertion is an excellent way to make your body tired so that sleep comes more easily.
- Take a hot bath an hour or two before bedtime. Put several drops of lavender essential oil in the bath water for further relaxation.
- Do not watch the late evening news or watch any violent films before bed. Instead read a relaxing or boring novel.