Insomnia: what it is, causes, types, signs and treatment. Insomnia (insomnia). Types and causes of insomnia What is insomnia in medicine
So, for home treatment of insomnia, it is necessary: to establish a sleep and wakefulness regimen, organize bedtime rituals, a warm bath, light reading, no arguments at night, no coffee and strong tea after 21 hours.
Observing these simple rules, you will get rid of the need to go to doctors for the treatment of insomnia, mobilize your inner strength and quickly achieve the desired result.
However, if the cause of insomnia goes back to the field of physiology (violation of respiratory processes during sleep), or psychology (depression), then contacting a psychologist / psychotherapist will be the most optimal solution to the problem.
In closing, we wanted you to think about this. Imagine that in a conversation, the other person invites you not to think about tigers. What will you think about? Naturally about tigers, no matter how hard they try not to do it. The same thing happens to you when you try not to think about your insomnia. Simply put, if you think that you need to fall asleep, sleep will not come to you. Try to try not to fall asleep and in the morning you will find to your considerable surprise how you did not succeed.
Wish you all pleasant dreams!
Remember that you are not alone, and for the treatment of insomnia and other psychological problems, you can always turn to highly qualified specialists at the Brain Clinics.
You will definitely be helped.
You can sign up for a consultation by phone: +7 495 135-44-02.
Treatment of disorders of the nervous system should be comprehensive and fully under the control of the attending psychiatrist, psychotherapist or neurologist, depending on the true origin of the cause of the disease.
Currently, there is a kind of "renaissance" in somnology in relation to old clinical terms, which include insomnia.
The term "insomnia", which was used earlier and widely rooted in everyday life, despite the fact that it is used in the official Russian translation of ICD-10, is currently not recommended for use. The rather artificial term "dyssomnia", introduced by the previous classification of sleep disorders, did not take root in clinical practice either.
According to the current International Classification of Sleep Disorders 2005, insomnia is defined as “recurrent disturbances in the initiation, duration, consolidation or quality of sleep that occur despite adequate sleep time and conditions and are manifested by various types of daytime disturbances.” It should be noted that insomnia is a syndromic diagnosis, similar sleep and wakefulness disorders can be observed both in its primary forms and in secondary ones (for example, in the structure of a mental disorder). The prevalence of insomnia in the population is 10%.
The following types of insomnia are distinguished.
1. Adaptive insomnia (acute insomnia). This sleep disorder occurs in the context of acute stress, conflict, or environmental change. The consequence is an increase in the general activation of the nervous system, which makes it difficult to enter sleep when falling asleep in the evening or awakening at night. With this form of sleep disorders, it is possible to determine with great certainty the cause that caused them; adaptation insomnia lasts no more than three months.
2. Psychophysiological insomnia. If sleep disturbances persist for a longer period, they become "overgrown" with psychological disturbances, the most characteristic of which is the formation of "fear of sleep". At the same time, somatized tension builds up in the evening hours, when the patient tries to "force" himself to fall asleep as soon as possible, which leads to aggravation of sleep disturbances and increased anxiety the next evening.
3. Pseudoinsomnia. The patient claims that he sleeps very little or does not sleep at all, however, when conducting a study that objectifies the picture of sleep, the presence of sleep in an amount exceeding the subjectively felt is confirmed. Here, the main symptom-forming factor is a violation of the perception of one's own sleep, associated, first of all, with the peculiarities of the feeling of time at night (the periods of wakefulness at night are well remembered, and the periods of sleep, on the contrary, are amnesic), and fixation on the problems of one's own health associated with sleep disturbances.
4. Idiopathic insomnia. Sleep disturbances in this form of insomnia are noted from childhood, and other causes of their development are excluded.
5. Insomnia in mental disorders. 70% of patients with mental disorders of the neurotic series have problems initiating and maintaining sleep. Often sleep disturbance acts as the main "symptom-forming" radical, due to which, according to the patient, numerous "vegetative" complaints develop (headache, fatigue, palpitations, blurred vision, etc.) and social activity is limited.
6. Insomnia due to poor sleep hygiene. In this form of insomnia, sleep problems occur against a background of activity that leads to increased activation of the nervous system in the periods prior to lying down. This can be drinking coffee, smoking, physical and mental stress in the evening, or other activity that interferes with the initiation and maintenance of sleep (lying down at different times of the day, using bright light in the bedroom, an uncomfortable sleeping environment).
7. Behavioral insomnia of childhood. It occurs when children form incorrect associations or attitudes related to sleep (for example, the need to fall asleep only when motion sickness, unwillingness to sleep in their crib), and when trying to remove or correct them, the child's active resistance appears, leading to a reduction in sleep time.
8. Insomnia in case of somatic diseases. The manifestations of many diseases of the internal organs or the nervous system are accompanied by disturbed sleep at night (hunger pains with peptic ulcer disease, nocturnal arrhythmias, pain neuropathies, etc.).
9. Insomnia associated with the intake of drugs or other substances. The most common insomnia arises from the abuse of sleeping pills and alcohol. At the same time, the development of an addiction syndrome (the need to increase the dose of the drug to obtain the same clinical effect) and dependence (the development of a withdrawal syndrome when the drug is stopped or its dose is reduced) is noted.
An algorithm for its treatment is selected depending on the type of insomnia. Behavioral modification methods are recommended in the first place in the treatment of most primary insomnias. These include correcting sleep and wakefulness, following good sleep hygiene, as well as some special techniques, such as the stimulation control method (staying up until you really want to, etc.) or the relaxation method (sheep counting, auto-training). Sedative and hypnotic drugs are used only to facilitate the establishment of a new sleep and wakefulness routine. With this form of primary insomnia, such as acute insomnia, the use of sedatives and hypnotics for the period of exposure to the stress factor is completely justified, treatment usually lasts 2-3 weeks, or hypnotics are prescribed "on demand" in case of fluctuations in the intensity of stress. In case of sleep disorders developing against the background of mental disorders, diseases of the nervous system or diseases of internal organs, correction of insomnia is auxiliary. For example, antidepressants are the main treatment for secondary insomnia associated with a depressive disorder, but short-term hypnotics are warranted before the clinical effect of the respective drugs is adequately manifested. There are a limited number of hardware methods for treating insomnia, the effectiveness of which has been proven (encephalophony, phototherapy, percutaneous electrical stimulation), the well-known method of "electrosleep" does not apply to them.
The problem of insomnia treatment in elderly and senile people is becoming especially difficult. The development of sleep disorders in these patients is usually due to the combined effect of a number of factors, among which the following play the main role:
1. Age-related changes in nighttime sleep. The sleep of the elderly is more superficial, the representation of the 1st and 2nd stages of sleep, the number of awakenings and the time of wakefulness during sleep are increased. On the contrary, the number of deep (3 and 4) stages of NREM sleep and REM sleep decreases with age.
2. Age-related changes in the sleep-wake cycle. Sleep becomes polyphasic (they can take a nap during the day). With age, there is a shift in the sleep-wake cycle to an earlier time - older people begin to feel an increase in drowsiness in the evening faster, and wake up noticeably earlier in the morning. This is associated with age-related deterioration in the work of the "internal clock" - the suprachiasmatic nuclei and a decrease in the nighttime secretion of melatonin.
3. Abuse of sleeping pills. According to one study, 18% of men and 23% of women aged 60-70 take sleeping pills on a regular basis. Often these are drugs of the first generation (cheaper), which leads to the rapid development of addiction and dependence phenomena.
4. Violation of the routine and sleep hygiene. Since most of the elderly and senile people do not work, the "disciplining" role of the work routine is lost. They begin to spend more time in bed, allowing themselves periods of daytime sleep. There is a decrease in the overall level of physical activity, which negatively affects the depth of sleep.
5. Concomitant diseases. In old and old age, somatic, nervous or mental pathology is very often manifested, which can affect sleep primarily due to disturbing afferent stimulation (back pain, cardiac arrhythmias, somatoform dysfunction). Depressive manifestations play an important role in the development of sleep disorders in the elderly, both directly in the structure of the corresponding mental disorders, and in the form of a reaction to a change in social status, lack of support from loved ones, and their own lack of demand.
With age, other non-insomnia sleep disorders are more common, which also have a negative effect on sleep structure. For example, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome has been diagnosed in 24% of people over 60 years of age.
In those cases when for the treatment of insomnia it is necessary to resort to the appointment of hypnotics, primacy is given to the so-called Z-drugs: zopiclone, zolpidem and zaleplon. These third-generation hypnotics are considered selective ligands of that part of the gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABA A) receptor complex, which is responsible for the hypnotic effect of GABA and practically does not act on other receptor subtypes. The most abundant and important GABA receptor consists of three subunits: alpha1, beta2, and gamma2. It accounts for over 50% of all GABA receptors in the brain. The hypnotic effect is caused by the binding of Z-drugs to the alpha subunit, and it is necessary that the GABA molecule interacts with the beta subunit of the GABA A receptor complex. Differences in the chemical structure of the aforementioned hypnotics make it possible to bind with other subunits of the complex and cause additional effects.
Compared to benzodiazepine hypnotics, Z-drugs have a significantly higher safety profile with a lower likelihood of developing the phenomena of addiction, dependence, cognitive and behavioral toxicity. For most benzodiazepine drugs, the half-life from the body is several times higher than that of third-generation hypnotics. With prolonged use of benzodiazepines, there is a reduction in deep (3 and 4) stages of slow wave sleep and REM sleep and an increase in the representation of stage 2 of sleep. In standard therapeutic doses, such a distortion of the sleep structure is clinically insignificant, however, hypnotics of the non-benzodiazepine series that do not have such effects receive an advantage in choosing.
The drug zaleplon was synthesized and appeared on the pharmaceutical market as the last of the Z-drugs. It is a pyrazolopyrimidine derivative. Zaleplon is taken at a dose of 10 mg before bedtime or during nighttime awakenings. After administration, the drug is rapidly absorbed in the intestines, reaching a maximum concentration after 1.1 hours. The half-life of zaleplon is 1 hour. The hypnotic effect of the drug is associated with the alpha1-, alpha2- and alpha3-subunits of the GABA A receptor complex, and the binding with the latter two types of subunits is its unique property in relation to other Z-drugs.
Studies have shown a decrease in the time to fall asleep and an increase in sleep time in the first half of the night without changing the ratio of deep and superficial stages of sleep. At the same time, the emergence of phenomena of cognitive and behavioral toxicity was not noted in the morning.
In Russia, zaleplon is available in the form of Andante.
In the Moscow City Somnological Center on the basis of GKB No. 33 im. prof. A.A. Ostroumov conducted an open, non-comparative study of the efficacy and safety of the drug Andante (zaleplona) for the treatment of patients with insomnia.
We examined 30 patients (9 men and 21 women aged 25 to 59 years) suffering from the primary form of insomnia (psychophysiological insomnia).
The diagnosis was made on the basis of clinical data, confirmed by the data of specialized questionnaires and the results of polysomnographic studies. The following questionnaires were used: the subjective sleep characteristics scoring questionnaire, the sleep apnea screening questionnaire, the Epworth sleepiness scale, and the hospital anxiety and depression scale. Patients with a high probability of having obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (total score on the sleep apnea screening questionnaire of 4 or more) were not included in the study.
Night polysomnographic study was carried out according to the standard scheme (registration of electroencephalogram (EEG), electrooculogram, electromyogram) with parallel video monitoring. Sleep structure was assessed according to the method of A. Rechtschaffen and A. Kales, 1968.
For 7 days, patients took 10 mg of Andante daily in the evening 15 minutes before going to bed, regardless of food intake. On the 4th and 7th day of admission, the questionnaires were re-filled, only on the 7th day - a repeated polysomnographic study.
While taking the drug, a significant (p< 0,05) улучшение как субъективных, так и объективных характеристик сна.
Subjectively, patients noted a decrease in the time to fall asleep, in the number of nocturnal awakenings and dreams, an increase in the duration of sleep, the quality of morning awakening and the quality of sleep (Table 1). The average score on the subjective sleep characteristics score questionnaire increased significantly.
According to the data of the night polysomnographic study (Table 2), there was a significant increase in the duration and representation of the 4th stage of sleep, delta sleep, and a decrease in the duration and representation of wakefulness during sleep. An integrative measure of sleep quality - the sleep index also decreased (positive effect).
74% of patients with insomnia noted the effectiveness of the drug as "excellent" or "good". At the same time, side effects and adverse events did not occur against the background of a 7-day intake of Andante.
It can be concluded that the drug Andante (zaleplon) at a dose of 10 mg once at night is an effective treatment for insomnia associated with sleep disorders and can be recommended for a wide range of patients.
Literature
- Levin Ya.I., Kovrov G.V., Poluektov M.G., Korabelnikova E.A., Strygin K.N., Tarasov B.A., Posokhov S.I. Insomnia, modern diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. M .: Medpraktika-M, 2005.
- Register of medicines of Russia. http://www.rlsnet.ru
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine. International classification of sleep disorders, 2nd ed .: Diagnostic and coding manual. Westchester, Ill .: American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2005.
- Ancoli-Israel S., Kripke D. F., Klauber M. R., Mason W. J., Fell R., Kaplan O. Sleep-disordered breathing in community-dwelling elderly // Sleep. 1991 Dec; 14 (6): 486-495.
- Rechtschaffen A., Kales A. A manual of standardized terminology, techniques and scoring system for sleep stages of human subjects. Washington D. C .: NIH publication 204, 1968.
- Sleep; National Institutes of Health State of the Science Conference Statement on Manifestations and Management of Chronic Insomnia in Adults; June 13-15, 2005; 2005. pp. 1049-1057.
- Swift C. G., Shapiro C. M. ABC of sleep disorders. Sleep and sleep problems in elderly people // BMJ 1993, May 29; 306 (6890): 1468-1471.
M. G. Poluektov, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor
Ya.I. Levin, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor
FPPOV MMA them. I.M.Sechenova, Moscow
Now we will get acquainted with the main types of insomnia, such as transient, short-term, chronic, and consider the mixed type of insomnia.
Transient insomnia
Transient (or passing) insomnia is sleep problems that only last a few nights. This mostly happens as a result of certain events. For example, a flight with a change in the time zone, intense excitement, stress, illness, transition to a new job, a change in schedule, etc.
People with this type of insomnia need not worry too much about it. Transient insomnia does not last long. And in order to improve your sleep, during this period, it is recommended to use mild sedatives (for example, a light valerian solution). You can also take sleeping pills at night, only in a small dose.
Some people worry that if they take sleeping pills, they will become addicted to the drug. This is a misconception, because you only use it a few times, and the body will not be able to get used to it in such a short period of time.
It is not necessary to see a doctor, as this type of insomnia, in most cases, goes away after a few days.
Short-term insomnia
Brief insomnia can last up to seven days. The reasons for its appearance are different and in most cases sudden. For example, stress at work, fear of an exam or test, bad news, etc.
You should know that, unlike transient insomnia, short-term insomnia does not go away on its own. If you are unable to deal with stress and control yourself, it can become long-term. In this case, a specialist will help you, and you will have to use medication.
As you already understood, short-term insomnia is formed due to stress. Therefore, you need to be easier to relate to situations and not allow psychological breakdowns. In addition to this disease, due to this, you may experience other health problems (cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the nervous system, digestive problems, etc.).
Chronic insomnia
Chronic insomnia most often occurs in women, elderly and adult patients suffering from somatic or psychiatric disorders. It can follow episodes of acute insomnia in people predisposed to it and become chronic due to anxiety, restlessness while in bed, and misconceptions about the length of sleep.
Chronic insomnia is a sleep disorder that lasts more than a month. It is common among 10-15 percent of the population. The consequences of such insomnia include fatigue, impaired psychiatric factors, interpersonal problems, difficulty in performing professional duties and a reduced quality of life.
A detailed history (if any) allows you to more accurately classify the causes of insomnia. Patients are advised to keep a diary in which they record their sleep times over the course of several weeks. A comprehensive examination of the patient during sleep is required in rare cases when the patient has serious breathing disorders during sleep, or periodic limb movements occur.
Chronic insomnia undoubtedly ruins the life of any person. Many are trying to get rid of the disease on their own with the help of sleeping pills. However, uncontrolled use of such drugs is extremely dangerous. While taking sleeping pills, the brain slows down, after which it returns to normal. The next doses of sleeping pills should be even higher. Thus, the brain does not have time to rest at all, and this is extremely dangerous for human life and health.
Mixed type of insomnia
The mixed type of insomnia, you guessed it, includes a number of psychological disorders. Some people who are seriously suffering from the manifestations of the disease may experience daily depression, mania, and an energetic surge. Such patients with a disturbed emotional reaction are said to have a mixed state. Even experienced doctors cannot immediately say for sure why a person has insomnia, since this is quite difficult to do.
In matters of this type of disease, there are many unexplored factors. Patients are not always susceptible to treatment with antidepressants, so in most cases, they are prescribed potent sleeping pills.
Mixed insomnia differs from short-term and chronic insomnia in that the disease can either go away in a few days or require long-term treatment. After all, it is not always possible to predict the body's reaction to various drugs, as well as what the emotional state of a person will be - and this must be taken into account.
In the modern world, about 40% of people experience difficulty sleeping, about 10% of them have chronic disorders. According to experts, insomnia develops against the background of disorders of the central nervous system, cardiovascular pathologies, an unstable emotional background, and active mental activity. To combat the disease, an integrated approach is used, which uses the most effective methods and the safest remedies for insomnia and stress.
Often at the doctor's office you can hear the unusual term "insomnia". Not many people realize that it means a type of sleep disorder, which, under the influence of various factors, often turns into a serious illness.
You can talk about pathological disorders (and not just temporary problems) if a person has been observing the following symptoms for a long time:
- falls asleep with difficulty, even with extreme fatigue;
- sleeps restlessly;
- wakes up often during the night;
- wakes up early "with roosters" and can no longer fall asleep.
Prolonged disorder not only deprives you of energy and good mood, but over time can seriously undermine your health. Due to the constantly arising drowsiness, efficiency deteriorates, its productivity decreases, and neurosis develops. In modern life, insomnia affects both an adult and a teenager, a child. Often an infant up to one year old, and even a newborn baby, can show anxiety in a dream.
A variety of treatments for insomnia
Insomnia can occur against the background of regular stress and nervous strain, but in some situations it is a symptom of many serious diseases. In the first case, a person can solve the problem on his own, in the second, he needs a complete examination and identification of the cause of the disorder. Only then will the doctor advise on the best way to treat insomnia.
Sleep Improvement Drugs
Adequate sleep is necessary for every person, therefore, drugs for insomnia are increasingly used in the fight against sleep disorders. They differ in therapeutic activity, duration of action, but they work according to the same principle - they inhibit the work of the brain, relieve nervous, muscle and emotional stress. Many people, not really understanding what they can drink for insomnia, begin to buy up all the available drugs, and only exacerbate the problem.
Sleep pills with short-term effects make it easier to fall asleep without disturbing the cycle and structure of sleep. Medium-duration drugs relieve excitement and increase inhibition.
Long-acting medications are intended for long-term use in the presence of a whole range of symptoms:
- long process of falling asleep;
- shallow and intermittent sleep;
- frequent nocturnal awakenings.
Modern pharmacology presents various groups of drugs for both adults and children.
Barbiturates
Derivatives of barbituric acid have a sedative effect and are prescribed for severe sleep disorders. Side effects include lethargy, drowsiness, headaches, and muscle aches. With prolonged use, physical and mental dependence develops, the pharmacological effect decreases. The funds of this group reduce the duration of FBS, which is necessary for the complete restoration of the nervous system. This category includes drugs such as:
- Phenobarbital;
- "Reladorm" ";
- "Medinal";
- "Veronal".
Benzodiazepines
Medicines have a pronounced sedative effect, suppress anxiety and fear. They are characterized by a wide therapeutic interval and relatively low toxicity. With prolonged use, they are addictive. To achieve the goal, it becomes necessary to increase the dosage. A side effect is manifested in the form of lethargy, daytime sleepiness, muscle hypotension, decreased concentration, memory impairment, anterograde amnesia.
This category includes:
- Elenium;
- Lorafen;
- "Relium";
- "Nitrazepam";
- Triazolam.
Z-preparations
New generation drugs make up the non-benzodiazepine Z-group. At the usual dosage, they speed up the process of falling asleep, reduce the number of nighttime awakenings and generally increase the duration of sleep. At the same time, they do not have a muscle relaxant, anticonvulsant effect, do not eliminate feelings of anxiety and fear.
Medicines are prescribed mainly for the elderly in short courses, since long-term use is addictive. The advantage can be called the absence of drowsiness, but in rare cases, patients complain of weakness. Popular representatives are:
- Zolpidem;
- Zaleplon;
- "Zopiclone".
Melatonin products
The drugs have all the qualities of sleeping pills, do not disrupt the structure and cyclicity of sleep, accelerate the process of falling asleep, reduce the number of night awakenings, some of them reduce the risk of nightmares.
It's important to know! Medicines have a positive effect on the emotional sphere in the morning after taking, do not cause feelings of fatigue, drowsiness, lethargy and irritation. The drugs in this group do not have addiction syndrome.
The list of medicines includes:
- Melaxen;
- Melarena;
- "Circadin";
- "Roserem".
Herbal remedies
This category can include both single-component and combination drugs. They have a mild sedative effect, eliminate anxiety and nervous tension, reduce sensitivity to stress, and facilitate the process of falling asleep. The composition contains natural herbal extracts, trace elements, vitamins. They can be purchased at the pharmacy without a doctor's prescription, the pharmacological effect is achieved immediately or after a few days. This group includes:
- "Persen";
- Novo-Passit;
- "Neurostabil";
- Triason;
- Dormiplant;
- Sonilux.
Patients prone to allergic reactions and suffering from temporary sleep disturbances can be prescribed antihistamines, in particular Donormil, which is taken in a short course of no more than 5 days.
Attention! It is the best medication for insomnia because it is allowed for pregnant women in any trimester, but has limitations during breastfeeding.
Since the sedative is available without a prescription, you should read the instructions for use.
The most popular and are considered homeopathic remedies, as well as combined drugs with sedative and antispasmodic effect. They facilitate the onset of natural sleep and have a mild hypotensive effect. These are Valocordin, Corvalol.
If pain is the cause of insomnia, doctors advise taking analgesics and antispasmodics. "Trimetin", "Promedol", "No-Shpa", "Domperidone" have a good effect.
Treatment without drugs
To solve the problem without the help of medication, it is necessary to use alternative methods. The daily routine should be designed in such a way that at least 8 hours are allotted for a night's sleep and there is still free time for sports, walking, reading, favorite hobbies and hobbies, and just a pleasant rest. If the problems with falling asleep do not disappear, then you can resort to folk remedies for insomnia and use them at home.
Massage
One of the most effective methods of restoring sleep is acupuncture massage. It can be carried out at home on your own, having previously identified the necessary points and learning how to press them correctly. Manipulations should be performed for 7 seconds with 3-5 repetitions of soft and short presses until slight pain is felt, using the thumb, index or middle finger. If unpleasant conditions arise: the pulse, heartbeat increases, nausea appears, profuse sweating, massage should be stopped.
Baths
Water procedures in themselves are relaxing and tune in to rest. If you regularly take baths with the addition of natural ingredients, then they will produce a pronounced healing effect.
To normalize sleep and eliminate signs of insomnia, the following procedures are suitable:
- with hop cones;
- with essential oils of orange, mint and chamomile;
- with a series;
- with a decoction of spruce needles of cones;
- with medicinal collection of jasmine, elderberry, hops, mint;
- with broth of fir and lemon balm.
Aromatherapy
If the cause of insomnia is stress or overexertion, then relaxation methods will help, one of which is aroma therapy.
- General calmness can be achieved with essential oils, sandalwood, lavender, geranium, rose, neroli, hops, jasmine marjoram.
- Extracts of valerian, bergamot, passionflower, patchouli, vetiver, petitgrain, benzoin have an excellent effect.
- To improve the process of falling asleep, it is recommended to use orange, tangerine, cypress, cedar, myrrh, juniper.
- For restless sleep, lavender, neroli, chamomile, incense will help.
Homemade recipes
There are many ways to treat insomnia, but the advice of traditional healers remains the most popular. This is due to the availability of natural raw materials and the safety of the prepared products.
Herbs
An excellent cure for insomnia is decoctions and infusions of medicinal herbs. They are a good substitute for the usual drinks tea, coffee and provide invaluable benefits. The following folk remedies have soothing properties.
Tea with oregano. Pour a couple of tablespoons of chopped herbs into a mug and pour a glass of boiling water. After half an hour, strain the infusion and divide in half. Drink the first one often before lunch, the second one an hour before dinner.
Ivan tea infusion. Place 2 tablespoons of the plant in a thermos, pour in 500 ml of boiling water and close tightly. You need to insist for 6 hours, after which the resulting medicine is divided into 3 doses and drunk per day.
Hypericum tea. Pour 250 ml of boiling water into a thermos, where three tablespoons of the herb should be placed in advance. After 2 hours, strain the infusion and take a third of the glass every day.
Honey
The popular beekeeping product is considered the most natural and harmless remedy for insomnia (in the absence of allergies). Traditional medicine offers a lot of recipes for normalizing sleep and speeding up the process of falling asleep.
Tea. Dissolve a tablespoon of amber liquid in a cup of warm water and drink before bed.
Healing water. Thoroughly chop half of one lemon and mix with a tablespoon of honey. Combine the resulting mixture with mineral water such as "Borjomi". Drink sweet syrup every morning.
Medicinal mixture. In a deep bowl, combine the juice of three lemons, a couple of tablespoons of a natural product and the same amount of chopped nuts. Cover the resulting mass and put in the refrigerator. A small amount (1 tbsp. L.) Eat daily half an hour before bedtime.
Clay
To relieve nervous tension, stress, you can use clay.
1 way. Heat a small amount of natural material in a frying pan and dividing it in half, pour it into socks, which must be put on immediately. Wrap your feet in a warm scarf or blanket and leave until morning.
Method 2. In a deep bowl, combine 2/3 teaspoon of cosmetic clay with 10 g of dry yarrow herb and 40 g of lemon balm leaves. Add a third of a glass of boiling water. Use the resulting mixture as an application to the temporal areas and the frontal area. To do this, a small amount must be placed between two layers of fabric. Keep the compress for a quarter of an hour.
Proper nutrition
Of all the remedies for insomnia, the right foods are equally effective. To get the maximum benefit from them, it is necessary to adjust the diet taking into account the climatic conditions of the place of residence, the nature of work, the individual characteristics of the organism and age. The general principles are the quality of products, their assortment, the method of heat treatment, the number of meals and the amount of meals consumed.
The daily diet should include the following foods:
- for breakfast - cereals, natural juices, herbal teas;
- for lunch - soups, fresh vegetable and fruit salads, cereal side dishes, meat products;
- for dinner - protein dishes, dairy products, fruits, decoctions of fruits, herbs.
To boost melatonin production, you need to include the following foods in your diet:
Exercises
If for some reason it is impossible to take remedies for insomnia, then an effective method that helps to normalize sleep is gymnastics. There are many different methods and techniques, but the most popular and effective are:
- breathing exercises;
- facial gymnastics;
- complex for the body;
- other techniques (4-7-8, 1-2-3-4; reverse blinking method).
To overcome insomnia and wake up refreshed and refreshed in the morning, you should follow just a few simple rules.
- Observe the regime, lead a healthy lifestyle.
- Be physically active and move more throughout the day.
- Switch to fractional meals and do not overeat.
- Eliminate the use of strong alcoholic and tonic drinks, energy drinks.
- Create comfortable sleeping conditions in your own bedroom.
- Allocate half an hour of evening time to relax and perform the ritual.
- Do not use sleeping pills for the slightest sleep disturbances.
- If necessary, give preference to phytopreparations.
Conclusion
Sleep medications are considered a quick and effective way to treat sleep disorders. But no less benefit can be brought by alternative methods, folk remedies. It should be remembered that it is possible to achieve the desired effect only if you leave all the problems and worries outside the walls of the bedroom and switch your attention to more pleasant moments. Plunging into the sleep preparation process can help you experience new sensations and relieve stress and negativity.
Insomnia, or insomnia, is a very common sleep disorder. Typically, a person with insomnia claims to be completely sleep deprived at night. However, it would be more correct to say that a person still falls asleep for a while, although, for the most part, sleep is deprived of a useful deep phase.
However, insomnia almost always harms a person's health. After all, it is in a dream that most of the body's work on updating structures or processing the information received occurs.
Considering that almost half of patients seeking medical help complain of sleep disorders, one or another type of insomnia, the problem seems to be serious.
Of course, it's one thing to suffer from insomnia from time to time, and quite another to suffer from sleep disturbances for a month or longer. It is understood that the health effects will vary greatly over time.
To understand the topic, let's first look at the types of insomnia. This will help to correctly assess your condition. And then we will consider the causes of insomnia, and in the next article we will fully devote to the prevention and treatment of insomnia with the most effective methods.
Types of insomnia
Insomnia is usually divided into three forms or types:
1. Transient (transient) insomnia;
2. Short-term insomnia;
3. Chronic insomnia.
If insomnia lasts no more than a week, then they speak of a transient form of this sleep disorder.
Usually transient insomnia is associated with emotional overload or short-term stress. Every third person in the world is prone to transient insomnia to one degree or another.
With situations and experiences such as a quarterly report, a job change, a change of place of residence, etc., the human nervous system copes quite easily and quickly. Therefore, if sleep disturbances in the form of insomnia accompany the period of life experienced by a person, then quite soon sleep returns to normal completely independently. The body, as they say, takes its toll.
The danger of transient insomnia lies in the fact that this sleep disorder can recur from time to time. This happens in similar cases, when the human nervous system begins to experience similar stresses and situations. In this case, we can talk about some repetitive reaction of the body to life problems.
In principle, it makes little sense to seek medical help for transient insomnia. The body is still regulating the process itself, and soon sleep will return to normal.
Short-term insomnia is sleep disturbance for a longer period of time, from 1 week to 1 month.
This sleep disorder is already a serious problem, which is an indication for a visit to the doctor. After all, the sooner the cause of this type of insomnia is identified, the faster the problem can be solved. And the less chances that insomnia will turn into the third, most dangerous form.
Chronic insomnia is a sleep disorder that lasts longer than 1 month. In this case, a visit to the doctor becomes mandatory. Otherwise, serious health problems are guaranteed.
Unfortunately, about 15% of the world's population suffers from chronic insomnia.
Insomnia reasons
The most common cause of insomnia is emotional overload on the nervous system. Moreover, this overload can also be positive (a person cannot sleep due to overwhelming positive emotions).
Still, insomnia usually occurs against a background of negative emotions. It can be neuroses, depression, and stress, i.e. anything that causes increased stress on the nervous system.
Chronic overwork is another common cause of insomnia. In this case, we are talking about mental overwork.
Symptoms of such overwork can be conditions such as:
Constant desire to sleep during the day;
Constant wakefulness in the late evening and night time;
Difficulty waking up in the morning;
Weakness in the body, lethargy, rapid fatigue from any kind of activity.
Another common cause of insomnia is the physical condition of the body. In the body, a restructuring of the endocrine system can occur, which is typical for women and men during menopause.
Or the body may change due to age.
Also, a state of insomnia can be triggered by diseases of the joints or internal organs.
In most cases, the cause of insomnia should be sought either in the state of the nervous system, or in a painful state of some human organs.
Factors affecting the occurrence of insomnia
State of stress, anxiety;
Depressive states;
Neuroses;
Neurological diseases (migraines and headaches, back and joint pain, neuralgia);
Disorders in the endocrine system;
Lack of normal sleep conditions. Such small things as the use of LED lamps, which block the body's production of the sleep hormone melatonin, may well play a role;
Change of time zones and climate;
Violation of the daily routine and night work;
Alcohol and smoking abuse;
Drug abuse.
Whatever the reason for insomnia, it is imperative to solve the problem. Therefore, in the next article we will look at the most effective ways to combat insomnia, and also talk about the simplest, but extremely successful methods of preventing this sleep disorder.
