Difficulty Sleeping Tips

Lack of sleep can make you feel tired, worn-out and less productive the next day. However, it might not be your fault entirely because the brain tends to become active when the body is at rest, which could be a reason why you aren’t getting enough sleep at night.

Here are a few tips which might be useful for you to sleep at night:

1. Keep your room dark: Even the faintest light from your mobile is enough to disrupt your sleep. Thus, try and switch off all your lights and gadgets before going to sleep. If doing that doesn’t help either, use an eye mask to keep the light out.

2. Carefully select your dinner: Don’t go to bed hungry or overstuffed because either of them might cause discomfort while sleeping and lead to a disruption in your sleep. Also, limit your alcohol consumption at night to refrain from making numerous trips to the washroom. Avoid consuming nicotine and caffeine before going to bed as they take a long time to wear off and can cause havoc in your sleep routine.

3. Don’t exercise before going to bed: Exercising daily is a necessity as it keeps your body healthy and in shape, but exercising right before going to bed can be disruptive as it might make you more pumped up due to the adrenaline rush. Thus, you should avoid exercising heavily right before going to bed.

4. Plug out all your devices: Create a technology free zone by plugging out all your devices one hour prior to your usual sleep time. The blue light radiated from your devices can trick your brain into believing that it is daylight and cause a disruption in circadian rhythm (which is an ongoing 24-hour physiological process which is regulated by external factors such as sunlight and temperature).

5. Consume snooze food: Certain food items can be classified as snooze foods as they ensure better sleep at night. Warm milk contains ‘tryptophan’ which is a precursor to melatonin (hormone that is responsible for the onset of sleep) and ensures better sleep or you could have a spoon of honey which releases ‘orexin’ (a chemical that affects wakefulness and appetite) that reduces alertness levels.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that affects nighttime breathing and is caused by either a malfunction in the brain that temporarily stops sending signals to the muscles that control breathing, or by an obstruction in the airway. 

Causes of Sleep Apnea-
It occurs when muscles in the back of your throat relax, tonsillitis, adenoids, obesity, middle-aged, heart disease, stroke, sedative medicines, large neck circumference, large tongue etc.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea-

1. Feeling of excessively sleepy during a day
2. Lack concentration and low memory status
3. Depression
4. Short temperament
5. Irritability
6. Hyperactive children
7. Leg swelling
8. Impotency in males
9. Insomnia
10. Frequent waking up for urination in night
11. Tiresome feeling in morning

Homeopathic  Treatment of Sleep Apnea-
Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering.

The aim of homeopathy is not only to treat sleep apnoea but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several well-proved medicines are available for sleep apnoea treatment that can be selected on the basis of cause, sensation and modalities of the complaints. For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person. Some of the most common homeopathic medicines for Sleep Apnea are-

1. Arsenicum Album: Arsenicum album is often prescribed for individuals who have breathing difficulties at night and is considered for people with a fearful, tense and agitated response to illness. 
2. Lachesis: Lachesis is a remedy prescribed for conditions that worsen at night. This medicine is designed for people who are typically fearful and anxious, but also prone to jealousy and excessive talking. 
3. Sulphur: By reputation, sulphur is a commonly prescribed homeopathic remedy, especially for nighttime congestion and sweating. Homeopathic sulphur combats a wheezy cough and congested head, both of which are suffered in sleep apnea. 
4. Spongia Tosta: This remedy for croup may help congestive sleep apnea sufferers as it treats respiratory symptoms that worsen when lying down. 

Before taking these medications, it is important to visit the doctor who will take a detailed case history of your problem and prescribe the right dosage and combination of medication.
 

Insomnia or sleeplessness is quite difficult to cope with and for people suffering from anxiety, it is even tougher. People suffering from anxiety remain in a state of mental and physical distress. On top of this, if they cannot sleep well because of insomnia, life becomes quite hard. Insomnia causes anxiety and also is caused due to anxiety.

Here are some simple tips to manage anxiety and insomnia:

1. Maintain a schedule: Try to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. Experiment with several different bedtimes and wake up times to find out which one works best for you.
2. Turn off electronic devices: Switch off all electronic devices thirty minutes before you go to bed. Electronic devices stimulate your mind and the light from the devices does not make you feel that it is time to sleep. Keep the devices away from you while going to bed.
3. Dim lights: Practice dimming all lights in your house before bedtime. Change light bulbs and replace them with low wattage lights. This will enable you to have lights, although they are dim. Low lighting will make your body produce melatonin to make you prepare for sleep.
4. Keep away from alcohol and smoking: Consuming alcoholic drinks before bedtime reduces your quality of sleep and you may wake up within two hours. Do not consume alcohol before bedtime. Smoking should be restricted before sleeping, as the nicotine contained in cigarettes is a stimulant, which can take away your sleep.
5. Ignore caffeinated drinks: Caffeine is a stimulant and consuming caffeinated drinks before going to bed can result in losing sleep. Do not drink coffee before sleeping.
6. Exercise: Exercise is a perfect solution to reduce anxiety and results in improved sleep quality. Exercise regularly during the day or three to four hours before bedtime. Yoga and meditation performed just before going to sleep are effective.
7. Make a pre-sleep ritual: Try to find ways, which would help you calm your mind just before going to sleep and practice it every day. This can be reading a book, taking a hot shower or listening to your favorite songs. Your mind will be relaxed, and you will get better sleep.
8. Maintain a sleep journal: Keep a sleep journal and write about the time when you go to sleep and when you wake up. Also note down the time you require to fall asleep, the number of times your sleep breaks and how your sleep was. This will enable you to observe your sleep patterns and make adjustments.

For people suffering from anxiety, added insomnia results in enhanced difficulty. One should cope with the problems properly and try to improve upon them.

Sleep is the most essential part of our lives because it is the time when our body gets rejuvenated and recharged. However, due to numerous reasons, quite a few individuals fail to achieve proper sleep or any sleep at all. This condition in which a person is unable to sleep at night can be termed as insomnia.

Causes of insomnia
There can be varied reasons for different people that can cause insomnia.

• Unhealthy lifestyle i.e. improper sleep cycle, improper food habits, untimely naps, substance abuse etc.
• Medical conditions like sinus allergies, gastrointestinal problems, endocrine problems, arthritis, asthma, neurological condition like Parkinson’s disease, chronic back pain etc.
• Psychological conditions like depression and anxiety
• Certain medications aimed to cure other health problems

In case of the treatable medical reasons, insomnia is gone once the problem is treated. However, for people who have no idea as to why they suffer from insomnia, here are certain tips that can help in fighting it.

Lifestyle changes to cure insomnia
Starting with a significant lifestyle change can be a great way to change one’s sleep cycles and get a good night’s sleep.

• Maintain a proper and healthy diet, with more fruits and vegetables and less carbs and fat.
• Try to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday (despite the fact that you may not feel sleepy). This will train the body and regulate the body clock.
• Avoid afternoon naps or any short naps during the day.
• Exercise daily for at least 30 minutes.
• Avoid caffeine as it has contains properties that keeps a person up for long hours.
• Avoid intake of alcohol and nicotine. Although alcohol is associated with fun and partying, it is actually a depressant and causes improper sleep.
• Avoid any meal right before bed time.

Tips that can help

• Take a good, warm shower right before sleep.
• Ask your partner to give you a nice massage before bedtime.
• Restrict bed activities to sleep and sex only, nothing more.
• Make a really comfortable and inviting sleep environment.
• Try and get rid of all your worries before going to bed.
• Reduce stress using a number of stress reduction therapies like meditation, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation techniques, etc.

Apart from the lifestyle changes and the tips that will help you gain a better sleep, there is another therapy, which may be useful. It is called the cognitive behavioural therapy. This therapy can give essential knowledge about sleep and help achieve normal sleep routines.

Lack of sleep can make you feel tired, worn-out and less productive the next day. However, it might not be your fault entirely because the brain tends to become active when the body is at rest, which could be a reason why you aren’t getting enough sleep at night.

Here are a few tips which might be useful for you to sleep at night:

1. Keep your room dark: Even the faintest light from your mobile is enough to disrupt your sleep. Thus, try and switch off all your lights and gadgets before going to sleep. If doing that doesn’t help either, use an eye mask to keep the light out.

2. Carefully select your dinner: Don’t go to bed hungry or overstuffed because either of them might cause discomfort while sleeping and lead to a disruption in your sleep. Also, limit your alcohol consumption at night to refrain from making numerous trips to the washroom. Avoid consuming nicotine and caffeine before going to bed as they take a long time to wear off and can cause havoc in your sleep routine.

3. Don’t exercise before going to bed: Exercising daily is a necessity as it keeps your body healthy and in shape, but exercising right before going to bed can be disruptive as it might make you more pumped up due to the adrenaline rush. Thus, you should avoid exercising heavily right before going to bed.

4. Plug out all your devices: Create a technology free zone by plugging out all your devices one hour prior to your usual sleep time. The blue light radiated from your devices can trick your brain into believing that it is daylight and cause a disruption in circadian rhythm (which is an ongoing 24-hour physiological process which is regulated by external factors such as sunlight and temperature).

5. Consume snooze food: Certain food items can be classified as snooze foods as they ensure better sleep at night. Warm milk contains ‘tryptophan’ which is a precursor to melatonin (hormone that is responsible for the onset of sleep) and ensures better sleep or you could have a spoon of honey which releases ‘orexin’ (a chemical that affects wakefulness and appetite) that reduces alertness levels.

Sleep disorders are grouped into those conditions that alter the sleep wellness ability of an individual on a daily basis. Majorly, the people experience sleeping disorders because of increasing stress level, changing lifestyles, busy schedules, etc. However, this is a very rising and increasing problem as it alters our day to day functioning. Due to sleep disorders, the person feels difficulty in sleeping and remains tired for all day. Due to the lack of sleep, tiredness persists throughout the day and negatively influences energy, mood, concentration, and health.

Symptoms of sleep disorders
The symptoms of sleep disorders vary due to the severity of the problem as well as the type of sleep disorder. The common symptoms of sleep disorders include difficulty in sleeping on time, tiredness, anxiety, agitation, frustration, concentration problems, depression, and a strong need for relaxing in the daytime.

Causes of sleep disorders
Sometimes, the medical illnesses such as common cold or flu or respiratory infection make the breathing process difficult and this may cause you difficulty in sleeping. The problem of urinating frequently disturbs the sleeping pattern. Hormonal influences and urinary tract infections may also cause a problem. Pervasive pain in certain body part also makes it difficult to sleep especially those patients who are suffering from arthritis, headaches, lower back pain, inflammatory bowel disease, etc. Those people who remain stressful and anxious could not able to sleep properly.

Types of sleeping disorders
There are several types of sleeping disorders which are mentioned below:

• Insomnia refers to the inability to sleep and is the main cause of stress and anxiety these days. It can further be divided into three stages: Chronic, intermittent, and transient.
• Sleep apnea which is mainly characterized by the breaks in breathing while sleeping
• Parasomnia is a class of disorders in which a person behaves abnormally while sleeping such as sleepwalking, talking in sleep, nightmares, bedwetting, etc.
• Restless leg syndrome in which constant movements of legs occur

Diagnosis
Usually, a physical examination is performed and then medical history is taken. There could be various tests that can be performed such as polysomnography, electroencephalogram, genetic blood testing.

Treatment

If a person is suffering from sleep disorders then it is cause of great concern, however, homeopathy can be of immense help in handling such problems. A homeopathic practioner will study in detail as to why the proble is ocuring in the first place i.e. what is the root cause of the problem. As, homeopathy belives in treating the actual reason behind the problem being faced and not just symptomatic relief. Lifestyle changes are also promoted such as maintaining a proper diet, regular exercising, and reduction of stress by following relaxation therapies, forming a sleeping schedule, etc.

Diet
The doctors recommend incorporating more vegetables and fish into your diet. Also, the caffeine intake should be limited especially at the time of late afternoon or evening. One should not do substance abuse and eat low carbohydrate meals at dinner.

Sleep is an activity where you do nothing but rest. You relax your body and mind, you rest your bones and muscles and you rest your eyes after a long day of physical exertion. It is extremely necessary for you to get an ample amount of sleep to stay healthy.

Otherwise, there are various problems which you might have to face if you are lacking sleep:

1. Elevates the risk of stroke: According to study, people who get less sleep are more prone to having strokes than those who get enough sleep. If you sleep for less than 6 hours every day, you multiply the risk of having a stroke four times than ordinary.
2. Leads to obesity: Lack of sleep can cause obesity. It usually forces you to take erratic food decisions, leading you to eat a lot of junk food. Less sleep administers certain hormonal changes which make you feel hungrier and believe that you haven’t eaten enough food. The production of the hormone ghrelin, which controls your hunger, increases due to less sleep. Hence, it may lead to obesity if you keep eating without keeping a check on what you eat.
3. Increases the risk of diabetes: Sleep and production of insulin are inversely related to each other. Among teenagers, the less you sleep; the more insulin resistant your body becomes. This means the body is not able to use the insulin effectively.
4. Results in poor memory: Less sleep causes tiredness. When you are extremely tired, you are not able to focus on anything going on around you, you cannot concentrate on your work, and you get forgetful. In fact, consistent lack of sleep can even cause permanent loss of memory. This is because you are not being able to fully utilize the memory-boosting ability of sleep. This eventually causes brain deterioration which results in permanent memory loss.
5. Affects your heart: Lack of sleep can have an extremely negative impact on your heart. Less sleep also causes stress and strain to your body and mind. It results in increased production of certain chemicals and hormones in the body which is harmful for your heart. As per various studies, people who sleep less than 6 hours every day increase the risk of having heart problems by almost 48%.

It is not very healthy to sleep less as it can complicate your daily life activities. Sleep enough and stay healthy.

Sleeping disorders have become a prominent problem these days. A combination of diet and lifestyle practices is responsible for it. A good night's sleep is necessary for the body in order to nourish the mind and the overall health. Ayurveda identifies sleep problems as a resultant cause of pitta and vata. Loss of sound sleep can cause lethargy, tiredness, and depression. Here is a list of Ayurvedic tips that can effectively tackle the sleep problem and help a person sleep like a baby at night:

1. Meditation: Meditation is a very effective way of dealing with anxiety and stress. It relaxes the body and calms the mind. In order to do this, a person is required to sit firmly rooted in a quite ambiance and focus on the crown of the head. The focus should be on the rhythm of exhalation and inhalation. While maintaining the breath, the inhalation and exhalation should be continued till 15 minutes. If the mind wanders, slowly counting 1 to 100 and counting back to 0 can help to focus. It should be ensured that a person is concentrating on the breath and refraining from sleeping. Meditating regularly can dramatically help to get proper sleep during the night.
2. Yoga: Yoga is an age old practice that effectively helps a person in relaxing his/her mind and does away with all the stress. Some of the effective yoga poses that assist in sleeping better include savasana and corpse. They help to relax the nervous system, cut down emotional stress and help to reduce fatigue. Each pose should be practiced for 5-10 seconds in a set of 4. Yoga has notably helped millions of people in sleeping well at night.
3. Pranayama: Pranayama is part of yoga which focuses on breathing techniques. As per yoga techniques, there are three stages of breathing. The first part involves the diaphragm moving backward into the abdomen that helps the lungs to draw oxygen for its lower portion. The next is the turn of the intercostal muscle to expand in order to get oxygen for the middle portion of the lungs. The upper portion of the lungs gets oxygen, at last, causing the clavicles to rise a little. A slow inhale and exhale for a stretch of 15 minutes is what pranayama is all about. It is known to be mighty effective for relaxing the nervous system and getting a good sleep at night.
4. Herbs: Certain herbs such as passionflower, skullcap and chamomile are known to be extremely effective to soothe the nerves and assist in sound sleep. They can be consumed by making a paste on a daily basis. Even oil massage with Brahmi oil is very helpful for a sound sleep at night.

Most of us are not blessed with a good night's sleep and face common problems that occur during sleep, such as snoring, insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome and sleep deprivation. According to Ayurveda, proper sleep and a healthy diet are of equal importance. Sleep is the period during which the body is able to recuperate and heal itself as well bring about a balance in emotions and mental state. Imbalances in sleep, according to Ayurveda, is caused due to imbalance or dosha in the three subcategories that the human body is divided into. The imbalances are referred to as Kapha dosha, Pitta dosha and Vata dosha.

Vata Dosha
Imbalance in Vata occurs when the co-ordination between dhi (learning), dhriti (retention) and smriti (recollection) is weakened. When a person is trying to sleep but is simultaneously recollecting the events which occurred during the day, it leads to the same emotions and feelings being reproduced. This renders the person incapable of detaching from the feelings and thus, prevents them to sleep. Some Ayurvedic remedies to address this issue include:

1. Using appropriate sleep tablets
2. Drinking a special tea which aids in sleeping, before going to sleep. The tea should contain a mixture of herbs and spices which would help in calming the emotions
3. Have food that pacifies Vata
4. Adopting and following a proper schedule, where enough time is available for sleep
5. Try not to think about the problems while in bed.

Pitta Dosha
A sleep disorder due to pitta dosha happens when a person has no problems in falling asleep, but is awakened at odd hours during the night and is unable to fall back asleep. It is common that people suffering from trauma or imbalances in pitta are susceptible to this problem. Pitta-type sleep is often disrupted by wild and fiery dreams. Remedies include:
1. The room where the person is sleeping should be kept cool. The likelihood of awakening during the night is increased if the room is hot and stuffy.
2. Therapeutic oils which are specifically designed to pacify Pitta dosha should be used.
3. Foods that pacify pitta dosha should be eaten. These foods should normally be at room temperature rather being hot.
4. A pitta pacifying lifestyle should be followed. This includes sleeping before 10:00 p.m., having three meals a day, etc.

Kapha dosha
Sleep disorders associated with kapha dosha causes a person to have a long and deep sleep, but feel exhausted when woken up. Additionally, a feeling of lethargy persists throughout the day. Remedies include:
1. Reduce coffee consumption
2. Adopt the consumption Kapha or Green Tea
3. Adopt a Kapha-pacifying lifestyle. This includes vigorous morning exercise.

Some people suffer from difficulty in remembering things, and this may be attributed to Alzheimer’s disease even though it is not the only cause of memory disorders. If you are recently having troubles in remembering, then it is high time that you should consult with an expert.

Common causes of memory disorders
You will be surprised to know about the various causes of memory loss and here are some of them include:

1. Sleep apnea: This is a common yet easily treatable sleep issue which is often linked with dementia and memory loss. You may have sleep apnea if you find yourself waking up with a terrific headache along with fatigue that lingers all through the day. The injury caused by sleep apnea may lead to permanent damage to the brain cells.
2. Certain medications: Memory loss may be a sign that the medicines you are taking need to be adjusted. Drugs including sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medicines, painkillers, antihistamines, and diabetes medicine may take a toll on the functionality of your brain. Many studies have suggested that cholesterol and diabetes lowering drugs contain a chemical which gives way to reversible cognitive side effects.
3. Silent stroke: When you feel that there is an unexplained inability to think or to move in a normal way, then it could come from a silent stroke. Mild memory issues may also stem from silent strokes affecting smaller blood vessels. These alterations in brain functionality may range from mild to severe and are termed as vascular cognitive impairment.
4. Nutritional deficiency: When you substantially lack in Vitamin B12, your normal brain function will be hampered. This may lead to confusion as well as dementia. Every day, you must get 2.4 micrograms of B12 in the diet from fish, meat and dairy products.

Treatment of memory problems
The treatment of memory problems is entirely dependent on the cause. In some instances, the disorder is reversible with the help of proper treatment. For example, when the memory loss is caused by some medicines, it can be cured by altering the course of medications. Treating depression may also be helpful for memory problems when depression is the causing factor.

There are many medicines available for the treatment of memory problems. With the progress of memory problems, the cells of the brain start dying, and it causes the cognitive symptoms to worsen. Even though the medications that are available at present may not be helpful in stopping the damage to the brain cells, they can be helpful in stabilizing the symptoms by influencing the chemicals involved in carrying messages among the nerve cells in the brain. Sometimes, doctors prescribe both the types of medicines together to speed up the recovery process hindering further damage.