Why Are People Having Trouble Sleeping?
by
site editor Marlene S. Hodge, last update: 5/11/2012 1:25:45 PM.
sleep
If you're having trouble sleeping, you're not alone. It is estimated that almost 40% of adults will experience insomnia at some point in any given year. For the most part this is transient insomnia, which means it will be temporary; a few days at most. Though physical problems are sometimes at the root, the majority of the time trouble sleeping is caused by stress and anxiety.
If 40% of people having trouble sleeping seems high to you, it is. The rates of insomnia are rising drastically, and the majority of these cases are insomnia caused by stress and anxiety. There are a few reasons for this, the first is that people are more likely to report insomnia than they were in the past. It is possible that people are becoming more sensitive to stress than they were previously, but the main reason is simply that the world is becoming more stressful. Cities are becoming more densely populated, work is becoming more demanding, family and social life is more easily strained; and all of this is resulting in people having trouble sleeping. The worst part about all of this is that being sleep deprived makes a person more irritable and unable to deal with the stresses around him or her, and this leads to a further loss of sleep.
If you were to walk into a doctor's office and tell them this story, many would most likely prescribe you either Ambien, or a benzodiazepine like Valium or Xanax. There is a growing opinion among doctors that these drugs are being overprescribed, and that trouble sleeping does not always need a strong pharmaceutical. The types of sleeping pills that people are generally prescribed were designed for the short term relief of an anxiety disorder. Because one gets anxious does not mean that one has an anxiety disorder. There are a lot of problems with pharmaceutical sleeping pills, and if you are having trouble sleeping there are a lot of things that can be done before examining prescription drugs as an option.
Sometimes there are changes you can make in habits and your lifestyle that can help keep you calm. Cutting down on coffee is a great example; not only does can the stimulant effect of coffee keep you awake, but caffeine also increases stress and can make people agitated and irritable. Nicotine can have a similar effect, if you are a smoker cutting down, especially around bed time, can help you sleep. If possible, sometimes a short vacation can help. Relaxation techniques can help a lot with stress and trouble sleeping; some are breathing exercises, some are more complicated. There is one option before using a potentially harmful pharmaceutical, and that is to try to treat insomnia through herbal remedies. These are quite effective and can be taken over a long period of time without negative side effects. Certain formulas have taken the best calming herbs from around the world and combined them into one supplement, making it a viable option for dealing with trouble sleeping.