Insomnia: how lack of sleep can affect your health What is insomnia?
The average person spends about one third of its life sleeping. Although we do not fully understand neither the purpose nor the mechanics of sleep, we know that a shortfall may have profound consequences: our performance at work, our relationships, and our physical and mental health all depend on obtaining an appropriate rest period.
The inability to sleep or staying asleep all night is a condition known as <a rel = "nofollow" onclick = "javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview ('/ outgoing / article_exit_link')" href = "http : / / www. healthremedies.com / insomnia.html "> insomnia </ a> and is among the most common of all medical complaints, about one third of all persons experiencing a bout of insomnia at least a once during their lives. People with insomnia typically experience at least one of the following symptoms:
- Difficulty falling asleep;
- Inability to stay asleep, or waking up too early;
- Sleepiness during the day;
- Fatigue or lack of energy;
- Irritability;
- Headaches;
- The reduced ability to concentrate;
- Increase in errors or accidents;
- Depression and / or anxiety;
- Continuing care sleep.
Health risks of insomnia
If you do not get the sleep you need, your insomnia may eventually lead to serious consequences for your health. In the short term, your alertness and concentration are impaired, which may have a negative effect on your school or your job performance. Relationship problems can cause irritability due to lack of sleep, while fatigue may prevent you from participating in normal activities.
In the long term complications of insomnia may be even more severe. Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, obesity and mood disorders are all associated with chronic insomnia, these conditions can be fatal, and they will certainly reduce the quality of your life.
What causes insomnia?
Insomnia is a symptom of many physiological disorders, if you have trouble sleeping, chances are that a health problem underlying is to blame. Disease, infection, mental health, and all medicines can prevent you from getting the right amount of rest. Hormone and neurotransmitter imbalances can affect your body's ability to sleep, and nutritional deficiencies can cause insomnia, as well. Exposure to toxic elements like heavy metals, molds, and other environmental pollutants have also been shown to affect sleep.
Find the cause of insomnia
In determining what is causing your insomnia, your health care provider will be better able to help you design a plan for managing your sleep problem. To find out what keeps you awake at night, your doctor may ask you a series of questions about your lifestyle, your sleep environment, and even sleeping habits of your partner. A variety of laboratory tests may also be useful to determine the cause of your insomnia if a health problem is involved.
Management of insomnia
The first step to go back to sleep is to treat the underlying cause. Establish good sleep habits may include nutritional support, exercise, detoxification, and incorporating a relaxation technique into your daily routine.
Good sleep hygiene is important to get the rest you need. By following the guidelines listed here, you will easily find adrift, without the constant worry about getting enough sleep each night.
- Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule, with a consistent bed time and wake-up time;
- Avoid bright lights (including television and computers) for at least two hours before bedtime;
- Do not engage in thre.
Posted on March 5, 2010.