| Lying in bed late at night you can feel | | | | and your mind will be going over and |
| very alone when everyone else in the | | | | over the situation trying to resolve it |
| house is sound asleep. Take comfort in | | | | somehow. Your mind cannot relax and |
| knowing that you are not alone and in | | | | therefore you will find it very |
| fact insomnia is a very common sleep | | | | difficult to fall into a deep sleep. |
| disorder. In fact, it is estimated in | | | | Once you start having trouble falling |
| the United States that $2.5 billion is | | | | off to sleep at night, then you will |
| spent each year on prescribed | | | | tend to go to bed with the thought in |
| anti-insomnia medications and that | | | | your mind that you are not going to be |
| doesn't take into account how much is | | | | able to sleep. The mind has amazing |
| spent on natural medicines used for | | | | powers over the body and if the mind is |
| insomnia. | | | | telling your body that you won't be able |
| The amount of sleep you need will vary | | | | to sleep, then your body will believe it |
| from person to person and most people | | | | and stay awake. If you can break this |
| will find that they tend to sleep less | | | | habit your sleep patterns should return |
| as they get older. For example, children | | | | to normal. |
| are recommended to have 12 hours of | | | | Some tips for beating Insomnia are: |
| sleep per night while for adults the | | | | - The first thing to do is to have a |
| recommended sleep is between six and | | | | physical and make sure there is no |
| eight hours per night. This is because | | | | underlying medical condition that may be |
| as we get older our bodies produce less | | | | causing your sleeplessness. |
| melatonin which is a hormone that helps | | | | - Get yourself into a good routine, and |
| control sleep. | | | | that may include making sure you don't |
| However, if you are not receiving those | | | | have any caffeine within a few hours of |
| six to eight hours of sleep at night and | | | | going to bed and having some quiet time |
| wake each day feeling like you haven't | | | | leading up to bed time. |
| slept then you may be suffering from | | | | - Try some relaxation techniques such as |
| insomnia. | | | | meditation, soft music or yoga. This |
| The main symptoms of insomnia are: | | | | will help to relax your body and your |
| - Difficulty in falling asleep at night | | | | mind in preparation for sleep. These |
| - Waking up during the night and being | | | | techniques are also extremely good for |
| unable to fall back to sleep | | | | helping you with deal with stress. |
| - Waking up extremely early in the | | | | - Try some herbal medication for a few |
| morning | | | | days, just long enough to break the |
| - Feeling tired all day and feeling like | | | | habit. Once the habit is broken and your |
| you haven't slept at all. | | | | mind stops thinking that you will be |
| There are many things that can cause | | | | unable to sleep then your insomnia |
| insomnia but generally it tends to be | | | | should stop. |
| psychological and often becomes a habit. | | | | In some cases insomnia may just stop on |
| Stress, anxiety and depression are the | | | | its own, but often it is a matter of |
| most common causes of insomnia as when | | | | trying some of these steps and |
| you are anxious your body finds it hard | | | | developing a positive mental attitude. |
| to relax and settle into sleep mode. If | | | | Then you can stop lying in bed listening |
| you go to bed stressed you will be | | | | to your family snoring and join them |
| thinking about your stressful situations | | | | instead. |