Do you suffer from the symptoms of insomnia? If you are like most people and have difficulty sleeping for a long period of time or for even for days in a row, you may get to the point where you are willing to try anything just to give you the ability fall asleep and stay asleep. It’s best to look at your options, before you get desperate, to make sure you understand how each one works.
The first thing many consumers do when they have trouble falling or staying asleep is to head for the pharmacy for some quick, over-the-counter solutions. The thing about sleep aids is they can often initially help you overcome your trouble falling asleep, but they don’t get to the real root of the problem.
Don’t think of sleep aids as your cure. For the first few nights they might help, but what you really you want to do is find out why you’re having sleeping issues. Relying on a pill to get some sleep isn’t the best option for your long term health.
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Being able to sleep is very important for a healthy lifestyle. I found that out personally when I was having difficulty sleeping. I also found out that it’s not just about the hours of sleep but rather the quality of your sleep. After all, merely tossing and turning in bed for 8 hours it won’t do you much good!
When you’re asleep, your body and mind receive the opportunity to repair and rejuvenate. Your body and mind need to do this daily. So getting a good night’s sleep isn’t just convenient, it’s downright important. But for many people sleep isn’t something that comes naturally to them anymore and they are looking for something to cure their insomnia. So how do you get a good night’s sleep?
If you want to beat insomnia you can go to the doctor and get a prescription. The problem with medications is that they are only addressing the symptom, your insomnia, and not the cause. If you are interested in natural cures for insomnia, cures that will help you fall asleep and stay asleep, then read on. The following are 10 natural cures for insomnia that you can use to get the rest your mind and body need nightly.
1. Start and stay on a fitness program. No matter what type of exercise you choose to do, make it a point to exercise a little every day. When you exercise during the day it causes your body to tire. A tired body craves rest at night. This allows you to fall asleep faster and spend more time in the deeper, most restful levels of sleep.
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Why is sleep so important to our health? What are the effects of insomnia? When you have difficulty sleeping your body and mind suffer. Let’s take a look at what sleep actually does for you.
Scientists have found that sleep and its accompanying dreams allows you to organize your memories. It also can help you recover lost memories. Research shows that that after studying, when you “sleep on it” or get a good night’s sleep, it reinforces what you studied.
Sleep actually acts as a mood enhancer and helps to improve our social behavior. I don’t know about you, but one of the effects of insomnia for me is I get grumpy. Tired people are often cranky and easily frustrated. If you don’t think sleep helps, just check out a toddler that hasn’t had enough sleep.
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When operating properly your body’s internal clock tells you when to sleep and when to wake up. It also controls your sleep cycle stages. The scientific name for this function is known as the circadian clock. This internal mechanism controls your sleep cycle by monitoring your body temperature, hormone levels and your general level of alertness.
Behind your eyeballs are a cluster of neurons called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) that sends rhythmic signals to your pituitary gland. Your pituitary gland then sends chemicals including melatonin into your blood. Studies have found that it is the build up of melatonin that causes drowsiness.
There is another neurotransmitter, a chemical called adenosine that is produced while you are awake. Your cells produce power to get you through the tasks you need to do each day and adenosine is a bi-product of the use of that power. Adenosine builds up throughout the day to a level that tells your brain its time to sleep. The longer you resists the more adenosine and melatonin build up and you feel sleepier and sleepier until finally you have no choice but to fall asleep. While you sleep these hormones are broken down by other bodily functions and your circadian clock is reset. Then the cycle starts all over again.
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