Natural Insomnia Cures for Better Sleep Every Night - Beginning with Tonight!

Around 100 million Americans from all age groups fail to enjoy sound sleep at night.

Insomnia is defined not by the quantity of sleeping hours an individual gets or the length of time he falls asleep because people normally vary in sleeping needs, patterns, and satisfaction.

Insomnia is not an illness or disease but a sleeping disorder.

Insomnia may consist of poor-quality or inadequate sleep due to difficulty in falling asleep or waking up too early the next day.

It may also include restless sleep where one frequently wakes up at night and have trouble going back to sleep.

Treatment for secondary and primary insomnia may include behavioral cognitive therapy, exercise, dietary changes, exercise, meditation, chromatherapy, relaxation, "bright light therapy", acupuncture, dietary supplements and selection of herbal preparations.

Here are some ways to help you get quality sleep and treat insomnia:

1) Set a bedtime schedule.
Set certain schedule for bedtime, as well as, waking hours for the following morning. Always stick with your schedule.

Experts agree that most individuals need seven to eight hours of sleep. However, this differs from every person. Be aware of your own sleeping needs and determine if you can comfortably manage six, eight, or nine hours sleep.

2) Use your bedroom for sleeping purposes only.

3) Lessen your intake of stimulant, especially a few hours before going to bed

4) Make your bedroom conducive for sleeping.
Bring in scented candles like lavender and jasmine scents to calm your senses. Make sure you turn off the lights and set your bedroom temperature. A comfortable level is between 65 to 70 degrees.

5) Take a warm and relaxing bath before you go to bed.
Your body responds by cooling down which occurs naturally right before you go to sleep.

6) Avoid doing anything that will stimulate your mind or body an hour before bedtime.
Never perform your workout exercises or decorate your spare bedroom at night. Likewise, try not to watch television before going to bed. If you have a T.V. set in your room, watch only relaxing programs. Avoid horror, thrillers, or rock concerts.

7) Do not take midnight snacks before going to bed.
However, if you enjoy eating before bedtime, eat just light meals. Avoid foods that are high in protein as well as those containing plenty of sugar or fats. Instead, eat low-fat yogurt or a bowl of cereal.

8) Clear your mind.
Before you sleep, list down everything that worries you. This is a very simple yet effective activity because committing your worries unto paper will free your mind so that you can sleep well.

9) While in bed, practice meditation or do a relaxation exercise. Many are available online.

There are encouraging steps that stimulate relaxation. Relax before going to bed. Read a relaxing and inspiring book that will make you feel good. Whenever possible, open bedroom windows to allow cool air to come in and lull you to sleep.

Insomnia can be treated without resorting to drugs or sleeping pills. It may simply require a slight change in lifestyle to hasten your journey to dreamland.

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About 69 percent of children 10 and under experience some type of sleep problem, according to the National Sleep Foundation's (NSF) 2004 Sleep in America poll.

Some of the most common are outlined below:

Insomnia is a sleep problem that occurs when a child complains of difficulty falling asleep, remaining asleep, and/or early morning awakenings.

Insomnia can be short-term due to stress, pain, or a medical or psychiatric condition. It can become long-term if the underlying cause is not addressed or healthy sleep practices are not employed.

Treating underlying conditions, developing good sleep practices and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule can improve the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Nightmares are frightening dreams that occur during REM sleep and awaken a child. They usually occur in the later part of the night. Most children have at least one nightmare during childhood; three percent of preschool and school aged children experience frequent nightmares, according to NSF's 2004 Sleep in America poll.

They can be upsetting and a child will need reassurance when they occur. Nightmares can result from a scary event, stress, a difficult time or change in a child's routine. Use of a nightlight or security object is often helpful.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a movement disorder that includes uncomfortable and unpleasant feelings (e.g. crawly tingly or itchy) in the legs causing an overwhelming urge to move.

These feelings make it difficult to fall asleep. RLS can be treated with changes in bedtime routines, increased iron, and possibly medications.

Sleeptalking occurs when the child talks, laughs or cries out in his/her sleep. As with
sleep terrors, the child is unaware and has no memory of the incident the next day. There is usually no need to treat sleeptalking.

Sleepwalking is experienced by as many as 40 percent of children, usually between ages three and seven. Sleepwalking usually occur an hour or two after sleep onset and may last five to 20 minutes.

As sleep deprivation often contributes to sleepwalking, moving bedtime earlier can be helpful.

Sleep terrors occur early in the night. A child may scream out and be distressed, although s/he is not awake or aware during a sleep terror.

Sleep terrors may be caused by not getting enough sleep, an irregular sleep schedule, stress, or sleeping in a new environment. Increasing sleep time will help reduce the likelihood of a sleep terror.

Snoring occurs when there is a partial blockage in the airway that causes a noise due to the vibration of the back of the throat. About l0-12 percent of normal children habitually snore.

Snoring can be caused by nasal congestion or enlarged adenoids or tonsils that block the airway. Some children who snore may have sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea - when snoring is loud and the child is having difficulty breathing, it may be a sign of a more serious disorder, obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep caused by blocked airway passages, resulting in repeated arousals from sleep.

Sleep apnea has been associated with daytime sleepiness, academic problems, and hyperactivity. Treatment for sleep apnea is available.

Pointers for parents: Talk to your child's doctor if any of the following symptoms are observed:

* A newborn or infant is extremely and consistently fussy.

* A child is having problems breathing or breathing is noisy.

* A child snores, especially if snoring is loud.

* Unusual nighttime awakenings.

* Difficulty falling asleep and maintaining sleep, especially if you see daytime sleepiness and/or behavioral problems.

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It is so frustrating to have a sleepless night and need to be up early the next morning.

Since I started writing regularly, I notice that I had difficulty finding the mood to sleep.

This may be because my head cannot stop from generating ideas to write.

I know that you have concerns as well when you force yourself to get up in the morning without much sleep. Here are some steps I learned on how to get best kind of sleep.

Keep regular hours. Train your body by going to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning - even on weekends.

Have a sleep ritual.
Doing the same things every night just before bed prompts your body to settle down for the night. Try reading something light or listening to soothing music.

Don't take your worries to bed.
If you have a nagging problem that won't go away, it helps if you write about it on a piece of paper and promise to take care of it in the morning.

Don't smoke.
Smokers take longer to fall asleep, wake up more often and experience disrupted, fragmented sleep. Cigarettes have stimulant like nicotine that wake up the body.

Cut down stimulants.
As we all know consuming caffeine in the evening interferes with falling asleep and prevents deep sleep. Try drinking your last coffee 5 hours before your bedtime.

Drink alcohol in moderation.
Alcohol consumption influences sleep. However, too much it can induce sleep disorders by disrupting the sequence and duration of sleep states and by altering total sleep time as well as the time required to fall asleep.

Create a restful sleep environment.
Create a better sleep environment that will provide you with the best chances of a full night's sleep. Make sure o your mattress, lights, sounds or noise, temperature and even the scent in your bedroom are comfortable because a conducive bedroom can promote a good night sleep.

Exercise regularly.
Regular exercise can help to relieve the day's tension. It promotes improved sleep quality by allowing smoother and more regular transition between the cycles and phases of sleep.

However, do not exercise too close to bedtime or you may have a hard time falling asleep.

Have a good eating habit.
When we are tired, we need sleep. However, many of us respond to sleepiness with food instead of rest.

Snacking may release glucose into the bloodstream making your body feel energized instead of sleepy and upset your sleeping cycles. Allow at least three hours of rest after eating before you sleep.

Make sleep a priority.
Make a list of your daily activities and include adequate sleep in it, so you can prioritize. If you feel bright and alive, you will be more consistent in your commitments.

The quality of hours you spend asleep affects the quality of hours you spend awake, so rest is an investment.

You owe it to your body to sleep well. However if you still have difficulty sleeping, it is essential to determine whether an underlying disease or condition is causing the problem. So, good luck and good night.

We have met those types during our college days - guys and girls who burned the midnight oil literally, not because they are the diligently studying, but because they just couldn't sleep.

They would flip over in bed from edge to edge, making annoying noises and disturbing our sleep, then they would get out of bed and turn the lights on, and create more annoying noises and an even greater disturbance.

The next day, these people get raccoon eyes and take pills with long and difficult to spell names.

Who can claim that he has a life when he's losing sleep for no apparent reason?

Even nocturnal animals like the night owl would certainly look unglamorous with raccoon eyes.

Most people get catatonic over the littlest things. Some do after ingesting mushrooms, chocolates, breads and pasta, beer, and other so-called poisons. It is probably the mold. To avoid insomnia, you can try avoiding such foods and answering crossword puzzles and the like.

Let us take the example of Linda, a young accountant. Her main problem is that she has preconditioned herself about insomnia. She says it has been that way since she was still in school, driven by her desire to be at the top of her class. She just had to study all night through.

Eventually, the habit caught up with her and even though she has long left school, the sleeplessness remained.

Those who do the graveyard shift understandably look at insomnia as an advantage - they are paid for it. Other folks, likewise, would rather stay awake. Linda took advantage of it to graduate cum laude. Some people even go as far as justifying insomnia, calling sleep a waste of time because they do not really accomplish anything.

There is no exact pathophysiology for insomnia because it has a variety of causes. Extrinsic insomnia results from transient situation insomnia or inadequate sleep hygiene. Emotional stress triggers such type of insomnia.

Then there is drug or alcohol dependent insomnia, altitude insomnia, restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, insomnia associated with mental disorders, and the list goes on.

There are no definite answers even from those who prescribe Valium, Dormicum, and Lexotan themselves, perhaps its time for extreme measures?

Hey, if you are really desperate, maybe breeding tse-tse flies could be the answer? You know, tse-tse flies-- sleeping disease-- Good luck!

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