Content
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that causes difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, and may appear sporadically or be frequent. This situation is more common in periods of stress, and can also be associated with diseases, such as depression, or be associated with situations such as pregnancy, menopause or in old age, periods that cause changes in the body's physiology.
To treat insomnia, it is very important to adopt good habits to re-educate the body to fall asleep at the right time, called sleep hygiene therapy, such as avoiding watching television or looking at the phone at bedtime, avoiding bedtime each day at a different time and practice physical exercises during the day, for example. In addition, there are natural remedies, such as passion fruit or chamomile tea, which can be used to facilitate sleep.
Pharmacy sleep medications, like Diazepam or Clonazepam, for example, should be avoided, due to their risk of dependence and side effects, such as falls, and should only be used under medical advice.
Main causes
The causes of insomnia can be related to stress, anxiety and even excessive consumption of stimulating foods, such as coffee. Other common causes of insomnia include:
- Depression;
- Hormonal changes, as in menopause;
- Use of illicit drugs;
- Prolonged use of sleeping pills;
- Not having good sleep habits, such as not respecting bedtime and waking up;
- Jet Lag syndrome or changing time zones;
- Continuous changes in schedules, as with professionals who work in shifts;
- Aging, as the elderly are more prone to sleep disorders and difficulty sleeping;
- Diseases such as fibromyalgia, which generates pain throughout the body without apparent justification, causing tiredness.
The diagnosis of insomnia must be made through the physician's assessment of sleep patterns, the use of medications, the degree of psychological stress, alcohol consumption and the level of physical activity. It must be based on individual needs because the need for hours of sleep is not the same for everyone.
What to do
To combat insomnia and get a good night's sleep it is important to change some habits. So, what you can do to fight insomnia is:
1. Natural treatment
The natural treatment for insomnia can be done with the intake of a calming tea, such as passion fruit, lemon balm or chamomile, for example, as they are medicinal plants that have calming properties that can help you sleep better. To make chamomile tea, add 1 tablespoon of dried chamomile flowers in 1 cup and add boiling water and when warm, drink it.
In addition, it is possible to use natural herbal remedies, such as Valerian, which has sedative and analgesic action. Check out other options for natural remedies for insomnia.
2. Sleep hygiene therapy
Sleep hygiene therapy is an effective way to fight insomnia and consists of changing habits that help increase melatonin levels and, thus, favor a good night's sleep. Some of the habits that can be adopted are:
- Always lie down and get up at the same time;
- Avoid sleeping during the day;
- Do not watch television, use cell phones, computers or tablet1-2 hours before bed;
- Avoid staying in bed throughout the day or doing various activities such as studying, reading or using your cell phone;
- Avoid excessive lights or noise in the room;
- Prefer physical activities during the day;
- Eat light foods before bed.
In addition, cognitive-behavioral therapy or alternative therapies, such as meditation, acupuncture, massage or phototherapy, for example, may also be recommended.
3. Drug treatment
Treatment for insomnia can be done with the use of anxiolytic drugs or for sleeping, as they are popularly called, such as Lorazepam, Clonazepam or Diazepam. However, these medications should only be used after medical advice and in very specific cases, as they can cause addiction and side effects, such as falls and memory changes, and may even worsen a person's sleep. See which are the most suitable sleeping pills.
Check out these and other tips to fight insomnia in the following video: