Why Sleep Matters to Your Overall Health
Insomnia is a growing concern in a society where higher stress levels, increased use of medication, and over exposure to technology are regularly preventing a third of us from getting a good night’s sleep.
Recent reports have suggested that watching television, and using a laptop or digital reading device in the evening could be linked with insomnia, but there are plenty of other modern causes such as environmental stress, depression, certain types of medication, and underlying health problems.
Insomnia can take a wide variety of forms including being unable to fall asleep, waking during the night and having difficulty going back to sleep, waking too early in the morning, and feeling tired all the time even if you seem to be sleeping normally.
The Dangers of Sleep Drugs
Most people are aware of the great dangers of sleeping pills. As well as being highly addictive, they can make you feel drowsy and unable to function normally. You may experience behavioral changes, digestive problems, and dizziness or shaking among other side effects.
Traditional sleeping tablets only treat the symptoms of insomnia, but don’t address the root cause. Although the advice is that sleeping tablets should only be prescribed in extreme cases of insomnia, many millions of prescriptions for these dangerous drugs are written out every year.
A new type of sleep drug currently on trial aims to cure insomnia in the long term by inhibiting production of orexins in the brain and blocking the stimulation of the brain’s arousal system. Merck & Co, one of the company’s developing the drugs, reported that there were “no reports of serious adverse side effects.” They then went on to say that the most common side effects included:
- Upper respiratory tract infections
- Urinary tract infections
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness on waking
- Headaches
- Vivid dreams
If those were merely the most common ‘non-serious’ side effects, the full list of side effects would make frightening reading.
Natural Insomnia Therapies
Getting a good night’s sleep is vital to be able to function normally and live a fulfilling life, but that doesn’t mean you need to reach for the sleeping pills. Here are some natural ways to get a better night’s sleep.
- Good sleep routines include setting a regular bedtime and waking-up time, removing computers, telephones or TVs from the bedroom, relaxing before bed, avoiding heavy meals or exercise in the evening, and removing visible clocks from the bedroom. These can all help your body and mind to switch off.
- Yoga exercises can be a very effective way to release tension and clear the mind before going to bed. Enrolling in a yoga class or trying a yoga DVD designed specifically for insomnia can bring great benefits. The most beneficial pose for insomnia seems to be the Salamba Sarvangasana (supported shoulder stand) which can be performed just before bed.
- Hypnosis or hypnotherapy can help to address the causes of insomnia. For many people short term insomnia is caused by a stressful event, but it turns into long term insomnia because the sufferer learns to associate the sleeping environment with a state of alertness. Hypnotherapy can help to reverse this association by reconnecting the association of bedtime with sleep.
- Natural sleep remedies are a far better alternative to sleeping pills as they aren’t addictive and have no side effects. Sleep-aid is our proprietary sleep formula and we recommend it highly. Sleep-aid contains the proven sleep enhancers Valerian Root Extract, Jujube Seed Extract, Passion Flower Extract, and L-Theanine to help you get a good night’s sleep naturally and increase energy levels during the day.
If you are having difficulty falling asleep, your levels of melatonin, the sleep hormone, may be low. One tablet right a bedtime should help ease you into a good night’s sleep.
