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Archive for the ‘Insomnia’ Category

In the early stages of people suffering from sleep disorders or insomnia, often times they resolve to trying sleeping pills or any other over-the-counter drugs that promise a quick fix. These medications may provide the necessary solution at first; however they do not necessarily cure the cause of insomnia that eventually become their crutch to lean on instead of a cure. The benefits derived from sleep medications are enough to consider only for a short period of time. Long-term solutions may involved changing lifestyle and going to the source and cause of your sleeplessness. Learning about medical treatment options will surely help you make an informed choice in your triumph over insomnia. Apart from the over-the-counter and prescription drugs, there are a handful of other options like natural sleep aids that will surely help you get that good night sleep you’ve always dreamed of.

We have already mentioned a little and some of the possible side effects and disadvantages of taking in prescribed and over-the-counter drugs to address your sleeping needs. Let us expand the list by giving more definite examples of the disadvantages of taking these drugs.

Fact is, drugs do not really cure insomnia. These drugs are for short-term use only and can often make the problem worse over longer periods of time. Taking these medicines for longer periods may develop the tendency to be drug tolerant. This means that, eventually, you may need to increase the dosage probably because your body is used to the drug itself. Sooner or later, your may find it hard to fall asleep without the drug hence you may become very dependent on the drug to put yourself to sleep.

These sleeping pills may vary in the length of action or effects to your body. Among the common complaints of people taking in these medicines include drowsiness. These pills often leave them feeling groggy and hung over the next day. This is mainly because these drugs, especially those containing benzodiazepines have longer duration of action. Apart from drowsiness, which may also affect your mental alertness during the day, some of the most common side effects of over-the-counter sleeping aids include dizziness, lack of coordination, forgetfulness, constipation, urinary retention, blurred vision, and dry mouth and throat. Withdrawal symptoms and other physical side effects may occur as well.

Another important caution that you should take note in taking any of the over-the-counter sleeping drugs is that these may cause adverse chemical reactions in your body. If you are already taking other drugs, these may also interact with those. So, it is important that you consult your physician before taking any of these sleeping drugs.

Again, medications may provide you with help in adjusting and dealing with sleeplessness. But it is important that you address the root cause of your insomnia. Lifestyle change or improvements are almost always important. As noted, sleep medications can actually reduce the quality of your sleep by reducing time you spend in deep sleep. What is important is that you commit to making your sleep habits and sleep environment more conducive to sleep. There are other options available for you like natural sleep aids (exercise, proper diet, herbal medicines, among others). With these, you can limit the effects of insomnia on your life.

Here is my short review of sleeping pills specifically natural sleeping aids and herbal remedies and how I overcame insomnia. I have suffered from insomnia for years. Like most people my insomnia was caused by all the everyday stresses and strains that life throws at us.

I had a very stressful job and my brain was constantly going. Even when it was time to sleep I just could not switch off. You know those nights very well. It’s like the night will go on forever, so you decide to take a sleeping pill and you still don’t get any sleep and the next day you feel rubbish with that hung over feeling so you go to work and are unable to function which causes even more stress. It was a vicious cycle.

Many people experiencing sleep problems just want to get some sleep fast! But the causes of insomnia are complex and vary by each person. Several of the successful behavioral treatments for insomnia are time-intensive and require a lot of work by the person experiencing insomnia. The thought of a pill that can solve the problem quickly is very appealing. Unfortunately, sleep medications don’t cure insomnia, and they can often exacerbate the problem over the long term.

Other concerns about the use of both over-the-counter and prescription sleeping pills include:

* development of drug tolerance
* development of drug dependence
* physical side effects
* interactions with other drugs or chemicals in the body
* withdrawal symptoms
* rebound insomnia

If you want to take medications to help you sleep because you are suffering from pain, are traveling, or just need to get some sleep, pay attention to the type of medication you choose and try to use the medication only when you really need it. If you also commit to making your sleep habits and sleep environment more conducive to sleep, you can limit the effects of insomnia on your life.

You can walk into a drugstore and choose from an array of sleep aids that do not require a prescription. The main ingredient of over-the-counter sleeping pills is an antihistamine. Antihistamines are generally taken for allergies, but also make you feel very sleepy. Common over-the-counter sleep medications are Sleep-Eze, Sominex, Nytol, and Unison; they contain antihistamines such as diphenhydramine hydrochloride, diphenhydramine citrate, or doxylamine succinate.

In general, over-the-counter sleep medications are not a good option since they’re not intended for long-term use. They can also interfere with mental alertness during the day, so you should avoid driving and other similar tasks. And sleep medications can actually reduce the quality of your sleep by reducing time you spend in deep sleep.

If you must use over-the-counter sleep medications, make sure it’s only for transient or short-term cases of insomnia and in conjunction with changes to your sleeping habits. Be sure to pay attention to your body’s physical response to these sleep medications. Immediately discontinue use if you experience any severe adverse effects.

Common side effects of over-the-counter sleeping pills include drowsiness the following day, dizziness, lack of coordination, forgetfulness, constipation, urinary retention, blurred vision, and dry mouth and throat

It is also easy to develop a tolerance for over-the-counter sleep aids after using them for just a few days. You may find quickly that you need a higher dosage to accomplish the same effect. As with any medication, it is advisable to consult with your doctor before taking over-the-counter sleep medications.

Are you having trouble sleeping? The first reaction many people have is to go get some sleeping pills. However in this case, our first reaction is not always the best. Sleeping pills are bad for our bodies, they are an unnatural solution to a natural problem and, most importantly, the use of sleeping pills does not improve our daytime functioning. After considering these points, you will begin to understand that the use of natural alternatives are a much better solution to the problem of insomnia.

Sleeping pills are bad for our bodies. You simply cannot get around this fact. “Some risk of dependence” is a line that you often hear on sleeping pill advertisements. But isn’t that just another way of describing addiction? The longer sleeping pills are taken, the more our body begins to depend on them. But at the same time, we also begin to develop a tolerance for their effects. So we place ourselves in a situation in which something that we crave more and more actually works less and less.

Sleep is a natural process. From time to time, our ability to sleep may be affected. Lack of sleep and the effects of sleep deprivation are not something that we should ignore. But using prescription sleep aids is an unnatural solution to the problem. If we resort to the use of these medications, we’re essentially drugging ourselves to sleep. In fact, the actions that these pills take in our brains may actually prevent deep, restorative sleep. After using sleeping pills for a while, if we’re able to overcome our dependence and stop taking them, we will likely face a difficult struggle with rebound insomnia.

Finally, it’s important not to lose sight of our goal. What we’re actually trying to accomplish is not simply sleeping at night, but rather better functioning during the day. Unfortunately, sleeping pills do not improve daytime performance. Many users of prescription sleep medications report feelings of fatigue and lethargy throughout the day. It’s been shown that sleeping pills can actually decrease brain cell activity during the day, leading to an inability to concentrate.

If you’re having trouble sleeping at night, sleeping pills are not the answer. Not only do they place our bodies in a position of dependence to chemicals, they interfere with the natural processes of sleep and can actually impair our performance during the day. A much better solution to the problem of insomnia is a natural sleep program that takes into account your sleep environment, your lifestyle, and if necessary, the use of safe, non-habit-forming natural sleep aids.

Most people have probably heard the oft said statement “we spend one third of our lives sleeping”. However, we frequently read claims from health experts that Brits are not getting enough sleep, which is leading to an increase in stress and illness in our lives.

So what’s so important about sleep anyway? Well – one way to understand how important sleep is, is to look at what happens when we don’t get enough. Most people will be familiar with the effects of short term sleep depriviation, perhaps after an all night session on the town; grumpiness, irritability, forgetfulness and inability of concentrate. If the sleep deprivation continues, delusions and hallucinations can begin.

There are several key factors that affect the quality of sleep, including light levels, noise, how tired you are, and also your natural sleeping tendencies; some people are very deep sleepers so are less sensitive to external disturbances, whereas light sleepers are cursed with a low sensitivity threshold, and thus are more likely to be woken by light and noise.

A comfortable bed also plays a very important role in the quality of sleep. At one time, beds were little more than a pile of straw or other soft plant materials, but by building beds off the ground, people soon realised that they could avoid drafts, dirt and various house pests. In some countries however, sleeping on the floor is still the norm – for example Japan, where the vast majority sleep on a futon cushion that is directly placed on the floor.

If you are sharing a bed with a partner, you’ll almost certainly need at least a double bed (rather than a small double) to be comfortable; anything smaller than a double is likely to lead to a cramped night. It’s also vital to buy a firm mattress; spend some time shopping around and testing several different types of mattress before you buy.

Sleep experts also suggest several other things to help get a better night’s sleep; firstly ensure that you set a regular bedtime and avoid long naps during the day. Remove possible distractions from your sleeping space, such as TVs, computers, books and magazines. Fit decent blinds or curtains to your bedroom windows, or wear an eye mask to block out light; avoid drinking any caffeinated drinks after lunch, take regular exercise and use a good supportive pillow.

If you follow these secrets to slumber, you’re soon be enjoying deeper sleep, and waking up feeling refreshed and recharged.

When you suffer from insomnia, you are willing to try almost anything to get some sleep. That’s why there’s such a huge market for sleeping pills. They seem to offer a perfect solution: safe and effective treatment for your problem all wrapped up in a tidy little pill. Unfortunately, things are rarely as they seem. A better alternative is to try natural remedies that will be far safer and more effective in the long run.

You might be wondering why you shouldn’t take advantage of the best of modern science has to offer. The problem is that with sleep medications, the benefits are often highlighted and information about the dangers is minimized. The truth is that prescription sleep aids tend to have many side effects. Even more dangerous is their risk of dependency and addiction. Instead of opting to take sleeping pills, you can try alternative medicines and pay attention to your sleep hygiene such as your daily routine, diet and other things.

During normal, natural sleep, your body restores and heals itself. But during drug-induced sleep, your body behaves differently. If you have ever taken sleeping pills in the past, you may have noticed the difference. Even after a full night of sleep, you may have woken up still feeling groggy. The feeling of physical refreshment that you would expect after a good night’s sleep didn’t seem to be there. The reason you’re trying to beat insomnia in the first place is not the quality of your sleep, but how you feel when you wake up the next morning. Natural remedies for sleep respect the needs of your body and help you achieve a more rested feeling.

For example, you may find that melatonin can help you get some sleep. Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally by the body for the purpose of inducing sleep. There have been many instances where people have successfully restored their sleep patterns by using melatonin.

Valerian root is another natural sedative that can help in the battle against insomnia. In fact, valerian’s sleep-promoting properties have been clinically proven. The name has the same root as the word “valor,” meaning strong. Although this could easily refer to the herb’s potency, it was actually named for it’s strong and distinctive odor.

Other natural alternatives to sleeping pills include chamomile and other herbal teas. A cup of warm liquid brewed with these ingredients can be quite effective in producing drowsiness. Aromatherapy practices can also promote sleep. Infusing your room with the aroma of lavender is very effective for many people. And since you aren’t introducing anything into your body at all, it’s one of the safest sleep treatments around.

Hear something that you need to keep in mind. Natural treatments for insomnia are much safer and more effective than sleeping pills. But they do not work as quickly. Don’t spray your sheets with lavender and expect an overnight miracle. Whenever you try a new alternative treatments, give them a few weeks to work. This time span enables your body to adapt to the changes that you have made. If you keep sleeping pills as your very last option, chances are you will never need them at all.