When you're struggling with insomnia as 80 million Americans do it is tempting to look for a quick fix insomnia treatment. However, as with most quick fixes...it rarely fixes the problem and can often create more in the long run. However, there is an answer, but it takes effort...here's why.
Searching for an insomnia cure can be difficult if you are trying to do so without relying on prescription or over the counter medications. The commercials on TV, the habits of most doctors and the mindset of our society tends to drive people toward popping pills to get sleep. You have to do your homework a bit to find out what actually works and produces long term results. Unfortunately, unless you're talking about brief insomnia from something like jet lag, etc. then taking meds is not a good insomnia treatment.
Cures for insomnia usually require something that drugs cannot provide and that is identifying and addressing the reason you have insomnia to begin with. Just as cold medicine doesn't cure a cold, but addresses symptoms, sleeping pills only address the symptoms (sleeplessness) and not what is causing it. However, unlike a cold which you have to let run it's course, dealing with insomnia is possible and actually does require action on your part.
Recent research is starting to help medical professionals see that insomnia treatment works best when underlying causes are dealt with. It is also showing that drugs are not producing the results that most doctors (and patients) are looking for when it comes to helping people get over insomnia.
What is working according to researchers is using therapy and counseling techniques to help people identify the core issues in their lives that produce the sleeplessness. Most insomnia is due to issues like stress, poor sleep habits, diet, exercise, depression, anxiety, etc. If these are not identified and resolved then the insomnia is likely to return when a person finishes their course of sleep medications.
As a result, any insomnia cure must include a process of dealing with issues in your life that affect your sleep. Finding a medical professional who specializes in sleep and is focused on getting to root causes is important. However, even before contacting a professional you can do some work to help find those causes. You can do a sleep journal and note when you go to sleep, how much sleep you get, how well you sleep, when you wake up, what you are thinking about before you go to bed that is keeping you up, or what you are thinking about/dreaming about when you wake up at night, etc. Keeping track of these things can help a professional target some specific areas in more detail as part of finding what cures for insomnia are right for you.
You can also incorporate a regimen of lifestyle changes as part of your own insomnia cure. Making changes in your diet, getting more regular exercise (though not too close to bedtime) and pursuing activities that help reduce stress and anxiety can help you get through insomnia and produce better quality rest.
Also, you can use natural supplements as part of your insomnia treatment. Research is finding that some of the newer supplements that combine various herbs and compounds targeted at sleep and stress reduction can help the body get sleep naturally without the problems and issues of drugs. This can be useful in helping you get sleep while you look for and address the issues affecting your sleep. All while avoiding side effects and the risk of addiction from meds.
The point is that there is insomnia treatment for those who can't get sleep, but you should be careful about any course that relies primarily on drugs to deal with the problem. It takes time and effort to deal with the root causes of your sleeplessness and the steps to curing insomnia can take a while to implement, but in the end you will find a more permanent result and better quality sleep. It is worth the effort and the cost is too high to take short cuts.
