Insomnia Treatment Strategies That Work


Everybody needs sleep. When we don't get enough sleep every part of our lives starts to suffer. We find that our moods go awry, our ability to concentrate is gone and our energy level is almost non-existent. Not getting enough sleep affects us personally and professionally. In spite of knowing how important it is to get enough sleep each night, most of us will suffer from sleeplessness at least a few times. For some, difficulty sleeping will turn into full blown insomnia. If you suffer from insomnia, you are probably desperate to find an insomnia treatment that will really work.

The type of insomnia treatment that works best depends on the reason behind the insomnia itself. This sleep disorder can be caused by many different things. For some people, it is a physical condition caused by hormonal or chemical imbalances. For others, insomnia is caused by emotional or mental issues.

Before you convince yourself that you need medication to treat your insomnia, here are some at home treatments that you can try:

1. Make sure to get regular exercise. Exercise is important to your overall health; just make sure that you exercise earlier in the day. If you exercise too close to your bedtime, you will, in effect, wake yourself up and falling asleep will be much harder to do.

2. Don't eat or drink too much close to your bedtime. Drinking too much (even water) will cause you to get up to go to the bathroom and large meals can be hard to digest. Eating rich foods can cause heartburn or other physical issues that will keep you awake.

3. Keep your room as dark as possible. Your body's circadian rhythms respond to light and take the light as a signal to stay awake.

It is important to remember that insomnia is a symptom of something else. This is why, when home remedies do not work, that it is important to visit your doctor to see if you might need medical attention for a physical problem. If insomnia isn't a symptom of a physical disorder, it is most likely a symptom of a mental disorder.

Mental disorders need to be diagnosed by a mental health professional. Often, insomnia is a symptom of unresolved emotional or mental issues. If this is the case, the best insomnia treatment is probably going to be behavioral therapy. Together you and a mental health specialist will work together to figure out what unresolved "issues" are keeping you awake.

In extreme cases, medication might be needed. Common medications are ambient, lunesta, sonata and rozarem. Rozarem is the newest treatment and many doctors favor it because it doesn't have the same risk of dependency that comes from other sleep inducing drugs.

Keep in mind that tossing and turning a little is not the same thing as insomnia. Insomnia is full blown sleeplessness that persists for a long time. If you've found that it has been days or even weeks since you last got a good night sleep then you probably have insomnia and it is time to seek treatment.