Sleep & Insomnia Information.

Getting enough sleep is important for your health, yet many people have trouble sleeping and suffer from insomnia. There is a lot you can do to help this condition.

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Sleep Products

Sleep & Insomnia Information

Sleep & Insomnia Books etc.
Related Pages : Snoring & Sleep Apnoea : Anxiety : Depression : Stress : Tiredness & Fatigue :
Herbal Products : Valerian :

What is sleep?

Sleep is a period of rest and recuperation from the wear and tear of daily living - though you’re likely to move around 20 – 40 times each night. Parts of the brain also remain active during sleep, processing emotional experiences and information, whilst the cortex rests and recovers.

Sleeping and waking patterns are controlled by the circadian rhythm and the sleep homeostat. The circadian rhythm acts like an internal 24-hour clock and is affected by exposure to light and darkness, meal times and exercise. The sleep homeostat is a mechanism governed by brain chemicals like melatonin, which ensures you get sufficient sleep.

There are two main types of sleep – rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM). You are most likely to dream during REM sleep, when the brain is most active; it starts after about 60 – 90 minutes of sleep and recurs throughout the night for up to two hours altogether. Sleep occurs in cycles of around 90 minutes, which comprise 5 stages – stages 1 – 4 are NREM sleep and stage 5 is REM sleep. An average adult will have 4-6 sleep cycles each night.

How much sleep do I need?

The average adult sleeps around 7-8 hours a night. However sleep needs vary, so as a rule of thumb if you fall asleep fairly quickly, have largely unbroken sleep, wake up without an alarm clock and feel alert during the day, you are probably getting enough.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is basically a lack of sleep, or poor quality sleep, and usually involves at least one of the following:

Difficulty falling asleep
Difficulty staying asleep
Waking up too early
Non-refreshing sleep

What are the consequences of insomnia?

After one night without enough sleep you are likely to be irritable and less able to handle pressure, have problems with your memory, and find it harder to do simple sums, or hold a conversation. If you suffer from insomnia in the long-term you are more likely to gain weight and develop depression, heart disease, stroke, breast cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Lack of sleep also lowers immunity, leaving you more vulnerable to infections.

What causes insomnia?

Insomnia is often linked to:

Hormonal fluctuations – associated with the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and the menopause.
Age – the amount and quality of sleep tends to decline with age.
Psychological factors – stress, depression, anxiety and brain overstimulation.
Lifestyle factors – poor diet, overuse of stimulants like coffee, nicotine and alcohol, a lack of exercise, exercising late at night, and shift work.
Sleep environment – when the bedroom is too warm/too cold/too light/too noisy.
Medical conditions that cause pain/discomfort/breathing difficulties/bladder problems – such as arthritis, asthma, eczema, diabetes, heart conditions, prostate problems, Parkinson’s disease.
Medications – including cough medicines, beta-blockers, steroids, diuretics, thyroid hormones.
Mental health problems – such as depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and dementia.
Sleep disorders – sleep-related breathing and moving disorders, circadian rhythm disorders, parasomnias (e.g. sleepwalking) and hypersomnia (daytime sleep).
Recreational drugs – amphetamines (speed), ecstasy and cocaine.

How can I sleep more soundly?

There are several things you can do to help you sleep more soundly, including:

Get outdoors during the day - exposure to sunlight halts the production of melatonin, enabling your body to produce it more easily at night.
Get active - exercise helps you to sleep longer and more deeply. Exercising late afternoon/early evening raises your body’s metabolism and temperature, which fall about five hours later, inducing drowsiness.
Eat well - a balanced diet will supply the vitamins and minerals that promote refreshing sleep. Eat foods with a low glycaemic index, such as multigrain bread, sweet potatoes, brown rice, fruit and vegetables, to keep you full for longer and less likely to be woken by hunger pangs during the night. Chicken, turkey, eggs, dairy foods, beans, oats, nuts and seeds contain tryptophan, which the body uses to make calming serotonin and sleep inducing melatonin, so include these foods in your evening meals.
Wind down before bedtime - prepare for sleep by following a regular routine that helps you to relax. It might include taking a warm bath, having a milky drink, listening to music, reading a book, or watching TV – as long as the programme content helps you unwind.
Avoid alcohol late at night - although it’s initially relaxing, it’s also a stimulant and a diuretic - making you more likely to wake up during the night.
Try relaxation techniques – such as deep breathing, progressive muscle-relaxation, visualisation, or meditation, to help you drop off.

Are there any supplements that might help?

Herbal remedies that promote sleep include: hops, valerian, passionflower, skullcap, vervain and wild lettuce. Products containing combinations of these herbs include Nytol Herbal, Sominex Herbal, Kalms Sleep and Natrasleep. Chamomile and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) teas are traditionally drunk at bedtime for their calming and soothing properties.

Vitamin and mineral supplements that aid relaxation and sleep include vitamin B complex, calcium and magnesium, which is often known as ‘nature’s tranquiliser’.

Which medications aid sleep?

Sleep medications are best viewed as a short-term solution whilst you aim at restoring normal sleep patterns, perhaps by following the suggestions already outlined.

Over the counter medications for insomnia include Sominex and Nytol, which contain antihistamines that induce drowsiness.

Prescription sleeping pills include Benzodiazepines such as diazepam, ‘Z’ drugs such as zolpidem and antidepressants like amitriptyline. However, these are prescribed less often than previously because doctors are now aware they are both psychologically and physically addictive and often cause withdrawal symptoms such as rebound insomnia, anxiety and depression.

About the Author


	Wendy Green is the author of 50 Things You Can Do Today To Manage Insomnia. She often used to suffer from insomnia, but has found recently that taking plenty of exercise - especially outdoors, and winding down before bedtime, helps her to get a good night's sleep. In this guide she explains the various factors involved in insomnia and offers practical advice and a holistic approach to help you combat it, including simple lifestyle and dietary changes and DIY complementary therapies. Learn Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques that encourage sleep. Make your bedroom conducive to sleep. Discover how your night-time routine can aid restful sleep. Choose benefical foods and supplements. Wendy Green has written nine books on health and currently works in health promotion. Wendy has a degree in Health Studies and is passionate about health and wellbeing. She believes that a healthy lifestyle should be fun, and that it is the small changes you make every day that really improve your health. Her books show you what these changes should be and how they can improve your health.