What is onset insomnia? It is a disorder where an individual has trouble sleeping at the beginning of night. Onset insomnia can be cured with the help of simple home remedial measures as well as proper medical treatments. One must keep in mind that one who has good health, has hope. One who has hope, has joy. One who has joy, has contentment. Lastly, one who has contentment, has everything!
Insomnia can be defined as a disorder in which a person finds it difficult to sleep. There are various patterns of insomnia. Sleep onset insomnia is one of them.
Sleep onset insomnia can be termed as the inability to sleep at the beginning of the night, that means at the onset of sleep. A person may lie down for ten hours but sleep only for five hours.
In medical terms, sleep onset insomnia is not a disease but a symptom in itself. Normally, an individual requires 10 to 15 minutes to fall asleep. If this time is delayed abnormally, then it is termed that the person is an onset insomniac. This condition can be mild, acute, or chronic. At times, it can merely last for a day, or may even last for as long as a month.
Insomnia not only deals with lack of sleep but also how a person feels the next morning. The severity of sleep onset insomnia may vary depending upon the lifestyle of a person and his habits. Sleep requirements for an individual may differ from one another. If cured in time, this condition is completely harmless. But, if delayed and ignored, can cause major health problems.
Insomnia can be categorized into three types:
• Transient: It lasts for less than a week.
• Acute: It lasts for less than a month.
• Chronic: It lasts for more than a month.
◼ Causes of Sleep Onset Insomnia
☞ This sleep disorder is caused due to the changing behavioral patterns observed these days. ‘Restless leg syndrome’ is considered to be one of the most common causes. When a person tries to sleep, his restless leg syndrome robs him off his sleep.
☞ Problems at the workplace and in relationships might also result in onset insomnia.
☞ Many a time, onset insomnia can be a side effect of the medicines prescribed for depression.
☞ Sleep Onset Insomnia is caused due to excessive consumption of coffee, over-exercising, stress or consumption of aerated drinks, at night, which compels a person to sleep late. It is observed that some people find it difficult to sleep at the right time just because they are over energetic and thus, the body simply refuses to sleep at the onset.
☞ Sometimes, women between the age of 45-60 years tend to suffer from onset insomnia as they are in their menopausal phase. It can also be as a result of certain hormonal imbalance in the body.
☞ Environmental factors such as temperature and seasonal changes also have an effect on the body which may result into onset insomnia. Effects of lack of sleep can be very harmful for your body. Hence, care must be taken to regulate the sleeping hours to avoid onset insomnia.
☞ Doctors suggest that a person must sleep for minimum of seven hours and maximum of ten hours. If a proper diet with a limited amount of exercise is followed, then onset insomnia can very well be prevented, or even cured at times.
☞ A person can be a patient of onset insomnia from childhood itself. Most of the time, parents make it a habit to sleep beside their children. But, they tend to forget that a child may get habituated to it which may land him in trouble in the near future.
◼ Symptoms of Sleep Onset Insomnia
These are the symptoms that are frequently observed in sleep onset insomniacs. At times, these can also be the after effects of onset insomnia.
Lack of concentration
Frequent irritation
Anxiety
Depression
Fatigue
Mood swings
Unpleasant behavior.
Treatment Options
■ Benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines are mostly recommended to treat sleep onset insomnia.
■ Certain behavioral therapies, mainly Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is given to treat insomnia.
■ Acupuncture, herbal and natural therapies are given.
■ Homeopathic treatments also do a good job at times.
One thing must be remembered that any treatment has to be taken only under a doctor’s supervision.
Remedial Measures
Research shows that people suffering from insomnia, of any pattern, usually tend to avoid to go to a doctor. Because of this, most of them remain deprived of right diagnosis at the right time. Medication differs from person to person depending upon the severity of the disorder. Also, it depends upon the root causes of onset insomnia in the patient. Combination of both, medical and non-medical treatments, have proven to be better than mere medicinal prescriptions. Doctors say that simple home remedies, at times, work better than strong sleeping pills.
◼ Home Remedies for Insomnia
Make your bed a calm and quiet place to sleep.
Listening to soft music can help you sleep in a better way.
Yoga works wonders.
Having a bath with warm water can make you feel sleepy.
Drink a glass of warm milk.
Do not sleep in the afternoon, especially after having lunch.
Get a relaxing oil massage.
You can also follow a proper cycle of sleeping hours wherein you sleep early and wake up early. The above mentioned techniques can surely make a difference and help you out. If it is found that the problem persists, even after following the above mentioned tips, then you must visit a doctor without any delay. After all, diagnosis at the right time can save you from entering the severe phase of onset insomnia. Sometimes, self help is not the best help! Take care!
Disclaimer: This SleepHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.
