Insomnia & Sleeping Habits

Senator John McCain may have lost the 2008 US presidential campaign, but he did not lose his sense of humor. Shortly after the elections results he went to the The Tonight Show and told Jay Leno “I have been sleeping like a baby - I sleep two hours, wake up and cry. Sleep two hours, wake up and cry”. Do you sleep like a baby?

Sleep and Success

We are currently on the health series articles in this blog and I would be sleeping on my job if I did not include the topic of sleep in this series. Benjamin Franklin is often quoted as having said “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”.  This blog’s purpose is to inspire you to be the best you can be; to inspire you to be healthy, wealthy and wise.

I am writing this on a Sunday so let me be a good Christian and quote the Bible.

Proverbs: 6: 4-11. “Give not unnecessary sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. Deliver yourself, as a roe or gazelle from the hand of the fowler. Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise! Which having no chief or overseer or ruler provides her food in the summer and gathers her supplies in the harvest. How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you rise out of your sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down and sleep – So will your poverty come to you like a robber and your want like an armed man!”

Sleeping is not equal to laziness but they are first cousins. A little extra sleep here and there and you find yourself not moving fast enough to your goals. Pay special attention to your sleeping habits and gain control of your success.

What is Sleep?

Sleep is a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended. It is characterized by reversible unconsciousness and non-responsiveness to external stimuli. Sleep is required by the body and mind to gain balance and stability. But like all good things, too much of it is has a down side.

Sleep is necessary for survival and thriving in life. Sleep deprivation occurs when one lacks the necessary amount of sleep. This may occur as a result of sleep disorders, active choice or deliberate inducement such as in interrogation or torture.

Menachem Begin, the Prime Minister of Israel from 1977-83, described his experience of sleep deprivation when a prisoner of the KGB in Russia as follows: “In the head of the interrogated prisoner, a haze begins to form. His spirit is wearied to death, his legs are unsteady, and he has one sole desire: to sleep…Anyone who has experienced this desire knows that not even hunger and thirst are comparable with it”.

Sleep is an important part of healthy living and therefore a determinant of success. Thai Ngoc, born 1942, claimed in 2006 to have been awake for 33 years or 11,700 nights, according to Vietnamese news organization Thanh Nien. It was said that Ngoc acquired the ability to go without sleep after a bout of fever in 1973. Unlike Thai Ngoc, most people need to sleep daily for about 8 hours to be mentally healthy and alert.

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a symptom of a sleeping disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity. Insomnia is a symptom, not a stand-alone diagnosis or a disease. By definition, insomnia is “difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep or both” and it may be due to inadequate quality or quantity of sleep. It is typically followed by functional impairment while awake. Insomniacs have been known to complain about being unable to close their eyes or “rest their mind” for more than a few minutes at a time. (Source).

Causes of Insomnia

• Loss of a loved one. Insomnia can be common after the loss of a loved one, even years or decades after the death, if they have not gone through the grieving process. Overall, symptoms and the degree of their severity affect each individual differently depending on their mental health, physical condition, and attitude or personality.

• Anxiety – This is an unpleasant state of mental uneasiness or concern about some uncertain event; anxiety can make people lose sleep or interrupt sleeping patterns.

• Stress – Stressful situations make it harder to maintain regular sleep patterns. People experience irregular sleep patterns when stressed by relationships, career changes, financial struggles etc.

• Depression – The deep despair and hopelessness that goes along with depression may disturb sleeping patterns.

• Hormonal changes in women – These include premenstrual syndrome, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.

• Pain – Many sorts of emotional and physical pains can take sleep away, e.g. tooth aches.

• Adjustment sleep disorder – Adjustment sleep disorder usually describes insomnia related to acute, temporary stress (e.g., starting a new job), preoccupation (e.g., thinking about a problem), or trauma (e.g., experiencing loss). Insomnia resolves when the stress factor is resolved or when the person acclimates to the new situation.

• Jet Lag – Jet lag is a temporary condition that some people experience following air travel across several time zones in a short period of time. This causes the traveler’s internal clock to be out of sync with the external environment. People experiencing jet lag have a difficult time maintaining their internal, routine sleep-wake pattern in their new location, because external stimuli, like sunshine and local timetables, dictate a different pattern.

• Medication-Dependent Sleep Disorder – Insomnia may arise when a person who takes chronic medications, like hypnotics and antidepressants, stops taking them or develops a tolerance for them. For this reason, physicians indicate a gradual reduction in dosage of long-term medications.

Improving Sleeping Habits

• Keep a regular sleeping schedule. A regular sleeping pattern strengthens the sleep/wake cycle and promotes a regular sleep-onset time.
• Avoid coffee, cola, tea, chocolate, alcohol, and tobacco.
• What you eat. Eat healthy balanced diet. A light snack or warm milk before bedtime may promote sleep.
• Wind down for a period before sleep time. Quiet activities, such as reading, relaxing in a hot bath, prayer, or meditating, help promote sleep.
• Avoid taking naps during the day, especially in the evening. If you must nap, do so in the early afternoon for no longer than 30 minutes.
• Sleep Hygiene: Activities related to getting a good night’s sleep. Some positive sleep hygiene habits include going to bed at the same time each night
• Engage in gentle exercise to produce fatigue before sleep. Heavy exercise should be avoided just before retiring, because it delays sleep.

Sleeping Related Websites

http://www.sleepdisorderchannel.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_deprivation

http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/insomnia/INS_causes.html

Summary

Insomnia is a leading example of sleeping disorder. A sleep disorder is a medical disorder of a person’s sleep pattern. Sleep disorders interfere with success and achievement and you should seek to control your sleeping habits in your quest for success.

Do you have any tips on sleeping patterns or a story to share on insomnia or sleeping habits? I would love to hear your comments.

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