Lack of sleep may not seem to be a harmful disorder for many, but due to this the body clock and many of its functions go for a toss. There are different types of insomnia that need to be identified and treated accordingly.

Insomnia & ways to avoid it
The lack of adequate and restful sleep can be termed as insomnia. It is not defined by the number of hours a person sleeps but by the lack of it. The inability to fall asleep makes the person prone to other diseases.

Signs and Symptoms
Finding it difficult to fall asleep at night? Well, this could be one of signs. The other sign is you fall asleep but won’t be able to sleep at a long stretch; you will keep getting up in intervals. Due to this your morning will be lethargic and fatigued.

Problems faced
As the sleep is incomplete, the day suffers due to this. You are tired and drained out without much to look forward. The level of concentration is very less and you might suffer from other sleep disorder problems like sleep apnea, narcolepsy and restless legs syndrome.

Types of Insomnia
A person is affected by primary or secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia means that the person having sleep problems are not directly related to any other health problems. Secondary insomnia means that the persons sleep is affected by the health problems faced by him. These can be any problems like stomach ache, depression, heartburn, arthritis, asthma and many other diseases.

Insomnia can be classified into three categories short term (acute insomnia), chronic (constant insomnia) and intermittent (on and off). When the short term insomnia occurs on daily basis it would be termed as intermittent. It will be termed chronic when such an occurrence happens every night and lasts for a long time.

Some factors which cause insomnia are
1. Old age
2. Prevalent in female gender
3. Stress
4. Depression
5. Odd working hours
6. Long naps in the afternoon
7. Change in environment/surroundings
8. External noise
9. Jet lag
10. Excessive consumption of caffeine/cigarettes
11. Alcohol and many more.

Some Methods to avoid Insomnia
You may not need any treatment if you have acute or intermittent insomnia. These can be cured with some good sleeping habits. The chronic insomnia can be prevented with some medications recommended by your doctor as well as some relaxation exercises, sleep restriction therapy and reconditioning. The numbers of hours may vary from person to person; some may find it okay to sleep for 6 to 7 hours.

Relaxation Therapy
These are some unique methods to remove or reduce anxiety and other tensions in the body. It helps the person to relax as to gain a undisturbed sleep. This requires practice, but the end result is worthwhile.

Sleep Restriction Therapy
By the name itself it means that you are restricting on you sleep time. It starts with a short duration of sleeping time during the night. As days go by the duration will be increased until the normal sleep time is reached.

Reconditioning
Mind plays an important part as it has to remember the association of bed with your sleeping time. You should not use it for any other activities like reading and etc. The other condition is one should go to bed when one is feeling sleepy. During this process one should avoid naps and go to bed at the same time each day. This would create the link with your bed and sleeping time.

Some good habits to practice

1. Sleeping at the same time each night as well as waking up the same time each day.
2. Avoid stimulants like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol before going to bed
3. Regular exercise helps in keeping away insomnia
4. Have a light snack instead of a heavy meal before bedtime
5. Relax yourself by reading a book or listening to music before going to bed
6. Take a warm bath
7. Sleep on a firm bed
8. Drink warm milk or herb tea
9. Sleep on your back
10. Get a massage

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