Do you suffer from insomnia?
Do you have trouble falling asleep? Or do you always wake up very early? You are not alone. One third of adults have trouble sleeping. Not being able to sleep is called insomnia. There are several reasons for this.
Sleep problems are not the same for everyone. One falls asleep like a log, but wakes up way too early. Another cannot fall asleep and cannot get out of bed in the morning. People without sleeping problems usually fall asleep after about five to ten minutes. Someone with a sleep-onset insomnia often takes more than an hour to fall asleep.
Exhausted
If you cannot sleep well, you will wake up regularly during the night. If you then try to sleep again, it may take up to half an hour for you to continue sleeping. This gives you the feeling that you never have a good night. When you wake up, you feel exhausted and not well rested.
You may also sleep well, but wake up way too early in the morning. This is called terminal insomnia; you are unable to sleep the last, terminal part of the night. As a result, you sleep too little and you quickly become sleepy during the day.
Causes of Insomnia
- Worrying and stress keep you grinding and thinking. This makes it difficult for you to relax and you cannot fall asleep. Often it has to do with important events in your life; move, have children or die.
- What you eat and drink also has an influence; Eating late and fatty can cause indigestion. Alcohol also has a stimulant effect, it makes you sleepy at first, but then keeps you awake.
- In order to sleep well, you need a good sleep rhythm, or sleep hygiene. There are several causes of poor sleep hygiene. For example, jet lag, working in shifts, going to bed at irregular times or taking too many afternoon naps.
- In any case, the environment should not disturb you. Too much light or noise in your bedroom can interfere with your sleep. But a restless sleeping partner or pet can also be a nuisance.
- There are also illnesses and medicines that cause you to sleep less well.
Awake but no insomnia
On average, a person needs eight hours of sleep. But there are many people who sleep less. Seniors, in particular, don’t have to sleep that long. They often think that they sleep too little and mistake their changed sleep needs for a sleep disorder. There are also people who dream, as it were, that they are awake. This is called sleep misperception. This gives you the impression that you have been awake all night, while you have slept normally.
Prefer no sleeping aid
Many people with insomnia end up at the doctor who prescribes them a sleeping aid. Keep in mind that a sleeping aid is only a short-term solution. Long-term use is addictive, and you will not go through all the sleep phases associated with healthy sleep. It is better to tackle the cause and work on better sleeping habits.
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