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Doleful Tales of an Insomniac
Gobala Krishnan
Copyright 2005 Gobala Krishnan
I tried with all my might but I just could not stay awake. My eyelids grew
heavier by the moment until I finally caved in and dozed off. When I was
abruptly awakened 15 minutes later, by an old lady poking my ribs with her fancy
umbrella, I realized that I missed my stop again.
This is the third time in this whole week that I slept off during my bus ride
and failed to get off at the supposed destination. It was not o?nly during the
bus rides that I slumbered. I also dozed off during lectures, during lunch
breaks, in the shower, while talking to my mom o?n the phone; well almost any
place that left me feeling comfortable.
Perhaps it was time for me to take o?n those extra lectures o?n sleep therapy
after all. Insomnia is an awful thing to go through. The inability to fall
asleep and the difficulty to initiate and maintain sleep can be quite irksome.
What is Insomnia?
Insomnia is classified as the difficulty of falling asleep or staying asleep
which later causes impairments in daytime functioning. Insomniacs often complain
of problems in concentrating or focusing, feeling depressed, irritable, moody or
anxious, and incapability to function optimally in the workplace, at home or
even at school.
Read All About It: Insomnia Can Cause Weight Gain & Diabetes
Lack of sleep can considerably damage our health, as much as unhealthy eating
habits or infrequent exercise can affect our immune system. Studies have shown
that when somebody suffers from insomnia, aside from affecting their level of
concentration and alertness, there is also an increased risk of them contracting
other serious health problems such as, weight gain, diabetes and obesity.
Apparently, sleeping actually plays a role in our metabolism whereby, a lack of
sleep will cause such problems. According to a 2003 poll conducted by the
National Sleep Foundation, two-thirds of Americans report frequent sleep
problems. This means a majority of Americans may be suffering from deleterious
health effects due to sleep deprivation.
3 Types of Insomnia
A person can suffer from many different kinds of insomnia. Insomnia can be
categorized as transient, intermittent or chronic. Transient Insomnia lasts from
a single night to a few weeks and can be caused by jet lag, temporary stress,
excitement, illness, or even a change in your sleep schedule. If these episodes
of transient insomnia occur notably frequent, then it is said to be Intermittent
Insomnia.
Prolonged stress (such as financial troubles, job change, or the death of a
loved o?ne) is o?ne of the most common factors that cause intermittent insomnia.
If intermittent insomnia is not treated as soon as possible, there is a high
chance of it turning into Chronic Insomnia, also known as long-term insomnia.
Chronic insomnia occurs every night, o?n most nights and might last a month or
more.
So, how do you treat insomnia?
Each case of insomnia is treated differently according to that particular
person's needs. There are various methods that can be used for treatment such
as, behavioral modification, following good sleep hygiene practices, light
therapy, and even medication.
If you are suffering from insomnia, do not attempt to self-meditate yourself
with sleeping pills as that would be highly impractical. The wise thing to do is
to consult your physician about further treatments o?n insomnia. For the time
being, practice healthy sleeping habits and keep yourself fit to ensure that you
do not lose a wink when it is bedtime.
Gobala Krishnan is a representative of Veriuni Nutritionals, a great solution
for busy working adults who want a quick one-in-all nutritional fix. For more
information on Veriuni Nutritionals and information on living a healthy
lifestyle visit
http://www.veriuni-products-store.com
This article is reprinted with permission from www.WritingCareer.com |
