InsomniaIn the absence of pain or discomfort, or external factors like noise or cold, the usual cause of disturbed sleep is anxiety. This prevents us from falling asleep because we have recurrent thoughts that worry us. If we know what is making us anxious, then our insomnia is understandable and will improve once the cause for the anxiety has disappeared. If we are suffering from an anxiety state, with no apparent cause, therapy may help. True depression can disturb our sleep in a different way, in that while we may fall asleep initially, we wake in the early hours of the morning with the sensation of impending doom. Fear and persistent dark thoughts prevent us from returning to sleep. If our sleep is disturbed because we are truly depressed, effective treatment for the depression will improve matters, though it may take some time before a normal sleep pattern is re-established. While there are effective sleeping tablets available, the sleep that they induce is not of the same quality as normal sleep, and they very quickly induce dependency (in other words we can't get sleep without them). They should only be used for a short period to help us to sleep in emergency situations such as after bereavement. There are a number of medical conditions that can disturb our sleep, such as those that cause us to sweat or others that cause us to itch. Night sweats and itching, if they persist, need to be investigated. Men over the age of 50 often find that they need to get up at night to pass water. This is a symptom of prostatic disease which, though usually benign, may be the first symptom of prostatic cancer, and should be investigated. The quality of our sleep can be impaired following stimulants such as drinks high in caffeine, or certain cheeses, which should be avoided at night. Some natural products such as camomile can improve the quality of sleep, as may a small amount of alcohol. |
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