Insomnia Syptoms

Insomnia symptoms
By Gary J. Bachinski


The symptoms of insomnia are pretty straightforward; the causes however are not so cut and dried. Quite obviously, insomnia is the inability to get to sleep, stay asleep or unsatisfactory sleep, in other words waking up still tired and not feeling rested. In the course of this article I will try to touch on some of the main causes for insomnia and some possible remedies for it. We will only be discussing natural remedies not prescription drugs.
First let us examine the main types of insomnia. The first type of insomnia is transient, (short term) lasting from one night to a few weeks. The second type intermittent (off and on) insomnia that only happens on occasion, and chronic insomnia (long term) if it occurs most nights and lasts for several months.
Insomnia is not determined by the number of hours slept, rather how rested you feel when you wake up. Insomnia seems to be more significant in women than men especially after they reach menopause. The elderly seem to be more prone to having insomnia also. That being said let's move on to some of the causes.
Some of the main causes for transient and intermittent insomnia are listed here. There are many other causes to numerous to list.

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Environmental noise
• Change in sleep/wake schedule
• Extreme temperatures
• Overeating before bed time
• Poor health or obesity
• Intake of caffeine before bed time
• Side effects of prescription or over the counter medications

Also it has been found that excessive use of alcohol, the use of tobacco and napping in the afternoon can cause insomnia in some people.

The causes for chronic insomnia are more complex and in some cases should be brought to the attention on your family health care provider. Some of these causes are:

• Depression-especially with a medical history of depression
• Heart disease, kidney disease, restless leg syndrome
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Sleep apnea


As for some possible remedies for insomnia, these too are many and varied.
Melatonin, a hormone naturally produced by the pineal gland signals the body it's time for sleep. A synthetic supplement can be used to help bring on sleep and improve sleep quality.
Other natural things that can improve sleep arewarm baths taken before bed time to get the body in a relaxed state. Soft relaxing music played at low volume can also result in relaxation. Aromatherapy has been used in some cases to relieve stress and improve sleep. Lavender is especially recommended. The use of essential oils in a bath, on the skin or in pillows can reduce tension and improve sleep quality. Low caffeine teas especially green teas can relax and calm you after a stressful day. Green teas are also good for other health benefits.
One other thing that needs to be looked at in the quality of sleep picture is your bedding itself. Do your pillows support your head and neck? Are you comfortable in your bed? These things can adversely affect the amount and quality of sleep you get every night. You must have pillows that support a good sleep posture and a bed that is comfortable and lends itself to the amount of time your in it.
The important thing to remember is sleep is something we all need for our bodies to rejuvenate itself. Keep it natural.

For many other natural remedies for insomnia and other health issues please go to