I just wanted to pop back over and clarify what seems to be a point of confusion. Many CantSleep readers appear to be in search of a singular “test” which definitely shows if you have insomnia, and if so, what the root cause of it is. Unfortunately, there is no such test. If there was, my own insomnia would have been assuaged months ago. However, there are tests which can identify — or rule out — some specific causes of insomnia. Most salient of these is a sleep apnea test. Sleep apnea can be definitively identified via a sleep apnea test. These tests are administered by professionals, and oftentimes you must spend the entire evening being monitored (I have gone through this myself). In my case, the sleep apnea test came back negative. However, there is no test to determine what truly is the cause of my particular sleep issues.
Insomnia can arise from a variety of causes. Some of these are physical, while others are mental. Stress can trigger bouts of insomnia, and depression has been identified as a main cause behind many cases of chronic insomnia. As indicated, physical conditions like sleep apnea can be the root cause of sleep problems. Unfortunately, there is no one easy test which can ascertain whether the cause of a particular case of insomnia is due to physical or mental issues. Many seem to confuse what they read about a sleep apnea test interpreting it as being a generic test for insomnia.
So, in terms of my own sleep problems — I have been continuing with my hypnotherapy with my great therapist, Sharon. I am beginning to notice improvements, and several of the past nights have been pretty much insomnia-free. Sleep is coming back into my life and it is a great feeling. Hopefully some of you reading this now can soon find the relief that I think I have come upon. I’ll provide further updates soon,
There are now a plethora of sources for insomnia information, but, unfortunately, many provide less than objective advice. These days, when seeking information most turn to the Internet — and the volumes of information on the Internet ensure almost every question can be answered. However, within this voluminous information there exists myths, confusion and even outright falsehoods. Some websites purporting to convey insomnia information exist solely for the purpose of selling you a specific product — whether you need it or not. For example, a given source for insomnia information might say that sleep apnea is always the cause of chronic insomnia, and then they subsequently try to sell you a CPAP mask. The truth is that only a small portion of those with sleep problems truly have sleep apnea, and that the particular site was misleading you solely for the purpose of parting you with your hard earned money.
This phenomenon is salient within all arenas of knowledge conveyed over the Internet, however, within the realm of insomnia information it is especially prominent. Consequently, readers need to be especially discriminating — and skeptical — when seeking health information online. There exists several reputable sources which are universally recognized as providing objective information. However, these sites usually cover a wide range of health topics and give short shrift to insomnia information. Sources like CantSleep.com focus solely on insomnia information, and one of the reasons I felt comfortable sharing my story here is that you can easily see CantSleep isn’t pushing a diagnosis on anyone or suggesting that one form of treatment is better than another. The bottom line is, when seeking insomnia information digest what you read with a large grain of salt.
It’s Barnaby here, and I’m back with some interesting new information. A kind lady contacted me about me sleep troubles and suggested that I explore hypnotherapy as a possibly effective way to treat insomnia. Over the past few months I have attempted to treat insomnia with all varieties of methods and tests — unfortunately to no avail. After my initial research, I am quite excited about the prospects of hypnosis being able to treat insomnia. There is much agreement that stress can be a major contributor to insomnia, and in my case insomnia creates more stress thus creating a vicious circle.
Hopefully, hypnotherapy can be the trick needed to break this cycle and finally facilitate a decent night’s sleep. I am far from an expert on hypnosis, but my research so far has indicated that the relaxed state achieved by hypnotherapy is one of the best ways to combat stress. Hypnotherapy can be achieved either via self-hypnosis or through the assistance of a trained hypnotherapist. I have yet to decide whether I am going to purchase a guide for self hypnosis or alternatively seek the guidance of a professional. However, I have definitely decided that I will give this route a try — I am willing to give anything that can treat insomnia a shot. I’ll share my progress with hypnotherapy soon.
It’s Barnaby stopping by in order to share my initial thoughts about sleeping help based upon hypnotherapy. I located a certified hypnotherapist near me, and yesterday I had my first session. Sharon was very kind and professional, and she explained to me that the goal of our sessions was to allow the stress to escape from my subconscious enabling me to fall asleep. Sleeping help such as this is quite appealing to me seeing I can’t use typical sleep aids nor has anything else I’ve tried been successful. Sharon warned me that hypnotherapy was not an overnight solution for insomnia, and that its effects are not immediate. I am willing to be patient and let the effects of the therapy accrue hopefully providing me with much needed sleeping help.
I actually did feel quite refreshed after my session — this was the first time I have ever experienced anything like this. Sharon relayed to me that many have her patients have benefited from hypnosis in their quest to quit smoking, lose weight, overcome their fears — and for sleeping help. I found this especially encouraging that others have found a solution to their insomnia by using hypnotherapy. Sharon said it was impossible to predict exactly when I would experience tangible results from the hypnotherapy — different patients have varying response times. Hopefully for me it is soon — if I don’t get sleeping help quickly I fear turning into a walking zombie! I will keep everyone updated, and I want to thank you all again for your kind words of encouragement and advice.
It is Barnaby here. I’ve previously discussed why I can’t use common sleep aids, but I went against my own rules out of desperation for some sleep the other night. Once again, the sleep aid I used caused me to be quite out of it the following day — even more so than I usually am after tossing and turning all night. For those of you using either prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids, I’d like to enumerate the potential hazards from these drugs. Although many can use common sleep aids without any adverse effects, some (including myself) can experience one or several of the following events:
– Increasing drug tolerance forcing you to continually step up your dosage
– Possible withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation of use
– Some sleep aids can result in dependency
– Some experience “rebound insomnia” after discontinuing sleep aid use
– Sleep aids can have unforeseen interactions with other drugs you may be taking
– Side effects can be present with many common over the counter sleep aids
When used for occasional insomnia, sleep aids can be quite helpful and are generally safe. However, those who use sleep aids for extended periods are often just masking the underlying condition which is causing the insomnia. Failure to recognize some possible causes — including sleep apnea — can lead to even more severe adverse health conditions. If you find yourself continually using sleep aids, then it is advised you seek the opinion of a qualified health care provider in order to ascertain whether sleep aid use can be safely continued. Unfortunately, my insomnia is unable to be solved with simple sleep aids — but hopefully I find my magic sleep bullet soon.
It’s Barnaby again, and I’d like to discuss some good sleep deprivation help I’ve received from a local insomnia support group. Although I have yet to find a cause, nor cure, for my insomnia, the support of others suffering from the same ailment can serve as effective sleep deprivation help — if only for moral support. This support extends to online communities such as those who read CantSleep.com — sharing our stories and ideas about insomnia is an effective tool towards conquering this beast once and for all. Sleep deprivation help can come in the form of moral and peer support along with professional treatment.
Unfortunately, one has to determine the cause of their particular sleep troubles in order to effectuate a useful treatment regimen. I say unfortunately because I have yet to ascertain the cause of my insomnia which has periodically reared its head over the past few months. I enjoyed a brief period of sleep deprivation help through the use of Valerian, but for some reason it suddenly lost its effectiveness after two week’s use. I have ruled out sleep apnea, clinical depression and migraine headaches as potential causes — and my search continues. Until I find a long term cure for my insomnia, I must rely on sleep deprivation help in the form of support groups and online communities like the one here on this blog. I do appreciate all the suggestions and tips received from CantSleep.com readers — and I encourage everyone to continue to write in. Maybe one of you can provide the ultimate sleep deprivation help in the form of a permanent cure for my insomnia.
Hi everyone, it’s Barnaby here with a word about sleep information on the Internet:
Websites about insomnia, sleep apnea and a variety of other sleep information now proliferate the Internet. While many sites like WebMD and CantSleep.com offer accurate and objective information, others exist solely to promote a given product as opposed to providing reliable sleep information. Those seeking sleep information are often doing so because of signs of insomnia, sleep apnea, clinical depression as well as several other potentially serious medical conditions. In this scenario, accurate and objective sleep information becomes quite important. What is also important is to remember that only a qualified health care provider can diagnosis and prescribe treatment for your particular condition.
Seeking to self-treat from sleep information obtained on the Internet can prove counterproductive, and — in many cases — quite costly. Some less than reputable websites providing sleep information end up selling you expensive, yet ineffective solutions to your particular problem. In the worst cases, those who rely upon faulty sleep information obtained online fail to get the real help they so desperately need. One reason that I agreed to write for CantSleep.com is that I noticed they never pushed a given product or treatment. I have been impressed with the large amount of objective and helpful sleep information provided by CantSleep, and I hope to do my small part by contributing my story which I hope will help both myself as well as my fellow CantSleep readers.
Hi all, it’s Barnaby checking back in. When I last posted on CantSleep.com the other day I was about to have my sleep apnea test. My doctor just called and advised me that I do not have sleep apnea. I can’t help but feel relieved, but at the same time I am disappointed that a definitive reason for my insomnia can not be ascertained. For now, I’ve decided that I’ve had enough of doctors and so-called experts, and I’m going to try to find a solution for my sleep issues which doesn’t involve pills. If you remember, I’ve previously described on here my unpleasant experiences with over the counter sleep aids. I tried various types of over the counter sleep pills, and they left me with horrible nightmares and insatiable thirst. I’m also quite nervous about becoming addicted to sleeping pills.
Last night my wife had me call her friend Joanne who is really into alternative medicine. Joanne told me that there are several possible natural cures for insomnia, and that she personally has seen them used with success. She gave me a list of possible natural cures of insomnia, and I’m now researching them trying to decide which is best for me. I first ruled out Melatonin. Although it seems that many people are able to use Melatonin successfully, I read that it can cause nightmares — something which I have already shown a tendency towards when I tried over the counter sleep aids. Also out is Kava. Although I see it discussed online, Joanne told me to stay away from it — Kava is now thought to potentially cause liver damage.
The next possibility is Valerian. This seems interesting. It seems that Valerian is a really popular natural cure for insomnia in Europe, and it has been used to treat insomnia for hundreds of years. Joanne insisted that Valerian is not tied to nightmares, and most importantly it is not addictive. The downside is that she said that you have to take Valerian for two to three weeks before it becomes effective. I don’t know if I can make it another 3 weeks like this sleeping only a few hours a night — if that. Joanne also suggested Yoga and Feng Shui — but I really am not the Eastern mystic type. I guess Yoga can’t hurt, but Feng Shui just strikes me as silly.
I think Valerian is on the top of my list to try as a natural cure for insomnia. Has anyone out there had success with any other possible natural cures? I’d really love to hear if you have.
There are a great deal of ways that people utilize when trying to get to sleep. Some of them work and some of them don’t. Some of the best sleep tips involve all natural techniques that you can do in your own home without a daunting middle of the night trip to the drug store.
Make sleep a priority. Don’t stay up till all hours of the morning when you know you must get up early. Do this enough times and then your body will no longer sleep when you want it to. You will have reset your internal alarm clock, which will only make you groggy and very cranky.
Start a sleep/bedtime ritual. Start getting ready for bed earlier in the evening. Unwind from the madness of the day at least 2 hours before bed. Start lowering noise and lighting, along with any other stimulants. Take a shower or bath or just wash your face. Put on your pajamas and get comfortable. Create a bedtime for yourself. Going to bed at the same time every night tells your body what time to go to sleep.
Create a restful place to sleep. No television in the bedroom. No clutter in the bedroom. Make your bedroom an oasis from the rest of the house. Make sure that you have a good quality mattress and foundation on your bed. It should be comfortable and support your spine.
Cut back on what you take in before bed. Avoid foods. Cut back on or reduce the amount you smoke and the amount of alcohol you consume before bed. Try warm milk or herbal tea , like chamomile, to help you relax in the evening.
Need more help to relax? Listen to music. Not crazy music, but soft, lilting music to practice deep breathing to. Get your spouse to give you a massage. Close your eyes and clear your mind. Some people swear by practicing meditation techniques at bed time as well as counting backward from 10,20, or even 30. The belief is that your body comes to understand that you are ‘counting down’ to sleep and it begins to relax into the beginning stages of the sleep mode.
If you just cannot sleep, get up. If you are laying in bed staring at the ceiling then get up. Attempting to force yourself to sleep results in a horrid restless sleep. So get out of bed and deal with whatever issues may be dealing with.
One last way to help you sleep is exercise. Now don’t exercise within 1-2 hours of bedtime. Find some time during the day, even first thing in the morning, to exercise. It has been scientifically proven that people who exercise have a better quality of sleep. Exercise helps to reduce stress levels and increase health, both of which help to create a more peaceful quality of sleep.
As people’s lives become more hectic, the problem of insomnia becomes more problematic. It is surely not a new thing; people have suffered from occasional insomnia throughout history. The problem with today’s fast paced world is many people go to bed too exhausted to sleep or they are unable to turn their brains off so they can relax. Today’s fast paced world is creating a world full of insomniacs which in turn is causing health issues for many people. A lack of proper sleep first and foremost will reduce the immune’s system’s ability to fight off infection thus leaving the body susceptible to any number of illnesses.
What causes so many people to suffer from insomnia? We already mentioned the fact that people go to bed when they are too exhausted. This prevents the body from relaxing and also keeps the brain from slowing down and allowing the body to rest. What is the answer to this dilemma? One of the things that is very important is to allow yourself time to relax before going to bed. Instead of working and expecting to come home and going right to bed you will need time to “wind down.” At the same time you also need to go to bed at approximately the same time every night. One of the problems people have with sleep is “confusing” the body because the sleep schedule lacks consistency.
Another problem that plagues some people is becoming accustomed to taking something to help them sleep. When you get into the habit of taking something to help you sleep it becomes difficult for the body to sleep otherwise. This is how many people become addicted to sleeping aids—they are unable to sleep otherwise, so they develop the habit of taking something every night instead of trying to fall asleep on their own. While some sleep aids are natural and do not cause addiction or dependency, there are many that do. It is much better to try more natural methods such as a warm bath or some light exercise. Some people also find it helpful to do some reading before trying to fall asleep.
There are easy ways for even the worst insomniacs to get a good night’s sleep. The following are some of the things you can do to reduce your bouts of insomnia:
If you are a smoker this can also have a detrimental affect on your ability to fall asleep, especially if you smoke right before going to bed.
Make sure your room is not too cold or too warm—many people make the mistake of thinking they need to be “toasty” to sleep and then wonder why they have trouble sleeping.
Avoid eating heavy meals right before going to bed. At the same time do not attempt to go to bed hungry. Either one will cause you problems falling asleep.
Do not do anything strenuous right before going to bed. If you have to work late allow yourself time to relax before you attempt to go to sleep.
The statement that you need eight hours of sleep per night is thrown about as fact. The problem is that it is only a hypothesis. Scientists are only guessing about the eight hours. The amount of sleep you need is based on your age and on how healthy you are. Every person needs as adequate amount of sleep in order to function correctly. Proper sleep allows us to be alert, perform to our highest abilities and keep us at our optimum health. So eight hours is the amount of sleep needed by the average person, meaning that some people need less than 6 hours while some need more than 9 hours. Thus an average of 8 hours of sleep at night.
Newborns sleep 14-16 hours per day. They need this amount of sleep because of the amount of growing they are doing. Babies around the age of 3-6 months sleep 10-14 hours sleep. Again, because of the exorbitant amount of growing that is going on. Children and teens need 10-14 hours sleep. This amount of sleep is normally considered laziness in teenagers. They always want to take a nap or are falling asleep in class. Due to the hormonal changes and the internal changes going on inside a teenager they need a great deal more sleep than even they realize. The average adult needs approximately 6-8 hours of sleep per night. Again this depends upon a person’s health. Regular exercise during the day as well as a well balanced diet actually requires less sleep because a better quality of sleep is achieved. Pregnant women need 3 additional hours of sleep a day. It is said that a pregnant woman’s body is doing the job of a rock climber while she is at rest. Thus the need for at least 3 extra hours of sleep per day.
It’s about the quality of the sleep you get, not just the hours. In order to get the most out of a good night’s sleep you should understand the whole system. Stage one is when you’re drowsy. You are relaxed but still somewhat aware of the world around you. This lasts for approximately 10-15 minutes. Step 2 is light sleep. Your temperature starts to decline, your movements tend to stop, your heart rate reduces as your body slows for rest. Step 3 is deep sleep. You are unaware of the world around you. You’re groggy and completely disoriented. Deep sleep is when hormone cells begin to regenerate. Scientists have discovered that those who exercise stay in this stage 2-3 times as long as those that don’t exercise. Stage 5 is REM sleep. REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. This is the last 5-6 hours of an 8 hour sleep. How much sleep you get in this stage depends upon how much sleep you get per night.
While you are sleeping the body is repairing itself and rebuilding parts that need assistance. You know that you have achieved the right amount and the right quality of sleep when you wake feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day. If you have trouble focusing during the day or find yourself nodding off then perhaps you need more sleep.
Find out how much sleep you need by trying out a sleep reduction experiment. The first night get the least amount of sleep you believe you can function on. Don’t be crazy and not sleep at all. Start out at 5-6 hours sleep. Take note of how you feel in the morning. Are you dragging or did you bounce out of bed? Now did you need a nap halfway through the day? Then try adding one hour of sleep to the amount you slept the night before. Repeat this exercise until you not only bounce out of bed, you don’t feel sleepy during the day anymore. If you’re getting the right amount of sleep, going to bed at the same time every night, as well as getting up at the same time every day, then you may soon find yourself throwing out that alarm clock because you have optimized your body’s natural alarm clock.
There are many factors that go into a good night’s sleep. Your sleeping environment is the most essential to sleeping well. The room that you sleep in must be free from noise, free from bright lights, free from clutter and have a comfortable bed. A comfortable bed involves clean sheets, the right type of pillow for you and just the right mattress.
A good mattress is essential to a good night’s sleep. What qualifies as a good mattress? The optimal mattress will offer comfort in the form of proper cushion and recoil, while providing firm enough support for a person’s back, legs and neck. The best mattress will distribute a person’s weight evenly so that you won’t wake up sore. This comes from the firmness of the mattress. While a great deal of people seem to prefer a very firm mattress, scientific research has been inconclusive due to the differences in every person.
How long does a mattress last or when should I buy a new mattress? The life of the mattress is reliant on whether the mattress is used everyday or for guests only, the quality in which the mattress was created, along with the weight and sleep patterns of the user. Taking all of these things into consideration , the average mattress should be replaced every 5-7 years.
When shopping for a mattress, doctors recommend that you purchase a mattress that supports the natural ‘S’ curve of your back while allowing you to completely relax. You should spend anywhere from 15-30 minutes ‘trying out’ a mattress. That’s right. Lie down in the middle of the mattress store and turn over just like you were sleeping. Now don’t do this quickly. It takes your body 15-30 minutes to relax, so lay down and wait for relaxation to happen.
Keep in mind that there are many types of mattresses. There are traditional coil, air, latex and memory foam. A good mattress is not made up of all the bells and whistles, nor is it the most expensive. It is the one that fits your needs and your body. The one that offers support and evenly distributes your weight. A good mattress allows you a deep, restful sleep so that you can wake in the morning feeling refreshed and rejuvenated not groggy, sore, achy and tired.
Keep in mind, when you’ve eliminated the stress from your bedroom and eliminated any other issues that might be interfering with your sleep patterns, it’s time to look at getting a new mattress. If you’re mattress is over 8 years old don’t try to justify keeping it. A good mattress equals a good night’s sleep which equals better health.
Hi everyone, 
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