SlumberBlog - Better Pillows

I’m not sure about you, but I really couldn’t sleep at all last night.  The usual sleepless night can sometimes be caused by stress.  But, when you start looking up causes and symptoms of insomnia, you find that it is a little more complicated than just stress. Factors can include stress, anxiety, excitement, hormone shifts, alterations in circadian rhythm (jet lag, shift work) medical conditions, and overall poor sleep hygiene.  If some of these factors happen to be in your life at this time, it could be the cause of your sleeplessness.  Sometimes a change in diet and a brisk walk every night can alleviate some of these problems.

I found that there are 3 different types of insomnia, in varying degrees intensity.  People use the word insomnia pretty loosely, when in fact their symptoms might not actually be insomnia.  The three types are Transient, Acute, and Chronic.  Transient only last a few days to a few weeks, and is the most common type of insomnia.  Transient is usually caused by stress or anxiety.  Acute insomnia lasts for up to 6 months.  It is a little less common then transient, but should not be ignored.  If you are not getting a good nights sleep for over a few months professional help is required.  Chronic insomnia is not very common and is described as “insomnia lasting over 6 months to years”.  Although this case has not been all that common, it has been accentuated in movies such as Fight Club.  (Edward Norton’s character is a chronic insomniac.)

There are many different types of over-the-counter and prescription drugs that can help combat insomnia, some with different risks of dependency.  There are also many natural remedies as well.  You may want to try updating your bedroom.  The answer could be a mattress topper or pad, or a new pillow.  Check out slumbermart.com for more ideas.

As always, Art.

“The Lockhorns” by Bill and Bunny Hoest