The inability to get to sleep and stay asleep can occur for a variety of reasons. Stress, emotion, medication, illness, age and lifestyle can all contribute to your quality of sleep or lack thereof. So common is the issue of sleeplessness that there appears to be a new 'miracle cure' everywhere you turn. But are these treatments safe and are you causing yourself more trouble by popping numerous pills rather than addressing the real reasons why sleep evades you?
Insomnia is not just a condition on its own where you cannot sleep; it can also be a sign of other illnesses, mood and behavioral conditions. Rather than self-medicating, those suffering from insomnia or any type of sleep disturbance should seek the advice of a qualified medical professional to assess whether it is a sign of a more serious problem.
It is popular in today's society to simply take a pill to solve a multitude of problems instead of treating the source. In a culture of instant gratification, it's much easier to use medication to solve the problem - just take a pill and forget the problem exists.
Dr. Jesse Milby from the University of Alabama at Birmingham has recently led a team of researchers in what he considers a lack of 'sleep hygiene', a new perspective in sleep disorders. In a recent project conducted by Dr. Milby and his colleagues at UAB, the team found that individuals regularly contribute to the development of their sleep disturbances and the key to sleep problems lies in how people use their beds.
Many people use their beds as an extension of their desk, studying and working there or for entertainment, reading and watching TV. It is this habit that creates poor 'sleep hygiene' and sadly, for most people, there is no quick fix. Like many health professionals, Dr. Milby believes beds should only be used for sleeping and sexual activities. By only using your bed for sleep, you are teaching and training your brain to relax and fall asleep once there.
Sadly, our society forces people to believe they must handle everything, and unfortunately for us humans, it is simply not possible to do and be everything. Rather than trying to be supermen and women, we need to be realistic in our abilities, nurture ourselves and take time to address the issues that eat away at us.
By taking the time to assess our lives, we can often find the cure for many of our problems, including a lack of sleep. So the next time sleep eludes you, don't pop a pill. Instead, take a look at your situation to find the real reason why you cannot get to sleep.
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