21 Ways You Can Triumph Over Insomnia
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, about 40 million people in the United States suffer from chronic long-term sleep disorders each year. An additional 20 million people experience occasional sleep problems. Whether you have occasional trouble sleeping or you're living with a sleep disorder, you can get quality sleep and learn how to better manage your sleeping habits.
Robert, an attorney at a mid-sized firm, had suffered for several months from insomnia. He had tried medications, which he added to his repertoire of having a few drinks after dinner. "Pamela I go to sleep but around 3:30 a.m. I wake up! I stare at the ceiling; go to the bathroom, get back into bed, toss and turn. It makes me so mad when my wife snores and I can't get back to sleep. I go downstairs and sleep on the sofa. I finally doze off around 5:30 or 6:00 am and my alarm goes off at 7:00 am."
Sleeping disorders
Sleep disorders can include snoring, sleep apnea, insomnia, sleep deprivation, and restless legs syndrome. Without a good sleep, a lawyer can suffer from mood swings, lethargy, changes in hormone levels, weight gain or weight loss and loss of productivity.
There are two types of insomnia: primary insomnia and secondary
Insomnia.
Primary insomnia occurs when an individual has sleep difficulties that are not associated with any other health condition. On the other hand, secondary insomnia means that the person is having sleep problems associated with a health condition (like asthma, depression, arthritis, cancer, or heartburn); pain; medication. Insomnia also affects people who take substances like alcohol, prescription or other drugs.
Acute vs. Chronic Insomnia
Up until now, Robert had tried medically to solve his chronic sleep disorder over the past two years. Everything in his life has suffered. He was sleep deprived; he felt angry and short tempered most of the time. At work, he did his best, but he drug through his day. Robert went to a psychiatrist who prescribed drugs for his anxiety and sleeping difficulties. But, Robert felt drugged all of the time and it still did not help his sleep. "Pamela, I am starting to become afraid when I drive my car in heavy traffic. My sleep deprivation can't go on!"
I have experienced periodic short-termed insomnia also called acute insomnia. So I was familiar with what Robert suffered. I knew the toll it could take on an individual. I read that it can last for several weeks or months. Short-term insomnia varies how long it lasts or how often it occurs. It can also come and go, with periods of time when a person has no sleep problems at all. Acute insomnia can last from one night to a few weeks, and it can occur in cycles.
Ruth was an associate who suffered from extreme stress the first three years that she had begun to practice law. She stayed on edge emotionally both at the office and at home with her husband. She also had an infant. Her marriage difficulties, her problems at work caused Ruth to suffer from acute, or short-termed insomnia.
Ruth was in tears, "Pamela, all of a sudden I start waking up in the middle of the night. I make myself not get up, so I toss and turn. I turn around so much; I'm surprised I don't get rug burns all over my body." She joked.
Although Ruth had a sense of humor about her problem, she was in the middle of an important court case, and she had made a few disastrous mistakes and she had to take her lack of sleep seriously.
Causes for Insomnia
Insomnia in many cases, especially for lawyers, always comes from stress. Here are some of the reasons someone can suffer from insomnia:
- Depression and/or anxiety
- Chronic stress
- Pain or discomfort at night
- Anxiety due to work, changes, deadlines, office politics,
- Lack of confidence
- Death or loss of a job, loved one, divorce, breakup of a relationship
- Changes at work, home with spouse, moving, children going to college
- Mental and emotional illness, physical discomfort
- Sensitivity to light, hot or cold
- Medications for depression, sleep, high blood pressure asthma, allergies
- Hot flashes or coldness that interfere with sleep
- Frequent travel, especially when constantly changing time zones, jet lag
Both Ruth and Robert suffered from their symptoms of Insomnia. They were both sleepy at their law firms, experienced overall fatigue, felt short-tempered, irritable, had problems concentrating and focusing. Robert was beginning to experience memory loss as well.
Sleep Diary & Treatment
The most important step I suggested to both Robert and Ruth was to get a complete physical examination from their physician. I suggest that an individual write a sleep diary for at least two weeks journaling their sleep behavior something similar to this:
- Time to bed:
- Time woke up:
- Behavior when awake:
- Time able to go back to sleep:
- Time to get up for the day:
- Feelings and behavior during the day:
- Treatment for Insomnia
If your physician prescribes drugs, educate yourself about the side effects. Also, make sure they enable you to function during the day or at least will not inhibit your work productivity. Also, it is important not to mix the medications with alcohol. Drinking alcohol will exacerbate insomnia. You may want to avoid using over-the-counter sleeping pills for insomnia because they may have undesired side effects and tend to lose their effectiveness over time.
If you believe your insomnia is due to stress, work with someone; a therapist, counselor or coach to help you manage your stress.
I often recommend going for a walk or getting physical exercise during the day. Physical exercise is a huge manager of stress.
Here are a few tips to help you to overcome acute, and sometimes chronic insomnia.
Some Suggestions for You
- Give yourself a wind-down period at home before going to bed
- Avoid anything stimulating, news, work, arguments, stress
- Give yourself 30 minutes to relax and wind down
- Go to sleep at the same time each night
- Get up at the same time each morning
- Don't to take naps during the day
- Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
- Get regular exercise
- Try not to exercise close to bedtime
- Don't eat a heavy meal late in the day
- Eat a light snack before bedtime
- Make sure your bedroom is comfortable
- If needed use a sleeping mask and or/try earplugs
- Use white noise like a fan to help block out sounds
- Develop a ritual or routine to help you relax before sleep
- Read a book, listen to music, or take a bath or shower
- Avoid using your bed for anything other than sleep or sex
- If you can't fall asleep and don't feel drowsy, get up and read
- Take up meditation, find downloads or podcasts on Itunes
- Make your to-do list before going to bed
- Keep a notepad next to the bed if something comes to mind jot it down
Ruth tried to cure her sleeping problems on her own. She did not go to a doctor, did not continue coaching, and only went to a therapist three times. She contacted me a couple of years later with the same problem. She had ended up losing her job and decided to stop practicing law.
Robert was able to tackle his chronic insomnia. I suggested that he use a long weekend to sleep and nap, eat fresh vegetables and fruits, drink plenty of water and juices and go for walks. (I call this having a mini spa vacation at home.) He was able to get his family to support his relaxation efforts. Although making this time was difficult, he put himself back on track. With proper medical attention and stress management, he was able to get back on beat his insomnia.
The Choice is up to you
Since such a large population suffers from insomnia, it has reached epidemic proportions. I suggest that people become more open about their difficulties with sleep and share techniques that have helped them. Each individual is different. However, it is important not to ignore either short-termed or chronic insomnia. Lawyers and their support staff work in an extremely stressful, detail-oriented environment. You must consider your health and body much like an athlete. You must go the extra mile to ensure your health for the longevity success for your career.
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