HEALTH SPECIAL...Tackling insomnia

Tackling insomnia 

Reasons why you might not be sleeping well... and what you can do about them

    With a third of us battling chronic insomnia, it’s easy to reach for the pills. But they are not always the answer. With as many as 15 million prescriptions for sleeping pills written each year, new research has found that over half of insomniacs are risking their health by buying over-the-counter sleep remedies without getting some medical advice first. But with the study finding that 80% of those suffering insomnia had underlying problems, such as heart disease, depression, or asthma, could self-medicating pose an even more serious health risk as conditions go undiagnosed? Clinical evidence suggests sleeping pills aren’t even an effective way to banish insomnia. 

So why don’t the drugs work?
    Sleeping pills aren’t useful for treating anything but very shortterm insomnia. Professor Colin Espie, an expert on sleep patterns, explains, “These pills knock you out rather than send you into a natural or deep sleep, so the longer you take them the worse you’ll feel. Daytime concentration levels of people who take sleeping pills are depleted by around one third, and fatigue symptoms are actually 25% higher.” 

What is insomnia?
Many experts now believe the trick to beating insomnia is to deal with whatever emotional or medical trigger has created the issues in the first place. Some temporary triggers, like pressure at work, are well known, but there are other surprisingly common causes that you need to be watchful for. Here are some of the less obvious issues... 

SLEEP APNOEA
Warning signs: Snoring and extreme daytime tiredness. This breathing disorder occurs when the muscles and soft tissue in the throat relax, blocking your airways.
How it stops sleep: When blood oxygen levels dip too low, the brain wakes you up to restore normal breathing. In most cases, the sufferer has no recollection of it happening, but feels exhausted the next day. Some specialists believe the condition is a sign of underlying heart disease.
Treat it: Apart from losing weight, the most effective treatment for this condition is Continuous
Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) — a ventilator mask worn at night that keeps the airways open by continuously pumping air. 

NIGHT-TIME PEEING Warning signs: Waking up with an urgent need to visit the loo. How it stops sleep: Nocturia — the medical name for waking up in the night to wee, tends to occur during pregnancy and as we get older. Normally, our bodies produce anti-diuretic hormones that concentrate urine while we sleep so we can last the night without waking. But as we get older, these hormones decline, so we’re less able to hold fluids.
Treat it: Find out if you’re suffering from urinary infections, prostate problems, and undiagnosed diabetes. Certain drugs, such as diuretics and heart medications, can also be triggers. If medical problems are ruled out, avoid drinking before bedtime. 

ASTHMA
Warning signs: An irritating cough that only occurs at night and comes and goes can be the first sign of undiagnosed asthma and can cause chronic sleep problems. How it stops sleep: Asthma causes airway irritation, which triggers mucus production and subsequent coughing to try to clear it away. Lying down makes symptoms worse, which is why it only occurs at night for some people. Treat it: See your GP if an intermittent night-time cough is keeping you awake. 

RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME
Warning signs: An uncontrollable urge to move your legs, which worsens at night.
How it stops sleep: The need to twitch can prevent one from falling asleep, while muscle jerks can also wake or partially rouse you from deep sleep.
Treat it: Get enough iron and folic acid. Red meat, spinach, and leafy greens are good sources. Leg massages to boost circulation and calfstretching exercises before bed can help, while medication can help in severe cases. 

ACID REFLUX
Warning signs: Waking up with a nasty taste in your mouth.
How it stops sleep: Acid reflux causes the body to partially awaken from sleep. The result is fitful, uneven sleep.
Treat it: Lifestyle changes help, especially stopping smoking and losing weight. Don’t eat two hours before bedtime. Steer clear of trigger foods in your evening meals — alcohol, chocolate, spices and caffeine. Sleeping on your left side eases symptoms, as it reduces the backflow of stomach acid. Elevating your head and shoulders with extra pillows can also help. 

DEPRESSION
Warning signs: Early waking, low mood and energy, loss of appetite and general apathy.
How it stops sleep: Our state of mental health is intrinsically linked to how we sleep — whether it’s anxiety preventing us from nodding off, or lack of sleep lowering our daytime mood. Research shows that people with disrupted sleep are twice as likely to suffer from depression.
Treat it: One therapy that has a high success rate for treating both depression and insomnia is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). But while CBT is commonly prescribed for depression, it’s seldom thought of as an option for sleeplessness — despite clinical trials showing it is the most effective long-term solution for insomniacs. 

Daily Mirror in BT 121102