Sleep relieves fatigue accumulated during the daytime and is closely related to immunity, which lowers the risk of infection, so it is an essential part of health care. If you do not get a normal sleep and suffer from sleep disturbance symptoms due to various factors, it can be said that various abnormal symptoms occur in various parts of our body, and if it continues for a long time, the possibility of various diseases increases. Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders. Insomnia, in which it takes a long time to fall asleep and has difficulty falling asleep, despite being given an appropriate time and place to sleep; Below, it means that several symptoms, such as early awakening, which are difficult to fall asleep again after waking up, appear in combination.
Insomnia is broadly classified into temporary insomnia with symptoms lasting for several days, short-term insomnia with symptoms of insomnia for 2 to 3 weeks, and chronic insomnia with symptoms lasting for several weeks or more. The incidence is higher in women than in men, and it has been reported that the incidence is higher in occupational groups that continue to work day and night shifts and night work. Now, let’s take a look at the main causes of insomnia and the various methods that can help you treat it and overcome it.
Causes of insomnia
Insomnia is caused by various factors such as lifestyle, environmental factors, and psychological factors. It is known that excessive mental stress is the cause of the occurrence, as well as the change in the existing regular life rhythm due to jet lag due to travel or business trip, new work or work, moving, hospitalization, etc. In addition to smoking, drinking alcohol, excessive consumption of beverages containing caffeine, the effects of drugs such as anticancer drugs, thyroid drugs, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and oral contraceptives, unstable sleep such as too cold or hot temperature, and loud noise Environment is also known to be a factor influencing the occurrence, and insomnia can also be accompanied by pain and difficulty breathing due to chronic physical diseases. In addition to snoring, insomnia can also be caused by diseases such as sleep apnea, in which you do not breathe while you sleep, restless legs syndrome, in which you feel uncomfortable sensations in your legs before going to sleep, and periodic limb movement syndrome, in which you feel cramps in your legs or arms during sleep. there is said to be.
If these symptoms of insomnia are temporary, with jet lag and environmental changes, the symptoms usually improve within a few days after the initial triggering event disappears. However, in the case of chronic insomnia, fatigue, concentration, and memory may deteriorate, and at the same time, it may cause a decrease in work and academic efficiency and significantly lower quality of life. In addition, if it persists for a long time or is severe, it can lead to the occurrence of mental-related diseases such as depression and anxiety disorders, and it increases the risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic diseases. In particular, if pain and headache caused by a chronic disease occur, it may make the symptoms worse. Therefore, it is important to relieve symptoms by receiving appropriate treatment at an early stage before becoming chronic, and it is important to make efforts to prevent and overcome the occurrence by correcting and improving lifestyle habits that are factors that worsen symptoms.
How to treat and overcome insomnia
1. Diagnosis and treatment
In case of insomnia, the medical history and various conditions are accurately checked through the interview process with a specialist, and if necessary, polysomnography, psychological examination, and evaluation of physical diseases that may be the cause of insomnia are performed to proceed with the diagnostic procedure to find the cause of insomnia. It’s possible. In addition, it is important to practice bad sleep habits for a comfortable sleep and, at the same time, to consistently implement sleep hygiene habits so that you can have a healthy sleep. If insomnia interferes with daytime routines or if insomnia is likely to prolong, sleep inducers and medications are considered, and cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation therapy, and stimulation control methods are considered. In addition, it is important to treat the disease first because it can cause insomnia if you have pain disorders such as arthritis and headaches, or cardiopulmonary disease with difficulty breathing. In addition, a sleep diary, which records the time you go to bed and wake up time, and the amount of exercise during the day, is known to be very helpful in discovering and improving the causes and problems of insomnia.
2. Proper sleeping habits
In order to prevent and overcome insomnia, it is very important to improve bad sleep habits and develop sleep habits that help you get adequate sleep. Along with getting sleep at a regular time, it is important to maintain an appropriate temperature and humidity in the sleeping space, and to create an environment suitable for sleep by adjusting noise and light brightness. And it is best to avoid eating before bedtime. In addition, it is recommended to refrain from taking too many naps during the day, as sleeping a lot during the day interferes with your normal sleep cycle, such as not being able to get enough sleep at night. In addition, if you use IT devices such as smartphones or tablets a lot before going to sleep, it is recommended to reduce the use because blue light emitted can affect the secretion of melatonin, which induces sleep.
3. Regular exercise
Aerobic exercise, such as walking and jogging regularly during the daytime, is said to help stabilize the nerves, relax the body, and ensure a stable sleep. This exercise helps to promote the production and secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone, so it is said to be beneficial in overcoming symptoms of sleep disorders including insomnia. However, it is recommended to refrain from strenuous exercise before going to bed, as it can interfere with sleep. In addition, taking a shower with warm water helps to relieve nerves and is said to be effective in relieving symptoms of insomnia.
4. Eat foods that are good for insomnia
In order to prevent and overcome insomnia, it is said that it is also helpful to eat a variety of foods that help improve symptoms. In particular, milk has a high content of tryptophan, which helps the production of melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep, which improves the quality of sleep and is said to help a lot in getting a good night’s sleep. In addition, the magnesium component contained in nuts such as almonds and walnuts suppresses the production of excitatory neurotransmitters and at the same time exerts an excellent sedative effect, which is said to be effective in helping you sleep in a comfortable state. In addition, various foods such as bananas, lettuce, cherries, and jujubes also relieve muscle tension and adjust the sleep cycle through the production of melatonin, which is said to help prevent and overcome insomnia.
On the other hand, spicy and stimulant foods can trigger sympathetic nerve activity and cause symptoms such as heartburn, which can disrupt normal sleep rhythm. In addition, fatty meat also takes time to digest and can cause problems such as acid reflux, which can cause insomnia, so it is recommended not to eat it 1-2 hours before going to bed. In addition, foods such as broccoli and tomatoes have excellent efficacy enough to be called superfoods, but they can cause indigestion and heartburn during sleep.