INSOMNIA!!!
What is it?
Why does one get it?
How does it affect a person?
If these are the questions in your head when you read the word INSOMNIA, then you are lucky.
The people who know the word, or have experienced it, and are perhaps still in its clutches know the impact of it fully.
What is Insomnia?
It is defined as a sleep disorder in which you have trouble falling asleep or trouble staying asleep.
Those who have experienced it are fully aware of the terrible consequences of this condition.
Why does it happen?
The common causes can include stress, an irregular sleep schedule, poor sleeping habits, mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, physical illnesses and pain, medications, neurological problems, and specific sleep disorders.
It can start due to any one or more of the following causes
a) a traumatic event in the past
b) chemical imbalance in your body due to nutritional imbalance
c) your habits
How does it affect a person?
Insomnia can affect you mentally, physically, and emotionally. People with insomnia report a lower quality of life compared with people who are sleeping well. Complications of insomnia may include: Lower performance on the job or at school, poor focus, poor memory, low energy levels, tiredness, anxiety, depression and worse.
Effects on physical health are many including high BP, higher risk of lifestyle diseases, sagging skin, premature ageing, lower virility and fertility, risk of heart attack and early death.
Your relationships can get affected because of your stress and impatience leading to more loneliness and psychosomatic conditions.
How do you overcome insomnia?
The first rule to understand and internalise is that the more you chase sleep, the more elusive it will be.
Trust that your body knows when it is the right time to sleep and start obeying the body. Build its trust. Stay awake during the day, do your work fully and at night, after 9:00 pm whenever the body wants to sleep give in to it. Till then you can relax, meditate, introspect, plan your next day, your life, give gratitude, forgive people and relax till your body gives in and goes to sleep.
You can get more on what to do to get sleep, from my course Deep Sleep Bootcamp
INSOMNIA is a small word but its power is huge on those who are trapped in its clutches. The secret to escape is to surrender to your body's intelligence and keep aside your mind's intelligence. Listen to your body. Let it align with the circadian rhythm and nourish it with the right nutrition and exercise that will give you healthy natural sleep.
Wish you a beautiful night's sleep every single night.