More and more people are having trouble sleeping due to terrible sleeping habits. They just can’t get a wink of sleep or go to bed at night but feel that they aren’t getting enough of it. They stay awake until ungodly hours, most of them trying to get just a few ZZZ’s in before they have to get up in the morning. Feeling restless, feeling annoyed and helpless; tossing and turning in bed doesn’t seem to help at all.

They are not alone.

In just the United States, there are about 64 million sleep deprived people tossing and turning in bed, drinking milk to get at least a few hours of light sleep in, or at the worst they have stopped fighting back and are staying up whole night. These people are suffering from insomnia, which according to Wikipedia, “is a symptom of several sleep disorders, characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity.” This means that insomnia is just a symptom of something more. It’s not a disease or an illness but it is a red flag.

CAUSES OF INSOMNIA
The lives that we lead today pass us by both extremely fast and excruciatingly slow. We work hard and push ourselves to the limit, sometimes even at the expense of our health. People are putting off eating and taking rests in order to finish projects, meet deadlines, process papers and more. As this unhealthy cycle goes on, our bodies get accustomed to it. But this doesn’t mean that our bodies gets used to it and adapt. Sleep deprivation is one of the worst things to happen when a person is already tired and not feeling very well. Not getting enough sleep is detrimental to our brains and body function.

More and more people are developing various forms of sleep disorders. And insomnia could just very well be a sign or an onset of a disorder. Here are several reasons for insomnia:

1. Alcohol Intake – Studies have shown that alcohol and insomnia go together. A common misconception is that alcohol helps people sleep because it is a depressant. Alcohol may help people sleep when consumed in large quantities. But when alcohol is a constant presence in a person’s system, the negative effects it has on the body may very well be the cause of sleep disorders and insomnia as too much consumption speeds up the development of gastrointestinal diseases, induce high blood pressure and kidney failure.

2. Depression and Anxiety – Depression and anxiety make a person becomes severely less functional as all he/she can do is worry, feel fear, feel constantly sad, or even suffer random anxiety attacks. These feelings are not easily erased and are the source of physical and mental strain on a person.

3. Stress – Living in a busy, workaholic world has affected us both physically and mentally… sometimes even emotionally! Its not only work that is giving us stress, but personal problems as well. Stress is now something real that all of us have to face. There are stress-related illnesses that people are experiencing now without even knowing it. Because of stress, some people lose their taste for food; some lose precious hours of sleep. There are already studies on how stress and insomnia almost always go hand in hand.

SIMPLE AND NATURAL REMEDIES
One of the best ways to cure insomnia is not to take medication. Yes, there are a lot of sleep-inducing pills and syrups in the market today, but there are simple remedies that help people with insomnia get their natural sleeping habits back without having to ingest chemicals or medicine. Here are some tips to get more sleep at night:

1. Watch What You Eat and Drink – It’s true that after a full meal we feel kind of drowsy. Especially at night where feel the tendency to eat a large meal and add some midnight snack into the mix. Sometimes what we eat and drink may just be the reason why we’re up until the wee hours of the evening. It’s a standard to avoid caffeine-rich food like coffee and soda, or chocolates and fatty foods. A good way to speed up sleep is to drink warm milk or hot tea. If you’re feeling hungry, munch on snacks that are low on sugar and protein, but make sure that you’re going to eat them at least an hour before going to sleep.

2. Get A Massage – Nothing like a good stretching and kneading of muscles to relax! Whether you’re getting it from a professional or just a family member, it still soothes and calms you down. Getting a massage is a time to unwind and let go of your problems and stress for a while. Playing soft music can also help to create a soothing atmosphere, most especially if it is background music playing that reminds you of nature, like sounds of birds, flowing water, rusting leaves and the like.

3. Warm Bath Method – Taking a warm bath is one of the best ways to relax, cleanse, and feel fresh before going to sleep. Keep your water lukewarm, neither hot or cold, and let your body sink in. Don’t use bubble soap, instead you can opt to put scented salts as aromatherapy can also help relax the senses.

4. Stay away from too much activity – The brain registers activities and it will keep running due to outside stimuli despite the body feeling tired. So even if you feel sleepy but you can’t seem to doze and sleep, turn off your television, stop walking around so much, or stop any activity you’re doing and just lie in bed. Light reading is okay, as well as listening to soothing music. To get into sleep-mode, your body and brain should be in sync, so lie down in bed and observe your breathing. Little by little you will feel relaxed.

5. Early Morning Exercise / Strenuous Activity – Strenuous activity all throughout the day can help in decreasing activity levels at night, so we feel a lot more ready to sleep. Regular exercise can keep the body healthy.

6. Consult a specialist – If push comes to shove and lack of sleep is taking a toll on you physically, mentally, and emotionally, it’s time to consult a specialist about your sleep problems. Only a doctor specialized in this field can help you with your specific needs.

Do your body and mind a favor and get a good night’s rest as much as you can. Sleep is vital to human beings as it is only in sleep that the body does its “maintenance” for every organ inside your body. A good night’s sleep is more than just that, it helps you in your productivity at work, affects how you deal with tasks and other people, and gets you thinking clearly, which allows you to move through life with ease.