Insomnia! – Trend of today…

Tossing and turning on the bed, I wonder if any of my friends have this problem in sleeping. Just then I received a few text messages from a couple of them. Funnily, I was relieved that I was not the only one. There are perhaps hundreds and thousands of young people in this generation who have a sleeping problem. The medical term given to this condition is “Insomnia”. Insomnia is the term given to the problem of a person’s inability to sleep. The youth, today, sleeps not earlier than 3:00 am in spite of having to rush to college or office at 8:00 in the morning. The old adage”Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” and the requirement of at least 8 hours of sleep have become irrelevant for the night lovers these days.

There are basically three kinds of insomnia prevailing. Transient insomnia which is temporary lasting for less than a week which may be a result of stress, other disorders and change in sleep environment. Acute insomnia which is an extended condition of transient insomnia lasting for a period of about a month. And then chronic insomnia which extends for a period of more than a month. People with chronic insomnia go through hallucinations and may have double vision. A few common symptoms of insomnia are inability to concentrate, poor focus, inability to coordinate oneself, fatigue, impaired social interaction and problems with memory.

Lifestyle changes have led to this condition today. The stress from all day work, the pressure of staying connected with friends, depression from petty and big stuff, striving to be the best in the fierce competition from friends and colleagues and sometimes even siblings, parental expectations, excessive consumption of caffeine and deficiency of magnesium or iron owing to bad food habits have all directly or indirectly contributed to the sleeping disorder that the youth is facing today.

The cure of insomnia may range from medications to natural cures to small changes in lifestyle. Most rely on sleeping pills and alcohol just because of ease of access .At the first instance, the thing that comes to mind is getting sleeping pills prescribed from a doctor. But it is a veracious fact that sleeping pills do more harm than good. Consequently, we are turning back to the good old days of natural treatments. A few natural cures which are readily available on the kitchen counter include whole grains, almonds, legumes and other rich sources of magnesium which is believed to be a sleep inducing element. Chamomile tea with two teaspoons of honey at bedtime is a boon for insomniacs. Drinking roasted cinnamon in water is another way to get away from those sleepless nights.

Another natural remedy that is increasingly becoming popular among the youth today is aromatherapy. Inhaling a few drops of lavender or chamomile oil before retiring to bed relaxes the muscles and induces the brain to reduce metabolic activity. Acupressure and acupuncture may also be instrumental in curing Insomnia. Other natural cures include meditation, hydrotherapy and other de-stress techniques.

Along with natural cures, it is very important to make our sleeping environment conducive for sleep. Making our beds as comfortable as possible, lighting the room dimly, cutting off the noise and keeping work and worries out of the mind at bedtime can have a huge role in inducing peaceful sleep. And once you start having good sleeping habits, you can keep your insomnia on the backseat.

It is vital for youth of today to have a good and long sleep in order to carry out the stressful day’s work effectively. Otherwise, the energy fails to get channelized in a proper manner. And from personal experience, sleep deprivation makes you take all the wrong decisions throughout the day. So be tension free and forget all the day’s stressful work before retiring to bed and pave your path to an insomnia free life.
Ankita Nayak

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