Difficulty Falling Asleep? Jet Lag? Meet Insomnia

Insomnia is a problem faced by millions of people. It can be the result of excess stress, anxiety or in some cases, a diagnosed illness. The problem of spending sleepless nights is a phenomenon which is not confined to any certain age group, geography or certain class in society.

Acute insomnia as this disorder is known as, results in fatigue, depression and poor performance at work. According to research, some causes of primary insomnia are chronic health problems, excessive alcohol use or restricted lifestyle, including lack of exercise.

Secondary insomnia can be result of factors such as adverse drug reaction, jet lag or a shift change at work. Our body is adjusted to a biological clock (known as circadian rhythms), helping us to sleep and wake up. If this biological clock gets disturbed, insomnia or disrupted sleep is a possibility.

Melatonin is a hormone which helps to adjust the body’s biological clock. As a result, this hormone acts as a natural sedative to treating insomnia, jet lag and other sleep disorders. A supplement of melatonin can help to alleviate the problem.

It is important to understand that insomnia is a symptom and not a standalone medical problem. Therefore there are different ways to approach its treatment. If the reason for sleepless nights is adverse effects of any drug, a change in the medication or dose is needed, along with medical consultation. If the reason is excessive alcohol intake, the solution is reducing the daily alcohol intake and drinking lots of water. Same holds true if caffeine is consumed in high amounts or late into the "at wake" period of the day.

There is no need to panic at symptoms of insomnia and knee jerk reactions should be thoroughly avoided. A systematic method of finding out the root cause and eradicating it will give a permanent solution to the problem and get you to falling asleep in no time..

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