Get the Sleep You Need
- Posted on: Apr 30 2017
Study after study shows that the human body needs sleep as a period to perform some cleanup and basic repairs on various systems throughout the body. But over 40 percent of American adults report at least occasional insomnia, with 20 percent having full-blown insomnia. This is defined as having difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep at least three times a week for one month or longer.
We have various treatments at Creative Image Laser to help you get your sleep.
Causes of insomnia
There can be many reasons a person is not sleeping. The goal at Creative Image Laser Solutions is to eliminate the various options and find out the cause. Sleep disorders can seem like insomnia when they are something else. Medications, caffeine and herbal supplements can cause insomnia. Life events can lead to insomnia, but these effects are usually temporary.
Chronic insomnia is more complex and can result from a combination of factors, from physical issues to mental health problems. Everything from arthritis to asthma, restless leg syndrome to hyperthyroidism can lead to chronic insomnia.
Medications
People resort to sleeping pills for relief. The most widely used are benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine drugs. These are believed to be safe because they are difficult to overdose, but tolerance builds quickly, and a higher dosage may be required to get to sleep. People can become dependent upon these pills. Doctors advise against using these pills for chronic insomnia.
Natural supplements
We’ve found that some natural supplements can be effective for both short-term and chronic insomnia. Deficiencies in certain vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes can disrupt sleep. Melatonin is a brain hormone that is secreted according to a person’s biorhythms. It is low during the day and peaks in the middle of the night. It has been shown that melatonin levels are lower than normal in people with insomnia. Melatonin levels are also lower in menopausal women. We’ve found than replacing melatonin on an occasional basis can help with insomnia.
Hormone replacement
Women were going through perimenopause and menopause often suffer insomnia, especially those not having hormone replacement therapy. For these women, oral hormone replacement therapy has been shown to improve nighttime restlessness and awakening and decreases disordered breathing. Natural progesterone may also improve sleep due to its sedative effects.
If you’re having chronic sleeping trouble, please call us at Creative Image Laser Solutions, 325-641-1927. We can help you get to sleep.
Posted in: Insomnia Disorders