Never mind falling asleep once my head has hit the pillow. I am one of those people who are usually already in dreamland 10 or so minutes before – perhaps dozing on the car ride home, or catching 40 winks while brushing my teeth. Yes, sleep has never been a problem for me and I am most grateful for that fact.
My friend Luisa, on the other hand, is at the opposite end of the spectrum. I regularly receive messages from her at three or four in the morning, offering titbits of inform-ation from the documentaries she is up watching, or the book she is lying awake reading.
While I slept soundly through that recent earth-shattering storm, Luisa couldn’t sleep through a breeze, and it has been like that for as long as I’ve known her.
“Insomnia is something I have just learned to live with,” she tells me. “I often fall asleep at about 11pm, only to be wide awake by 2am – and that will be that. Once I am awake, I can’t fall asleep again for love or money. I simply lie there and wait for morning or, if I am in the mood, watch a TV show or catch up on some reading.
“By morning I am usually shattered and I need lots of caffeine to get me through the day, although I am careful not to have any after 5pm as I know that could affect my sleep too.
“That said, it doesn’t seem to be linked to what I do or don’t eat as I am generally very careful. I’ve tried everything I can but I just don’t seem to be the sort of person who is blessed with the ability to enjoy hours and hours of sleep.”
Inspired by Luisa’s plight, I just decided to investigate insomnia a little deeper.
Chatting to life coach and psychotherapist Malcolm Tortell, it transpires that, assuming there are no underlying medical issues, it is likely that it is some form of anxiety causing the problem, “and the person may not even be aware of the underlying cause,” he tells me.
“That anxiety could be caused by unfinished business from the past, excessive demands in the present or worry about the future, and therapy could help insomniacs to close off unfinished business, deal with stress and manage their lives better,” he continues.
Tortell explains that it is import-ant to closely examine your life for stress, as it’s easy to overlook it and brush it under the carpet.“ A professional could certainly help to shed light on areas of anxiety.
“In addition, do allow yourself some time to unwind and relax before you go to bed. Even if there are things on your mind, make the effort to mentally close off the day and resolve to carry on tomorrow. Know that it will be OK.”
With Tortell’s advice covering the psychological aspect, I am also eager to see if natural therapies can also help insomnia, so I consult Classical Homeopath and the owner of the Tigné Holistic Centre, Ashley Ager Dimech, for her thoughts.
“There’s no doubt that insomnia is one of the most distressing conditions we see in the clinic on a regular basis,” she says. “It affects both the sufferer and their partner, and can have a myriad of implications, even affecting their professional lives.”
Ager Dimech explains that homeopathy can help insomnia, although her advice would always be to approach the issue in a holistic manner. “Constitutional case taking would be essential, followed by nutrition, lifestyle and emotional support. Our aim is to lead people towards a direction of cure and not just a suppression of symptoms or a temporary and artificial drug-induced sleep.”
Asked for her advice, Ager Dimech suggests that caffeine, alcohol, stimulants, heavy convers-ations and exercise before bed should be avoided. “If you struggle to sleep, then it’s also important not to use your phone or computer before you sleep, or even to watch TV.
“On the other hand, you should lull yourself into a gentle evening routine – take a warm bath with soothing essential oils and make your sleep space as inviting as possible,” she says.
“Oh, and one last thing: don’t try so hard – constant pressure can weigh you down and that will certainly add to your risk of insomnia.”
Insomnia tip
• Keep a sleep diary. If you’re regularly waking and falling back to sleep, it can be difficult to know how much sleep you’ve had, so keep note whenever you can. Aside from writing down your sleep patterns, you should also record the time you go to sleep, how long it takes you to get to sleep, the number of times you wake up in the night, what time you wake up, how tired you feel during the day, moments of stress, and the food and alcohol you consumed during the day. Passing this information on to your doctor will help to provide a complete picture of the problem, and aid in finding the best cure.