Tools to Help You Sleep

An estimated 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from sleep-related problems that can affect work performance, emotional well-being, physical health and quality of life. There are a number of lifestyle remedies that help people obtain better sleep, as well as supplements and medications, if necessary. If sleeplessness occurs habitually, it's called insomnia. If you're unable to get an entire night's sleep most nights over a one-month period, you may have chronic insomnia.

Causes

• Chronic insomnia is usually a symptom of an underlying condition. For instance, 80 percent of depressed people experience insomnia. Insomnia can result from anxiety, stress or grief, or health conditions such as arthritis, hypoglycemia, breathing problems, muscle aches, indigestion or chronic pain. Diseases such as Parkinson's disease and medications such as dilantin for seizures, appetite suppressants, pseudoephedrine found in cold and allergy medicines and thyroid medicine can contribute to insomnia.

Lifestyle Remedies

• Getting on a regular sleeping schedule can help your sleep phases become consistent and improve their quality. Using your bed only for restful activities -- not for work or TV watching -- helps as well. By writing out what's on your mind before going to bed, you can avoid taking it to bed with you. It's best to sleep in a dark room, since light exposure can interfere with the body's internal cycles. Never go to bed hungry or just after having eaten a large meal, as both can disrupt sleep. Don't smoke before bed, because nicotine is stimulating, and avoid drinking a nightcap because it may cause you to wake during the night. Avoid napping during the day, because it may throw off your sleep cycle.

Nutritional Help

• Avoid the stimulating effects of caffeine for several hours before bedtime. Drinking something warm like milk or herbal tea before bed can raise your body temperature and induce a sleepy feeling. The minerals calcium and magnesium, taken at bedtime, have a calming effect and relax muscles. Melatonin is a natural hormone that you produce less of as you age, and it promotes sound sleep, according to the book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing." Catnip and chamomile tea have a mild sedative effect and are safe for children. If you have ragweed allergies, however, avoid chamomile. The herb kava kava is a relaxant, but avoid it if you're pregnant or nursing and don't take it with other drugs or alcohol. Bananas, dates, figs, milk, nut butters, tuna and turkey are foods high in tryptophan, an amino acid which promotes sleep.

Considerations

• If you don't find relief with lifestyle remedies and nutritional help, see your doctor for an evaluation. He may prescribe sleep medications to ease your problem, or may test you for a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, which affects an estimated 12 million Americans. Restless leg syndrome is another disorder which disrupts sleep. A study by Strine and Chapman, reported in the January 2005 issue of "Sleep Medicine" found an estimated 26 percent of adults get insufficient sleep. These subjects were more likely to report themselves in fair or poor health and had frequent physical and mental distresses, activity limitations, depression, anxiety and pain. In addition, they were more likely to smoke, be physically inactive, obese, or drink heavily.