It is therefore important to stress that insomnia is not determined in accordance with the hours a person needs to sleep or how much time is needed to fall asleep. The need for sleep varies greatly from person to person as well as the satisfaction felt after sleep.

Chronic Insomnia Causes

Depression and Diseases

One of the most common causes of chronic insomnia is depression. Other organic causes that can trigger chronic insomnia are: arthritis, kidney disease, heart failure, asthma, narcolepsy, the RLS syndrome (restless leg syndrome), and Parkinson’s disease.

Lifestyle

Also chronic insomnia may be associated with the lifestyle of the individual. The chronic stress causes insomnia. The abuse of caffeine, alcohol or other substances can cause insomnia. Also people who work with a shift or have other activities during the night may have disorders of the sleep cycle with insomnia.

In addition, certain lifestyle habits appeared to assist in continuing and worsening insomnia.

These situations are:

• When a person is concerned and realizes that would be difficult to fall asleep then this may exacerbate the problem
• Drinking too much coffee through out the day or before going to sleep
• Someone drinking alcohol before sleep
• Smoking before sleep
• Too many hours of sleep during the afternoon
• Irregular or continuously interrupted rhythm of sleep

The situations described above may aggravate an existing insomnia or even to create one. Changing of these lifestyle habits may be the way to stop insomnia.

Other stressful events, mild depression or anxiety disorders are able to keep enough people awake at night.

Insomnia Cure

Some of the ways that are used (wrongly) to cure insomnia like taking alcohol before sleeping and avoiding exercise before sleep-only manage to exacerbate the problem. As the insomnia gets worse, it is deteriorating and causing stress, resulting in a vicious cycle in which anxiety and the consequences of insomnia, becomes the main cause of insomnia.

For insomnia cure to be effective the cause of insomnia should first be revealed.

The transient and recurring forms of insomnia may not require cure because the episodes are of short duration each time. For example, if the problem is due to a temporary change in the rhythm of sleep, like the "jet lag", then it is a matter of time for the person to find its usual sleeping pace.

Nearly half of the cases of chronic insomnia are associated with psychological problems or disorders of emotion. With proper cure, such as medication or advice, it can improve both the night sleep as well as everyday performance.

People who encounter difficulties in their daily activities due to lack of sleep caused by insomnia may need a short-term treatment.

The treatment of chronic insomnia needs to be carefully integrated approach and includes a medical examination, in some cases pharmaceutical approach and techniques related to lifestyle and attitude about sleep.

Should I take sleeping pills?

Perhaps in some cases it may be useful to allocate sleeping pills, although whether this is useful is a controversial issue.

It is necessary as a patient taking sleeping pills to be under the supervision of a doctor in order to ascertain whether there is benefit from taking the pills and to minimise the adverse effects of these medicines with the appropriate dosage.

Generally these pills are given to the lowest possible dose and for small periods of time, necessary for improving the situation of the patient. These kind of medicines should be discontinued with a gradual reduction of dose because when interrupted immediately there is a risk returning to insomnia for one or two nights.

But it is very important to stress that medicines that cause sleep can have serious side effects as well. That is why it is not right for patients to take medicines by themselves. Every effort should be made to prevent the use of sleeping pills, except in certain cases where there is no other choice and after the consultation of a doctor.

Natural Cures for Insomnia

It is important to adopt natural methods for the cure of insomnia. They are not dangerous and they don’t have the risk of creating other side effects like the sleeping pills.

Relaxation techniques

There are special relaxation techniques that can reduce anxiety, worries and intensity of the body. It takes time though for someone to be trained and to learn to effectively apply these techniques. But when they learn, they are very effective and can calm down the nerves, remove the continuous tension and allow the body to establish a peaceful sleep.

Limiting the hours of night sleep

Another technique is the limitation of sleep. Many people spend too much time in bed trying to sleep without actually achieving it. In these cases they can implement a programme to limit the hours of sleep to a few hours each night. Gradually increasing the time of sleep until rising to normal levels.

Do not try to sleep if you do not want to sleep

Another technique for the natural cure of insomnia is not to force yourself to sleep if you do not want to sleep. When going to bed and you cannot sleep then get off the bed and do another activity until you feel like sleeping. When this happens you can go back to bed.

Take a bath before going to bed

A well-known technique to help you sleep is taking a bath right before you go to bed. Open water (the sound of water running relaxes the nerves) and put in it a cup with chamomile extract, sit in the bathtub and for sure after 20 minutes you will need to sleep. After the bath it is suggested to drink a cup of chamomile tea as well.

Create your own personal pillow

Make a small personal pillow with a soft cotton cloth and fill it with dried herbs: mint, oregano, balm (sedge), thyme, camomile or a mixture of these 'sleeping' herbs.

Drink a class of milk with honey

A very old and known sleeping method is to drink a class of hot milk with honey before going to bed. You can also add one-fourth teaspoon of cress tea stirred with milk to increase the effectiveness of the drink.