Twenty five percent of adults and 50% of senior citizens have insomnia problems. Insomnia problem is widespread among people with HIV/AIDS.
The reason of sleep is to allow the body to repair and rejuvenate. Also sleep reduces fatigue and stress. Dreaming assists to clear the nervous system.
There are five separate stages of sleep. A stage 1 and 2 is considered light sleeping which takes place the majority of the night. A stage 3 and 4 is deep sleeping or "delta sleep» and rest and restoration. A stage 5 is the dream state which generally involves rapid eye movement or REM.
Patterns of sleep: light sleep - deep sleep - REM - light sleep - deep sleep - rest and restoration. The first phase of light sleep lasts about 45 minutes.
Insomnia problems consist of: You can't get to sleep; You wake up in the middle of the night, and can't go back to sleep. Waking up too early, between 3:00 and 5:00 a.m., and you can't get back to sleep.
- The 24 hour cycle (12 on, and 12 off) is called "Circadian Rhythms ".
- When it gets dark, the body clock stimulates the Pineal gland which produces melatonin. Sunshine or bright light shuts off melatonin production.
• Chronic insomnia causes associated with psychological problems can be deeply rooted in stress, anxiety and/or depression.
• Insomnia associated with medical problems can be caused by a variety of things including: iron deficiency anemia, breathing disorders, kidney dysfunction, diabetes, and in the case of HIV, can be associated with a variety of medication side effects. Insomnia can also be because of poor eating habits, caffeine, & lack of exercise.
Open The Sleep Gate
Reduce intake of caffeine.
- More than 300 milligrams (about 3 cups of coffee) a day can lead to addiction. Caffeine is also in colas, chocolates, and some medications. This can take a long time to clear caffeine from the body and side effects of headaches in the morning and urinating at night are common.
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