Copyright (c) 2010 Dr. Arshia Alec Shirzadi

Millions of Americans toss and turn at night, unable to get a good night’s refreshing sleep, suffering from insomnia. Some can’t get to sleep, some keep waking up in the middle of the night and others consistently wake up early in the morning. If you are one of the unfortunate ones, you probably suffer from the mixture of all of the above.

Insomnia can — and often does — lead to more than just some minor crankiness in the morning following a poor night’s sleep. Poor sleep can affect your overall health. In fact the American Cancer Society surveyed more than one million American’s and found that those of us who sleep fewer than six hours a night had higher mortality rates than those who got a full seven hours of blissful slumber. (Interestingly, the survey also found that those who regularly got more than eight hours of sleep also had higher mortality rates; if you sleep more than 8.5 hours a night, your mortality rate rises by 15 percent.)

It may give you some small comfort, but you’re not alone as you toss and turn: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2007 reported that about 64 million Americans experience insomnia each year.

Each of us has some insomnia some of the time. We all have days (nights) where worries, stress and/or illness of us or those we love keep us awake at night.

Real trouble arises when you have what is known as chronic insomnia. This is the kind of insomnia that lasts for more than six months, possibly even for years. Chronic insomnia can be caused by variety of psychiatric or medical illnesses. In women in particular hormonal shifts can cause drastic sleep disturbances. But sometimes chronic insomnia comes about of its own accord.

If you suffer from insomnia, your first line of defense is to ensure that the place you sleep is cool, dark and quiet. Use this space — usually your bedroom — for sleeping and sex only. Don’t watch television or read in bed. Avoid caffeine for several hours before bedtime. Try not to get stressed in the two hours before bedtime. While exercise overall can help you get a good night’s sleep, exercise as late as two or three hours before bedtime actually can make it difficult to fall asleep.

If you still have trouble falling or staying asleep, a visit with your health care provider is in order. I urge you to forgo taking over-the-counter sleep aids until you’ve met with your physician. He or she may recommend over-the-counter sleep aids such as the supplement melatonin, over the counter antihistamines or a prescription medication such as one of the many available benzodiazepines or other hypnotic agents such as Ambien or Lunesta. Precautions should be taken with sleep aids as some have been known to cause unwanted side effects such as nighttime eating and/or sleep walking. In addition, prescription sleep aids are not to be used for long periods of time.

As a psychiatrist, I often see insomnia that is as a result of mood, anxiety or substance use disorder.  Once the underlying illness is treated, then sleep would improve drastically also. So if you are having trouble sleeping despite having good sleep hygiene, then it might be time to discuss this with your physician as there are treatments available but you have to be willing to ask for it.

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Dr. Arshia Alec Shirzadi is a Harvard Medical School educated; board certified adult psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and psychopharmacologist. His vast clinical and research expertise also includes substance abuse, addictions and co-occurring disorders. Dr. Shirzadi is presently in private practice in Newport Beach, CA. For more information please visit http://www.dralec.com

So many times we ask ourselves these questions. Why can’t I sleep? Or why am I so tired? The truth of the matter is half of all adults are not getting the required amount of sleep needed. This is due to how society is. We live in a very fast paced world now where sleep is classed as a luxury. I know half of us at work would give anything just to grab an extra 10-30mins sleep. With work on an average being from 9-5 plus trying to stay social with friends it can be hard to get the required amount of sleep.

What we may or may not know is that this lack of sleep could be harming your body more than you think. Sleep deprivation can affect you body and mind. A good night’s sleep is not determined by how comfortable your pillow is; it’s also based on many other factors.

Not many of us know this but there are so many food types out there that can help you get the good night’s rest you deserve. Foods such as, seafood, soy products, dairy products, rice, beans, humus, lentils and hazelnut peanuts are all foods high in sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan is the raw material that the brain uses to build these relaxing neurotransmitters, which basically means when we eat food types like these the amino acid relaxes the brain and helps us sleep better. Steer clear of all caffeine drinks; these will surely prevent you from getting a good night’s rest.

Some other factors that may prevent sleep according to Dr. Sears at www.askdrsears.com are

• The bedroom may be too noisy, too hot or too cold
• The bed may be uncomfortable or too small
• You don’t have a regular sleep routine
• You partner has a different pattern of sleep from you
• You aren’t getting enough exercise
• You eat too late – and find it hard to get off to sleep
• You go to bed hungry – and wake up too early
• Cigarettes, alcohol and drinks containing caffeine, such as tea and coffee
• Pain such as muscle or leg cramps
• Illness or high temperature

More serious reasons include:
• Emotional problems
• Difficulties at work
• Anxiety and worry
• Depression – you wake very early and can’t get back to sleep
• Thinking over and over about problems.

If we are not getting enough sleep we could be paying for it later. Lack of sleep can lead to daytime drowsiness, lack of concentration, prone to accidents like falls; you may feel depressed and also perhaps low productivity at work. It is said that most adults need around 8 hours of sleep each night but there are some people out there who will get by with as little as 3 hours sleep a night.

If you are having problems with your sleep find more information with your local GP.

Gain helpful advice about the topic of weight loss – make sure to read this publication. The times have come when proper information is truly at your fingertips, use this possibility.