How to Get Rid of Lack of Sleep and Insomnia - Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatment

Lack of sleep and insomnia can be disturbing when you are tired and unable to sleep comfortably and can affect your activity in the morning, your body weight as well as your immune system. 
People who do not get enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to viruses and other harmful bodies. 
Some medical studies confirm that women suffer more than men and this gets more advanced with age. 
If you want to get rid of the lack of sleep and insomnia, then apply the treatment methods discussed in this article.

How to relieve lack of sleep and insomnia quickly

How to Get Rid of Lack of Sleep and Insomnia - Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatment

Lack of Sleep or Sleep Deprivation

Lack of sleep, also known as sleep deprivation, is defined as a condition in which a person experiences difficulty falling asleep, sleeping intermittently or both. 
People who suffer from sleep deprivation do not feel active when they wake up from sleep, in addition to that they feel tired and depressed and they show many other symptoms during the day.

In fact, sleep deprivation and insomnia are the most prevalent sleep disorders, as the American Psychiatric Association indicated that a third of adults suffer from symptoms of insomnia, but only 6-10% of adults have severe symptoms enough to diagnose insomnia.

It is worth noting that sleep deprivation and insomnia are diagnosed if some criteria apply to a person’s condition, which is represented by suffering from sleep difficulties for at least three nights a week, and for a period of not less than three months, in addition to the negative impact of these difficulties on a person's life, so that he faces difficulties in performing tasks and functions in his daily life.

Read: Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Body 

Symptoms of Lack of Sleep

Lack of sleep is accompanied by a set of symptoms, and here are some of them:

• Waking up at night.
• Waking up too early.
• Difficulty sleeping at night.
• Feeling tired during the day, or feeling sleepy.
• Feeling of depression, irritability, and anxiety.
• Difficulty focusing, caring for tasks or remembering everyday chores and matters.
• Not feeling comfortable after sleeping at night.
• Increase errors or accidents.
• Constant anxiety about sleep.

Read more: Symptoms of Sleep Disorders and Causes of Sleep Deprivation

Causes of Lack of Sleep

Lack of sleep and insomnia may occur due to physical and psychological factors. 
Sometimes chronic insomnia is due to a basic medical condition, while the reason behind transient insomnia may be due to a situation in daily life, or a specific event that has appeared recently, and therefore there are many reasons for the occurrence of lack of sleep and insomnia.

Read More: Insomnia -A sleep disorder: Symptoms, and Causes

How to Get Rid of Lack of Sleep and Insomnia

How to fix common sleep problems and get a good night's sleep

Sleep Disorders: Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatment

The primary goal of treatment for lack of sleep is to improve the quality of sleep and to reduce the negative effects that appear during the day due to lack of sleep. 
It is worth noting that the strategies used to achieve these goals differ according to the reasons behind the lack of sleep.

Lack of sleep should be treated if the reason for the lack of sleep is due to a medical, neurological or sleep disturbance. 
Here we have discussed s some important methods for the treatment of lack of sleep and sleep deprivation. Let's read this carefully!

Non-Pharmacological Treatment

Here is a statement of non-pharmacological methods to get rid of the lack of sleep, which is often by changing some daily habits:

Follow healthy sleep habits: The first step towards better sleep is by following healthy sleep habits, such as: following a fixed schedule during the day for sleep. 
This is through waking up at the same time every day even if the person does not get enough sleep, using the bed to sleep only, going to bed only when the person is tired, avoiding naps, and exercising during the day but not within three hours before bed, in addition to sticking to certain sleeping rituals such as reading, bathing, or performing some other relaxing activity.

Do relaxation exercises for stress-relief: Relaxation techniques help a person sleep at night and include muscle relaxation exercises to help the body calm down, breathing exercises, and meditation. 
There are many relaxation techniques and relaxation training programs to reduce stress anxiety and depression, such as: Progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, mindful meditation, music and art therapy, aromatherapy, hypnosis, massage, yoga, guided imagery, and biofeedback.

Get support and assistance: Getting support, especially from people who also have sleep problems, can relieve some of the anxieties people feel about their sleep problems, and it is also beneficial for a person to have a safe place to vent fatigue with people who understand this.

Stimulus-control therapy: Stimulus-control therapy enhances the link between sleep and bedding so that a person suffering from a lack of sleep spends time in bed only when he feels sleepy, and this is done by controlling pre-bed activities.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): Cognitive behavioral therapy helps the person to identify negative thoughts, and then reformulate them to more realistic and positive phrases. 
With regard to sleep problems, CBT works to eliminate anxiety caused by the feeling of the need to control the amount and quality of sleep. 
New ways to deal with stress are presented, as well as strategies to reduce the frustration associated with sleep disorders. It should be noted that cognitive-behavioral therapy is beneficial for people with primary insomnia, as well as for those suffering from symptoms of insomnia and anxiety disorders.

Read More: What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and How Does CBT Work?

Sprinkle light perfume in the bedroom: It is recommended to use one of the essential aromatherapy oils that relaxs the body and calms the mind such as lavender oil. Use it to spray drops of it onto a piece of fabric, then place it under the pillow, or place a few drops of lavender in the water, then spray the room with it, or massage the body with it.

Eat foods before bed that can help you get a better night's sleep: Avoid eating foods rich in carbohydrates or sugars just before going to sleep. It is preferable to eat light foods such as milk and soybeans, and it should be three hours before bed to reduce stomach pain.

Sleeping without eating should also be avoided because feeling hungry reduces the ability to sleep and delays it.

Avoid caffeinated drinks, such as cocoa, black tea, and soda, especially in the evening.

Take drinks that increase the body's ability to rest, such as eating a lukewarm cup of chamomile tea, while avoiding eating these drinks shortly before bed, because they cause the sleeper to wake up during the night to urinate.

Choose the right place and position: When you want to sleep, choose the right place and position.

Prepare the bedroom, arrange it, reduce the clutter as much as possible, and arrange the bed, making sure that it is comfortable and appropriate to the length.

Change the sleeping position to a comfortable position suitable for the person’s condition, resting the neck and head, to avoid feeling pain, and maintaining the integrity of the body, or placing a pillow between the legs when sleeping on one side, or below them when sleeping on the back.

Take a lukewarm bath before bed, to increase the body's ability to relax.

Turn off the lights, and dim the place, to prepare the body that the time for sleep has come, and avoid leaving the lights open and reduce their brightness if they must be used, with the cover of the eyes set to avoid seeing them, in addition to the need to get rid of the lights of electrical devices, such as a computer, or the phone.

Play quiet music, and stay away from the noise.

Read before bed: Reading and writing are considered one of the methods that help you relax, and it is advised not to read scary stories, or not to write about special problems because this increases anxiety and tension.

Pharmacological Treatment

There are many different types of medications that help get rid of a lack of sleep, including medicines that are dispensed without a prescription, and medicines that require users to obtain a prescription,

Determining the right medication for a person depends on the symptoms of insomnia and many different health factors, so it is important to consult a doctor before taking medications.

Some of the drug treatments for sleep deprivation or sleeplessness are:

Melatonin: Melatonin is produced naturally by the body during the sleep cycle, so some people resort to taking supplements that contain melatonin, which may improve the sleep process. 
However, evidence for studies remains inconclusive regarding whether melatonin may help treat insomnia in adults, so it is always preferable to consult a doctor before starting to take melatonin.

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs: Over-the-counter medications are medicines sold directly to the consumer without a prescription by a healthcare professional. 
Examples include antihistamines that can cause drowsiness, but cannot be used regularly, and they have some side effects, such as: daytime drowsiness, dizziness, difficulty urinating and confusion and these symptoms may be worse for the elderly. So you should avoid antihistamines without consulting your doctor.

Prescription drugs: Prescription medications are pharmaceutical medicines that legally require a medical prescription to be dispensed. 
Doctors generally do not recommend relying on these medications for more than a few weeks. 
These pills may help to fall asleep, or to keep the person asleep, or both together, but these drugs have several side effects, including: ataxia during the day, and an increased risk of falling. The following we mention some of these drugs:

• Eszopiclone.
• Zolpidem.
• Ramelteon.
• Zaleplon.

Magnesium: One study showed that consuming 500 milligrams of magnesium per day for two months reduces suffering from lack of sleep and insomnia, as it reduces tension and helps the muscles to relax. 
One of the side effects associated with the use of magnesium is stomach and intestines disorder, and it is worth noting that this type of supplement is not taken continuously.

Read More: Can Lack of Sleep Make People More Violent?

Conclusion

I hope these tips are beneficial for you and can help you make better sleep habits if they do not work consistently, consult your health care professional and discuss your problems. 
You should review the medicines that you are taking to ensure that they do not cause any health problems. It is also important to ensure that your sleep problems are not caused by serious physical problems.