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Insomnia : causes and treatments

Covid-19 left us losses, diseases and worries. Many people changed their sleeping habits during the pandemic. During lock down, most people felt constant worry of Covid-19 death rates, their health, job security, family issues, changes in social life, daily routine and the uncertainty of the future. In other words, all these facts put great amounts of stress and anxiety on people’s lives. Also, insomnia became a big part of their lives. As a result, patients with this condition may have knock-on effects on their physical and mental health. But do not worry, there are many ways to improve your sleep patterns (treatments for insomnia).

One of the first things you should do is to identify the cause of your insomnia, then find the treatment that suits you best. After that, you should make changes in your lifestyle. You can try reflexology, Indian head massage and relaxing massage. Try one or all of them, we assure you will sleep better and you will also improve your general wellbeing.

Why don’t we start with the basis…

What is insomnia?

It is a sleeping disorder or sleep loss. It keeps you awake when you want to sleep, therefore, in a sleepy state when you need to be awake. People who suffer from insomnia often complain of some of the following symptoms:

Difficulty falling asleep.
Difficulty staying asleep (they wake up several times a night).
Early awakenings in the morning.
Feeling of not sleeping well.

As a result, during the day, you may have or feel:

Be tired or sleepy.
Anxiety, stress or depression.
Memory disorders or reduced attention.
Irritability or nervousness.

What are the causes of insomnia?

There are several causes that can lead to insomnia, specially during the pandemic, some of them are:

Psychiatric illnesses such as depression.
High anxiety, in most cases it is related to coronavirus issues. That is to say, workers who are more exposed to the public, people with children, people who feel lonely, etc.
Stress.
Bad habits before sleeping (long napping, consuming caffeine or alcohol, vigorous physical activity before sleeping, irregular bedtime/waking times, staying many hours in bed, engaging in intellectual activities before sleeping, etc.).
Chronic diseases that present pain or shortness of breath (rheumatic diseases, fibromyalgia, asthma, heart failure, gastroesophageal reflux, gastric/duodenal ulcer).
Diseases that occur during sleep (sleep apnea syndrome, restless legs syndrome, Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), etc.).
Medications (stimulants, antidepressants, suppressing sedatives, or hypnotics).
Irregular sleep pattern, rotating work schedules or jet lag.
Idiopathic (without apparent cause).

What does statistics say?

31% of women complain about having sleep loss during pandemic.
16.5% of men had insomnia during pandemic.
95% of the adult population has had some episode of transitory insomnia in their life.
Chronic forms of insomnia ( it lasts at least 6 months) only suffer from it between 8 and 18% of people.
Despite being a common problem, only 5% visit their doctor.

How much time do we need to sleep per night?

Young adults need 7-8 hours.
Teenagers need 9 hours.
Children need 9-10 hours.

Who is most at risk of having insomnia?

Divorced, widows, unemployed.
Those with digestive, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
Anxious and depressed people.
Sedentary population.
People with irregular bedtime and wake-up times.
People who consume alcohol before going to sleep.
Smokers.
People who drink caffeine late at night.
People exposed to ambient noise.

How can I treat insomnia?

There are different treatments that may help you to relieve symptoms of insomnia. Also, these treatments will help you relax and sleep better and you can have them in your own working place with Perea mobile services. Some of them are:

1. Treatments for insomnia: Indian Head massage

The main focus of Indian head massage is to relieve the tension in the head, face, neck and shoulders area. Besides, it has many physical and psychological benefits.

It alleviates symptoms of migraines and tension headaches. Indian head massage is very effective in alleviating neck and shoulder tension, pains and aches. It enhances brain function (particularly when it comes to memory and focus). In addition, it helps to manage anxiety and depression, allowing your body to relax and sleep better.

It promotes relaxation by calming ambient alongside soothing, but the therapist uses firm techniques on your head, face, neck and shoulders. To treat anxiety or depression (triggers of insomnia), you might want to have weekly treatments for 4 – 8 weeks until you feel better.

2. treatments for insomnia: Massage

Massage encourages blood and lymph circulation throughout the body. Which in turn can help to reduce stress and anxiety. Massage can also help to relax nervous tension, leading to a better sleep. In addition, it helps to release serotonin and dopamine, as a result, you will have a feeling of calm relaxation that makes chronic stress and anxiety much easier to overcome. We recommend you 1 or 2 sessions per week.

3. Treatments for insomnia: Reflexology

Reflexology involves applying pressure on specific reflex areas in the feet, or hand using thumb, finger and hand techniques. In short, it stimulates nerve terminals that are connected with different organs, glands and other body parts.

Reflexology is a non-intrusive complementary health therapy whose aim is to help the body to restore its natural balance and functioning. By stimulating the head and adrenal reflex points, it helps the body balance itself, restoring harmony in all processes (physical, mental and emotional). Reflexology busts your energy levels helping you to sleep better and calm. We recommend you 1 or 2 sessions per week.

As a final word

We hope this information is useful for you, in our next blog we will show you what you can do at home to improve your sleeping habits. If you need advice or have any questions about our treatments, please contact us. You can find us 3 mins away from Angel station in Islington. We are always happy to help. If you like this blog, please share!