Treating sleep problems

It just so happens that many people do not consider sleep disorders to be dangerous to their health and think about what to do with sleep problems only when they begin to affect not only their well-being, but also their work relationships. But if there is a problem, it must be solved. First, you need to undergo diagnostics to determine the cause of the sleep disorders, and then, based on the results of the research, the appropriate treatment will be prescribed.

Most often, insomnia is caused by nervous tension, stress, and worries, so eliminating its cause is not difficult. There are many herbal and synthetic drugs that have a sedative (calming, inhibiting the activity of the central nervous system) effect. In mild cases of insomnia, it is enough to take regular single-component sedatives (mint and lemon balm tea, motherwort decoction, valerian drops and tablets) so that sleep, following the nervous system, returns to normal.

If these are not simple temporary experiences, but severe stress or correctable depression, you will have to seek help from complex drugs that have both sedative and hypnotic effects. But you need to remember that any sedative drugs in large doses also cause a hypnotic effect. After all, both effects differ from each other only in the degree of suppression of the central nervous system activity.

It is clear that sedatives are prescribed first to treat insomnia, and then they move on to sleeping pills (tranquilizers), trying to reduce the course of treatment with them as much as possible (no more than a month). This is caused not only by the fact that diazepines and barbiturates used to treat severe forms of insomnia against the background of depression and other mental disorders are far from safe drugs, but also by the rather rapid development of addiction to them. Subsequently, the patient may experience difficulties falling asleep without medication, and withdrawal syndrome may manifest itself in particularly pronounced forms.

Sleeping pills are prescribed based on the problem at hand. If it is difficult and takes a long time to fall asleep, it makes sense to prescribe short-acting medications that help you fall asleep quickly. If the problem is frequent or early awakenings, preference is given to medications that last at least 6 hours, which allows the body to get enough rest during the night. The speed of the onset of the sleeping pill effect is also taken into account.

It is clear that if sleep problems are caused by certain diseases, their solution is impossible without a set of treatment measures that help eliminate the symptoms of the disease. Sedatives alone will not do.

When it comes to neurological problems in children and adults, in addition to sedatives and sleeping pills, patients are prescribed sessions of psychotherapy and physiotherapy. But in the treatment of young children, preference is still given not to medications, but to working with a psychologist who identifies children's problems and helps parents create the necessary conditions for a full sleep of the baby, teaches to create the right associations and settings for the process of falling asleep, find compromises when correcting established bad habits.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of sleep disorders. Although physiotherapy is not the main method for solving the patient's sleep problem, it helps to significantly reduce the number and dosage of medications taken. At the same time, the choice of methods for combating sleep disorders is quite large.

What physiotherapeutic procedures can be useful for insomnia and other sleep disorders? Of course, medicinal electrophoresis, which allows sedatives to be administered through the skin, which reduces the risk of side effects and makes the treatment even more effective. Galvanic current procedures on the neck and back of the head, franklinization, darsonvalization, therapeutic electrosleep and vibration massage are very effective.

Patients may be prescribed oxygen treatment (oxygen therapy), long-term aerotherapy, and selective chromography.

Aromatherapy also shows impressive results in cases of insomnia associated with nerves, because many essential oils have a sedative effect, which helps a person to relax, throw off the burden of heavy thoughts, inhale a pleasant soothing aroma and quickly forget about themselves in a deep, restful sleep. Essential oils can be added to a bath, applied to the body in the neck area, or used in phytolamps. Although this treatment is not considered traditional, it is still actively supported by doctors.

Lack of sleep will in any case have a negative impact on the functioning of the entire body, taking away its last strength and not allowing it to fully recover. To help the patient's body more easily survive the consequences of such stress, vitamins and vitamin-mineral complexes are prescribed that can support the functioning of the immune, nervous, cardiovascular and other human systems.

But you need to understand that solving the problem only with medications, physical therapy and analysis of the problem with a psychologist is difficult to achieve a lasting positive result. No matter what caused the appearance of sleep problems, the human body must receive a full night's rest. And this is impossible without normalizing the daily routine and evening nutrition, forming the correct rituals of falling asleep.

Irritating factors should not be ignored. If a person is not accustomed to sleeping in any environment since childhood, it will be very difficult to teach him this in adulthood, especially in conditions of increased excitability of the nervous system under the influence of experiences and stress. Until the patient's neuropsychic state stabilizes, it is better for him to sleep in a comfortable bed, in a room with a comfortable microclimate, with dim lighting and no noise. Interaction with electronic devices intended for games and communication should also be limited for a while.

However, sports, dancing and an active lifestyle will only be welcomed in the treatment of insomnia. After all, this is a great opportunity to moderately load your body so that by the evening it feels pleasantly tired, which will contribute to timely falling asleep. In addition, sports and dancing are not only positive emotions, but also an opportunity to splash out the negativity accumulated over the days and weeks, thus unloading the nervous system.

And what can we say about active walks in the open air? But for such walks you need to choose park areas, where you can appreciate all the beauty of the surrounding nature, feel close to the animal world.

Watching little children and animals helps relieve nervous tension and ease falling asleep. These are endless sources of positivity and the best antidepressants.

Treatment of hypersomnia does not require taking sedatives and sleeping pills, because the patient does not suffer from lack of sleep anyway. It is important to maintain the person's active state during the period of wakefulness, i.e. during the day. For this purpose, psychostimulants are prescribed (Pemoline, Diphenidol, Dexamphetamine, etc.). In the presence of such a symptom as cataplexy (a sudden strong decrease in muscle tone), antidepressants are prescribed (Imipramine, Fluoxetine, etc.).

In the treatment of hypersomnia, a large role is played by maintaining a daily routine and changing the diet. Food should be light, alcohol should be avoided, as well as late snacks. The patient should sleep 8-9 hours at night, and 1-2 hours at lunch. At the same time, a shift schedule with night shifts is not suitable for such patients.

There is also no point in treating biorhythm disruptions with sleeping pills. This is the opinion of sleep doctors. In this case, drugs containing melatonin (for example, "Melaxen") and light therapy (natural or artificial using lighting devices) will help. In this case, a person should be in the sun for at least an hour during the day.

Treatment of parasomnias is similar to insomnia therapy. The same medications are prescribed - sedatives and sleeping pills, including tranquilizers (effective for night terrors and behavioral disorders), as well as antidepressants. Among the physiotherapy procedures, the following will be useful: acupuncture, phototherapy, magnetic therapy, the use of the method of progressive muscle relaxation under the guidance of an experienced doctor.

In the treatment of parasomnias, the main role is given to psychotherapy, especially when it comes to young patients, whose sleep disorders are in most cases associated with some kind of shock. After all, children's psyche is not yet strong enough to calmly endure stressful situations. Medicines can improve sleep, but not cure the soul.

Psychotherapeutic methods help to learn how to cope with psychotraumatic situations, to treat your problem correctly and to help the doctor in its correction. These are sessions with a psychologist, meetings with a psychotherapist and hypnosis sessions, behavioral therapy.

Medicines for insomnia

It should be said that not all people's sleep problems can be treated with medication. Many people are able to cope with insomnia without medication, the main thing is to understand the problem and the reasons for its occurrence. If the fears and worries are so deep that a person cannot overcome them on their own, they are prescribed sedatives with a hypnotic effect or tranquilizers, depending on the severity of the condition.

Let's not focus on potent drugs, which can only be purchased with a doctor's prescription, since treatment with them must be carried out under the supervision of experienced medical personnel. Let's talk about affordable sedative drugs that you can hear about on TV screens, but this does not mean that they are absolutely safe and do not require caution in use.

Let's begin our acquaintance with sedatives and sleeping pills with herbal medicines, which are considered the least dangerous.

"Alluna" is a sedative in tablets containing extracts of valerian and hop cones. The calming effect of valerian is enhanced by the action of hops, which has a relaxing effect, helps to fall asleep quickly, improves the quality of sleep and its duration.

The manufacturer recommends the drug for the treatment of adult patients, who should take 1-1.5 tablets an hour before bedtime. The tablets should be swallowed whole and washed down with water.

The course of treatment with the drug is from 2 to 4 weeks. If there is an effect from taking the drug, the course of treatment can be repeated. If there is no positive result within 4 weeks or the patient's condition worsens, the treatment regimen, and possibly the diagnosis, is revised.

The drug is not recommended for people with increased sensitivity to its components, as well as patients with mental disorders, in which CNS depression is observed. In the latter case, there is a risk of weakening the nervous regulation of respiratory function and heart function.

Taking a sedative during pregnancy is not prohibited, but it is still recommended to consult a doctor about it beforehand. The same should be done by those who currently have or have previously had cases of liver dysfunction.

The use of the drug may be accompanied by such unpleasant symptoms: dizziness, drowsiness, decreased intensity of emotional response, weakness, decreased intellectual abilities. Sometimes patients complain of nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps, bowel disorders, allergic reactions.

It is strictly not recommended to drink alcohol, perform dangerous work or drive a car while being treated with Alluna.

"Dormiplant" is a sedative drug based on extracts of valerian root and lemon balm leaves, which, like the previous drug, can be purchased at a pharmacy without a prescription. The composition of the drug in the form of tablets helps relieve nervous tension, which makes it possible to relax before bed, fall asleep more easily and sleep peacefully.

The medicine is intended for the treatment of adolescents from 12 years of age and adult patients. The tablets should be taken whole with water. If the medicine is prescribed as a sedative for anxiety, take it three times a day, 2 tablets. But when it is prescribed for sleep problems, the tablets in the same single dose should be taken half an hour before bedtime.

The duration of the course of treatment is determined by the doctor. He also reviews the therapeutic scheme if the treatment does not help to establish normal sleep for a long time.

The drug is not prescribed in case of hypersensitivity to its components, in conditions accompanied by CNS depression, hypotension.

Due to the lack of complete information about the effect of the drug's components on the course of pregnancy and fetal development, it is prescribed to pregnant women extremely rarely.

Side effects of the drug include headaches, decreased blood pressure, decreased heart rate (bradycardia), heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmia), weakness and drowsiness. There may also be complaints of nausea and abdominal cramps, dizziness, worsening mood, and decreased performance.

"NovoPassit" is a unique combination of a plant complex (liquid extracts of St. John's wort, passionflower, lemon balm, valerian root, hawthorn leaves and flowers, elder flowers, hop cones) and a synthetic component from the group of muscle relaxants guaifenesin.

In addition to the treatment of mild sleep disorders, the drug is used in the treatment of neuromuscular fatigue, mild neurasthenia, vegetative-vascular dystonia, neurological disorders characterized by decreased attention and memory. It helps with migraines, tension headaches, gastrointestinal diseases of a neurotic nature, dyspepsia, psychosomatic dermatoses.

The drug is available as a solution. It can be taken in pure form or mixed with juices (except grapefruit) or drinks (except tea). A single dose of the drug is 1 teaspoon, but no more than 6 spoons per day. Frequency of administration is 3 times per day.

It is better for a doctor to prescribe an effective dosage of medication based on the patient's condition.

The drug is intended for the treatment of patients aged 12 years and older. It is not prescribed to people with individual intolerance to individual components of the drug, myasthenia gravis, bradycardia, epilepsy. It is dangerous to take the drug without supervision in case of depression and oppressed states or to combine it with cyclosporine or tacrolimus.

Caution is required when taking medications by patients with impaired liver or kidney function, organic gastrointestinal pathologies, as well as in cases of severe intoxication with CNS depression, in old age.

The drug contains ethanol and sugars, which makes its use undesirable in the treatment of pregnant women and nursing mothers, people with alcohol dependence and epilepsy, patients with diabetes mellitus and people with impaired glucose metabolism and galactose intolerance.

The side effects of the drug are similar to those of the above-described drugs. Additionally, muscle weakness, increased blood pressure, decreased or increased heart rate, and increased photosensitivity may be recorded.

Now let's look at a couple of synthetic-based drugs. "Sonmil" and "Sondox" are analog drugs based on doxylamine, which is a histamine receptor blocker, due to which the drugs are classified as antihistamines. Doxylamine has a sedative effect and an action similar to atropine, due to which the time it takes to fall asleep is reduced and sleep is improved.

The drugs in tablet form are prescribed no later than half an hour before sleep, in the amount of 0.5-1 tablet (no more than two per day). Treatment of insomnia is carried out for no more than 5 days. If the result is negative, the radiation scheme is changed.

The drug is not recommended for people with hypersensitivity to the components of the drug or other antihistamines, with closed-angle glaucoma, including cases of the disease in the family, genitourinary diseases with the risk of urinary retention in the body, congenital galactosemia, glucose metabolism disorders, lactation.

The drug should be taken with caution during pregnancy and in old age. Doxylamine-based drugs are intended to treat insomnia in patients over 15 years of age.

Side effects of the drug include: daytime sleepiness, constipation, dry mouth, palpitations, problems with urination, difficulty focusing vision, allergic reactions, including severe ones. However, all these symptoms are very rare.

As with other sleeping pills, drinking alcohol while taking the medication is considered unacceptable, as it increases the depressant effect on the central nervous system, which can be life-threatening.

The effect of the drugs lasts for at least 7 hours, so waking up early can cause dizziness, lethargy, and daytime sleepiness.

"Melaxen" is a drug from a series of psycholeptics based on the hormone melatonin, produced by the pituitary gland to regulate night biological rhythms. Usually, a decrease in the production of this hormone is observed closer to 55 years, as a result of which a person begins to go to bed later and sleep worse. This drug is intended for such patients and those who, for some reason, have experienced a failure of biological rhythms.

The medicine is available in tablet form, which should be taken after dinner 1-2 hours before bedtime for 21 days. One tablet is enough for the dose.

The drug is not suitable for treating patients with severe kidney and liver damage, as a result of which their functionality is impaired, autoimmune pathologies, oncological diseases, epilepsy, diabetes mellitus, glucose metabolism disorders. It is unacceptable to take the drug in case of hypersensitivity to the components. The combination of Melaxen with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, steroid drugs, cyclosporine is considered dangerous.

It is not recommended to use the drug for treating children and pregnant women due to the lack of information about its safety for these groups of patients. Taking Melaxen may interfere with conception and breastfeeding.

Caution should be exercised when treating patients with hormonal disorders.

Side effects during treatment with the drug are rare, but it is still better to know about them. These may include changes in the blood composition, facial flushing, irritability and anxiety, tearfulness, strange dreams, headaches and dizziness, drowsiness, deterioration of intellectual abilities. Rarely, there are complaints of pain in the epigastrium, dyspeptic symptoms, the appearance of an unpleasant odor from the mouth, decreased sexual desire and visual acuity, weakness and sweating, weight gain.

If problems arise in the functioning of the liver, insomnia increases, a person begins to wake up earlier in the morning, vomiting and allergic rashes on the skin appear - this is a reason to consult a doctor to review the prescriptions.

Let us dwell briefly on the potent drugs from the group of benzodiazepine tranquilizers, which are actively used in severe cases of sleep disorders.

"Dormicum" is a sleeping pill that effectively helps with sleep disorders caused by severe nervous and physical overstrain. The active substance of the drug - midazolam - provides a rapid sedative effect and a pronounced hypnotic effect, effectively relaxes muscles, reduces the likelihood of epileptic seizures, but does not affect the reaction speed and performance. When waking up, the patient does not feel sleepy, but remembers little of the recent events.

The drug in the form of a solution can be used as an anesthetic. In case of sleep disorders, it is preferable to take the medicine in tablets.

A single dose of the drug varies from 0.5 to 1 tablet. The medicine should be taken immediately before bedtime, as it is characterized by a noticeable speed of action.

The drug is potent, so its use is prohibited during pregnancy and lactation, low muscle tone, organic diseases of the brain, respiratory failure.

Dormicum can be used in children from the neonatal period, but injection of the drug can provoke convulsions in the baby. In adults, there have been cases of temporary amnesia, again against the background of the use of an injection solution.

Other undesirable effects include: drowsiness, nausea, bowel disorders, dry mucous membranes, allergic and anaphylactic reactions. Weakness, hallucinations, twilight consciousness, headaches may also be observed.

Any sedatives and sleeping pills affect the nervous system, which controls all processes occurring in our body. And the higher the dose, the stronger and more dangerous this effect will be. For this reason, it is undesirable to prescribe medications for insomnia and sleep problems on your own, and even more so to exceed the maximum permissible dose.

When using the above and similar drugs, it is better to refrain from performing work that requires attentiveness or poses a danger to others. For some time, it is worth forgetting about alcoholic beverages, which enhance the effect of sedatives.

Folk remedies

Treating sleep disorders with folk recipes is not a preferred method of therapy, although its effectiveness is quite high. It is clear that it will be very difficult to get rid of the pathological causes of sleep problems with their help. However, even in this case, a noticeable improvement in the patient's condition can be noted, you just need to choose the right remedy.

For example, valerian tincture is known not only as a sedative, but also as a heart remedy. Hawthorn also helps the heart. If you mix both tinctures in equal quantities and take 30 drops (dissolve in a quarter glass of water) at night, you can not only improve your sleep, but also strengthen your heart.

But the most effective and appetizing, and therefore the most popular remedy for insomnia is considered to be honey. There are many recipes based on it, allowing you to quickly and pleasantly normalize your night's rest.

Honey can be consumed by diluting 1 tbsp of the well-known delicacy in a glass of warm boiled water or kefir. Such drinks should be consumed before going to bed.

If insomnia is caused by headaches, high blood pressure and hot flashes, honey is mixed not with water, but with cucumber brine.

A fairly fast-acting remedy for insomnia, strengthening sleep and making it easier to fall asleep, is considered to be a mixture of honey and apple cider vinegar (3 tablespoons of vinegar per glass of honey, take 2 teaspoons at night).

It is popularly believed that onions also help to improve sleep, so it is recommended to eat them with dinner and before bed.

Green tea with mint, lemon balm tea, linden tea, and St. John's wort decoction are good for combating tension headaches and migraines that contribute to sleep disorders.

There is no need to describe at length that a warm bath also helps to fall asleep quickly and strengthens sleep. The water temperature in the bath should be within 37-38 degrees. The duration of the procedure is 20 minutes. During this time, you need to lie in the bath relaxing. Thinking about something pleasant. This will help relieve tension and fatigue.

It will be even more beneficial if you add an infusion of soothing aromatic herbs or a few drops of lavender, mint or lemon balm essential oil to the water.

Sitz baths are also useful. You should take such a bath for no more than 5 minutes immediately before going to bed, after which the process of falling asleep should be much easier.

Herbal treatment is also very popular in the treatment of insomnia. Infusion of hawthorn berries and decoction of elderberry roots will help with insomnia in patients suffering from shortness of breath and heart pathologies.

Infusion: 2 tablespoons of plant material per 1.5 cups of boiling water, leave to infuse and drink 3 times, after half an hour you can eat.

Decoction: 1 tbsp per glass of water, boil for a quarter of an hour, take 1 tbsp three times a day.

A decoction or infusion of valerian roots will be useful for nervous tension and various pathologies that cause insomnia.

The decoction is prepared and taken in the same way as the elderberry decoction recipe, using crushed valerian roots as the plant material. The infusion is prepared from the same proportions, but is kept for 7-8 hours at room temperature. The dose is individual and can vary from 1 spoon to half a glass. You can take the infusion in this dosage 2 or 3 times a day, the last time before bedtime.

To facilitate falling asleep and improve the quality of sleep, herbs such as St. John's wort, fireweed, oregano, mint, lemon balm, motherwort, lavender, and elecampane are also suitable. Herbs can be used both individually and as part of sedative mixtures. A ready-made collection of environmentally friendly medicinal herbs that helps solve sleep problems can be purchased at any pharmacy.

Hop cones are also considered to have good soporific properties. In folk medicine, you can also find the following advice: in case of sleep disorders, stuff a pillow with hop cones or add them to the filler. It is believed that on such a pillow sleep comes much faster and lasts longer, although scientists do not attribute a pronounced soporific effect to hops.

Very good reviews about the medicinal herbal collection, which includes: mint leaves and motherwort herb (30 g each), valerian roots and hop cones (20 g each). This composition effectively helps relieve nervous tension and improve sleep quality.

Quiet walks in the fresh air before bedtime have a good calming and soporific effect, especially in the cool season. Just dive into a warm, gentle bed, and sleep will not be slow to embrace you.

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Homeopathy

Sleep problems are a fairly common situation that everyone has encountered at least once in their life. Just think about the night before entrance exams or the night torments due to unrequited love. Such night vigils do not add to anyone's health, so if they become regular, you need to urgently take serious measures.

It is clear that sedatives and sleeping pills can help solve the problem in a jiffy. But you don't want to poison yourself with chemicals on any occasion, and herbal remedies, as luck would have it, do not always help with sleep disorders. A reasonable way out of this situation is to seek help from homeopathic remedies.

What can alternative medicine offer us:

• Aconite is a drug based on a strong poison, which in small doses can help with insomnia caused by feverish conditions, smoking, cold symptoms, fears, high blood pressure, and heart pain.
• Ambra grisea is a medicine that should be carried by those who sleep well in front of the TV, but lose the ability to fall asleep quickly when moving to bed.
• Argentum nitricum is a homeopathic remedy that is very useful before an exam or an important event. It will help you fall asleep on the eve of an important event without worrying about the upcoming worries.
• Arnica can be taken by those whose insomnia is caused by physical fatigue. And Coffea also helps with mental fatigue, sleep disorders caused by strong excitation of the nervous system due to joyful events or memories.
• Arsenicum album will help those who often wake up in the middle of the night and cannot fall back asleep.
• Bryonia and Causticum are indicated for patients who have difficulty waking up and feel tired already in the morning.
• For children who twitch during their night sleep and wake up frequently, and have nightmares, we can recommend the drug Chamomilla.
• If insomnia is caused by a disruption in the biological clock, resulting in the child waking up at night and no longer wanting to sleep, he can be given Cipropedium.
• Hina will help women with sleep disorders during menstruation.
• If sleep problems have led to disruption of the nervous and digestive systems, dizziness, muscle pain and other unpleasant consequences, a homeopathic doctor may prescribe the drug Cocculus. This same medicine helps with nightmares.
• Elderly people suffering from insomnia can benefit from Conium or Passionflower.
• Insomnia during menopause is often accompanied by attacks of suffocation during sleep. In this case, homeopathic remedies Lachesis and Grindelia will help.
• If a person wakes up too early and thoughts prevent him from falling asleep, Lycopodium, Nux vomica or a magnolia preparation is prescribed.
• Oxalicum acidum will help those who have developed a fear of insomnia, i.e. a person is afraid in advance that he will not be able to fall asleep.
• In case of light sleep and early awakenings at the same time, in case of violent dreams, Selenium or Sulphur are prescribed. They also help with the negative consequences of insomnia.
• But you can simply improve the quality of your sleep so that it helps restore your body's strength in the morning with the help of the drug Phosphoricum acidum.

As can be seen from the extensive list, there are quite a lot of drugs in homeopathy that solve the problems of poor sleep. And there are no particular difficulties with the selection of drugs. Another matter is the dosage and duration of treatment. These issues are within the competence of a homeopathic doctor. After all, homeopathy contains drugs that contain toxic substances, and an overdose of them can negatively affect the patient's health.