Insomnia is relatively common, affecting 30- to 50-percent of the population at any given time.
Chronic insomnia, affecting approximately 10-percent of the population, is a persistent condition in which you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and/or you do not experience restorative sleep.
Chronic insomnia is often a symptom of another disorder or disease, rather than a condition on its own.
Under these circumstances, it is best to try to treat the core cause of your insomnia.
For those with a tendency toward insomnia, it is particularly important to maintain a regular sleep/wake cycle.
This simply means that you should go to bed at approximately the same time each night and wake up at approximately the same time each morning.
Doing so will help regulate your body's circadian rhythm, which is the internal body clock that regulates the 24-hour cycle of biological processes.
Staying up late and/or sleeping late on weekends can be disruptive to your circadian rhythm.
For some people, this is enough to worsen or even cause insomnia.
Another issue that can lead to insomnia is a person's inability to shut down his or her mind at the end of the day.
We often go from a hectic work day to running errands, carting our kids around, watching a couple of hours of TV (which is considered a stimulant), then straight to bed.
Our minds and bodies have not had time to unwind.
Therefore, we may lie awake, feeling uneasy or agitated.
Or we may fall asleep immediately, only to awaken in the middle of the night with a busy mind or restless body.
In these situations, it is recommended that you avoid the TV and computer for at least an hour prior to going to bed.
Read a book, listen to relaxing music, or take a warm bath.
Spend a few moments in quiet reflection.
Allow the day's events to play out in your mind.
Work through any anxieties and lay them to rest.
Make a to-do list for the next day so that you can relax your mind with no lingering worries that you may forget something.
Relaxation techniques may be especially helpful in treating insomnia.
These techniques include yoga, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, and meditation.
A minimum of 20 minutes should be spent each day on your chosen technique.
Be sure to avoid drinks that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea, and colas.
Also avoid of any OTC (over-the-counter) medications containing caffeine, such as Anacin and Excedrin.
Some people may find that they can consume these products up through dinnertime; others may find that caffeine consumption after 1 PM is a problem.
If you are unsure of your own caffeine sensitivity, try keeping a food log.
Write down what you ate and drank and at what time.
Avoid caffeine on some days; allow yourself your normal consumption on others.
Then compare your sleep quality with your food log.
You may find caffeine to be more disruptive to your sleep than you realized.
Some people are tempted to reach for that nightcap or hot toddy when they can't sleep.
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that will likely help you fall asleep faster.
However, within a few hours, when the alcohol's effects begin to wear off, your body will experience withdrawal and you will wake up.
A variety of herbs and supplements act as sleep aids.
Depending on the cause and type of your insomnia, some of these may work for you while others won't.
Natural remedies work at the core of your cells, which means they are often not instant "cures" in the way prescription medications are.
When trying a new treatment, give it a few weeks in order to determine whether it is working for you.
Also, be sure to discuss your choices with your doctor and be aware of any possible interactions with prescription medications you are taking.
Some natural remedies to try include: Valerian Root (Valeriana officinalis): Valerian Root has a history of more than 1,000 years as a sleep aid.
Valerian Root promotes a calming of the central nervous system, thereby decreasing anxiety and promoting restful sleep.
This herb is not believed to be addictive or to cause the morning grogginess associated with many OTC and prescription medications.
Hops (Humulus lupulus): The main ingredient in flavoring beer, Hops is a natural sedative.
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnate): Passionflower has a history of use as a calming sedative for treatment of anxiety and insomnia.
Throughout most of the 20th century, Passionflower was used in many OTC sedatives and sleep aids.
Due to a change in laws, in 1978 the FDA banned drug companies from using passionflower due to a lack of scientifically proven efficacy.
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita): For thousands of years, Europeans have been using Chamomile as an aid in treating anxiety, sleep disorders and other assorted ailments.
Chamomile is considered a calming herb with mild sedative qualities.
Chamomile is part of the Asteraceae family, which includes ragweed.
Therefore, people with an allergy to ragweed may want to avoid Chamomile.
Kava (Kava Kava Root, Piper methysticum): Kava contains anti-anxiety properties, which makes it a useful treatment for those who suffer insomnia due to anxiety-related issues.
Kava has been widely used for over 3,000 years and is considered non-addictive.
A controversial 2002 German study created a scare with warnings that Kava use may be linked to liver damage.
Germany immediately placed a ban on the sale of Kava and many countries followed with warnings of their own.
However, that study has since been dismissed and Germany has repealed their ban.
Melatonin: Melatonin has gained notoriety for use by people who work varying shifts and/or people with jet lag.
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone.
Produced in the pineal gland, a small gland in the brain, melatonin helps regulate your sleep/wake cycle.
Each of these treatments should be tried for a few weeks on its own.
However, most of them can be mixed and are sold together in herbal remedies.