INSOMNIA

Assalamu'alaikum...

What is insomnia?

It is not unusual to have sleep troubles from time to time. But, if you feel that you do not get enough sleep or satisfying sleep, you may have insomnia, a sleep disorder. If you:

- are tired during the day
- have frequent headaches, are irritable or lack concentration
- are tired and not refreshed on waking
- sleep better away from home
- take longer than 30-40 minutes to fall asleep
- wake repeatedly during the night
- wake far too early and are unable to get back to sleep
- only get to sleep with the aid of sleeping pills or alcohol

... then you are probably suffering from insomnia.

Insomnia can cause problems during the day, such as sleepiness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. A person with insomnia may also have another sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome.

Insomnia is not defined by the number of hours you sleep every night. The amount of sleep a person needs varies. While most people need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night, some people do well with less, and some need more.

What are the different types of insomnia and what causes them?

A person can have primary or secondary insomnia.

Primary insomnia means that a person is having sleep problems that are not directly associated with any other health condition or problem.

Secondary insomnia means that a person is having sleep problems because of something else, such as a health condition (like depression, heartburn, cancer, asthma, arthritis), pain, medication they are taking, or a substance they are using (like alcohol)--->[kan Islam dah kate lebih banyak kemudaratan dari keburukan...]

Insomnia can vary in how long it lasts and how often it occurs. Insomnia can be short-term (called acute insomnia) or last a long time (called chronic insomnia). It can also come and go (or be intermittent), with periods of time when a person has no sleep problems.

Acute (short-term) insomnia can last from one night to a few weeks. It is often caused by emotional or physical discomfort, and can be related to a single specific event. Causes of acute insomnia can include:

- significant life stress (job loss or change, death of a loved one, moving);

- illness;

- environmental factors like noise, light, or extreme temperatures (hot or cold) that interfere with sleep;

- things that throw off a normal sleep schedule (like jet lag or switching from a day to night shift).

- states of mind - anxiety, depression, worry, anger, grief, anticipating a difficult event

- change - moving house/city, starting university


Chronic (long-term) insomnia is when a person has insomnia at least 3 nights a week for 1 month or longer. It can be caused by many things and often occurs along with other health problems. Common causes of chronic insomnia are depression, chronic stress, and pain or discomfort at night.


If you are having difficulty sleeping and are serious about solving the problem you will have to change some aspects of your lifestyle:

Here are a number of other suggestions

- exercise regularly
- stay up until a reasonable bedtime even if you feel sleepy earlier
- go to bed only when you are feeling really tired and sleepy
- if you can't sleep, get up and only go back to bed when you're really sleepy again
- establish a routine that gives you 7-8 hours sleep (though individual needs do vary)
- get up at the same time each day
- if you're a late sleeper, force yourself to get up earlier
- relax mentally and physically for an hour before bedtime
- have a warm bath, do some yoga or take a light walk before turning in
- make a list of the things on your mind then forget about them ---> [susah nih]
- do a security check - but only once!
- replace negative thoughts with positive ones e.g. "I can sleep/get back to sleep"


And don't forget to sleep like prophet Muhammad s.a.w...It's not easy to get started, but try to adopt it from time to time...huhu..[berusahalah balqis] but how? Perhaps this could explain more or less:

The Prophet used to sleep in a unique way and would say a Dua or two before it. Maybe as a token of your love you want to sleep one night the way he slept. Some Muslims do sleep that way all the time, although it is not a requirement of our faith. The Prophet slept on his right side, with his right hand under his right cheek. He used to make Wudu before going to bed also. He used to recite one or two Duas before sleeping and recite a few short portions of the Quran. [Surah as-sajadah is one of it but sorry i can't find the hadith right now]

There are also scientific explanations about the way prophet s.a.w sleep but I can't remember it pretty well to make a clear explanation in this entry.

Try to get good sleep to maximise our ibadah quality and productivity at work to bring victory of Islam..hmm...berusahalah!

wallahu'alam...

"ToTaLLy BLanK selesai menaip @ 1:20 am"