Insomnia Articles

The Main Cause of Insomnia?

Well in my opinion the main thing that keeps us tossing and turning at night is worrying about not going to sleep.

Sure there might be other reasons for sleeplessness; chronic pain, restless legs syndrome, partner disturbance, too much coffee....

But at the end of the day you're lying there worrying about how you're going to get through the next day if you don't get to sleep *right now!*

Worry and the stress it causes, are by far the main causes of sleeplessness, and the sad part is, the more we worry, the more wide awake we feel. But what can we do about it?

We have to empty our conscious minds of worrying and stressful thoughts (yeah right! Easier said than done!)

Stress and worry can affect your sleep quite dramatically. It can be an isolated stressful incident which keeps you awake for a few nights, or the stress and worry may be chronic. Once they becomes a habit, certain situations will then always cause you to become stressed.

Worry in particular can become a habit and like any habit, is very difficult to break (just ask us smokers, um... ex smokers out there!) But it can be done. You have to train your mind to either let go of a thought, or replace one thought with another.

If you suffer from insomnia, whether you're having trouble going to sleep or staying asleep, stress could be the cause. Your sleeping problems can then cause more stress which in turn makes it even harder to sleep. How can you stop worrying and stop this vicious cycle?

The most important thing is to try and work out what you are telling yourself when you are worrying about something. We talk to ourselves all the time whether we are aware of it or not. What thoughts are going through your mind that are causing your bad feelings?

For example, you may be sitting in a traffic jam thinking, "I'm going to be late for work if this stupid traffic doesn't start moving soon. Then I'll be rushing around all day trying to get everything done! Which means I probably won't have time to buy a proper lunch and I'll have to grab something quick and greasy! Well there goes the diet ........"

Enough! Why torture yourself with this rubbish? Make it a habit to stop these thoughts as soon as they start. How? Just substitute them with better thoughts! Have a list of thoughts that make you feel good and think about them instead! This will reduce stress significantly and with practice, it will get easier and easier.

If you're having trouble doing this, try doing in in two steps. When you catch yourself worrying, say "STOP!" Picture a big red stop sign right in front of you. Concentrate on this until it breaks you train of worrying thoughts.

Then you can start thinking your pleasant thoughts, a movie you enjoyed, a present from your children, whatever makes you happy!

Your mind is extremely powerful - put it to work for you and not against you!

Copyright 2005 Wendy Owen

Want to know how to have better sleep? Find out how! Sign up for our monthly ezine and score our free book How to Cure Insomnia and Achieve Healthy Sleep at: http://www.insomnia-connection.com your resource for detailed information on better sleep and curing stress. The author, Wendy Owen, has had a lifetime interest in general and alternative health.

Related Links:

Yoga - The Solution for Insomnia

Sleeping Pills - An Effective Alternative

You Could Be Causing Your Own Insomnia

Latest Insomnia News

About.com Alternative Medicine
Get the latest headlines from the About.com Alternative Medicine GuideSite.

• Tea Tree Oil for Acne
  30 Jun 2008 at 6:11pm
  One of the more popular home remedies for acne is tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is an essential oil obtained from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native...
  
• Help for Gray Hair?
  24 Jun 2008 at 6:54pm
  A reader asks, "I recently heard about supplements and other products that can prevent gray hair and allow your hair to grow back in its natural color. Is there any...
  
• The Master Cleanse: What You Need to Know
  17 Jun 2008 at 6:26pm
  Many diets come and go, but the Master Cleanse, also known as the lemonade diet, seems to be here to stay. Although the liquid diet was first created in the...
  
• What is Shiatsu?
  10 Jun 2008 at 4:10pm
  Shiatsu has been called one of the hottest new massage trends. But while shiatsu may have become popular in recent years at spas and health clinics in North America, it...
  
• 15 Natural Remedies for Back Pain
  3 Jun 2008 at 5:35am
  Almost everyone has back pain at some point in their lives. According to the National Institutes of Health, back pain is the second most common neurological disorder in the United...
  
• What Do You Wear During Massage?
  2 Jun 2008 at 3:59am
  One of the most embarrassing questions people have about massage is what to wear during the massage. Do you remove your underwear, keep them on, or change into a thong...