If you struggle falling asleep at bedtime or wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep, and this persists for a few days, a few weeks or longer, you suffer from sleeplessness, that robs your body of the rest it requires to re-energize you physically, mentally and emotionally. A typical form of sleeplessness occurs when you wake up during the night, realize you are wide-awake when you should be sleeping and then become anxious. Anxiety causes adrenaline to flood the system and adrenaline prompts the body into action – the opposite of what you need for effective sleep. (See our Recommendations).
If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Sleeplessness affects all age groups. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that about 60 million Americans suffer from insomnia each year. The National Sleep Foundation reports that disordered sleep – difficulty falling asleep, light sleep or nonrestorative sleep for several nights or more weekly – affects nearly two-thirds of American adults at some point. It’s believed that sleeplessness increases as we grow older. More than half of older Americans have trouble sleeping and think it’s a part of aging. It’s not. (See our Recommendations).
"Sleep problems in the elderly are not a normal part of aging," says Dr. Julie Gammack, assistant professor of geriatrics at Saint Louis University. "It contributes to an increased risk of accidents, falls and chronic fatigue."
Our children and teens, too, are having trouble sleeping. Difficulty falling asleep is the most common complaint among adolescents. In a national survey on the sleep patterns of U.S. adolescents ages 11-17, the 2006 Sleep in America poll by the National Sleep Foundation found only 20% of adolescents were getting the recommended nine hours of sleep on school nights and 45% slept less than eight hours.
What’s Causing Your Sleeplessness?
Stress is a leading cause of abnormal sleep patterns. Research shows it is a common trigger for both short-term and chronic insomnia. Stress can result from health concerns, depression and anxi¬ety among other things, but perhaps the most insidious cause is the modern world in which we live. Technology, world events and our ever-increasing knowledge about our world and the universe seem to have put time on a relentless treadmill and keeping up can wear out even the most determined among us. Scientific research by the Institute of HeartMath shows stress creates incoherence in our heart rhythms, and when the heart is out of sync normal sleep patterns can be interrupted. (See our Recommendations).
"Up to 90% of all health problems are related to stress. Additionally, a large body of research confirms our thoughts and emotions have a dynamic effect on our health and vitality."
—The American Institute of Stress
A HeartMath TIP: Before settling down for the night, take five minutes to try these simple steps adapted from the HeartMath Attitude Breathing® tool.
Focus on your heart as you breathe in. Focus on your solar plexus as you breathe out.
Concentrate on a positive feeling or attitude as you breathe.
Lock in this feeling.
As you become adept at this technique select new feelings and attitudes.
Wake up feeling rested, refreshed and ready for new day
Increased mental awareness, concentration, focus
Body energized, alert; less potential for accidents
Improved memory
Reduced risk of illness, disease
"HeartMath techniques are demonstrated to provide powerful stress-reduction benefits in carefully designed scientific studies that are supported by a documented reduction in damaging stress hormones."
—Paul Rosch, President, The American Institute of Stress
Recommended
Tools For Solving Sleeplessness
Although most people know how poorly they feel and perform following a sleepless night, few know what to do about it. The HeartMath System is the culmination of many years of research into finding solutions that can help you overcome sleeplessness.
Solving Sleeplessness: If you’ve had trouble sleeping lately, this HeartMath emTech® Media audio program or e-booklet can help. Personal stories and instructions will help you sleep more peacefully more often.
emWave® Personal Stress Reliever: Wouldn’t it be great if you could reduce the stress in your life that commonly leads to sleeplessness? You absolutely can! The emWave PSR, an entertaining stress-relief technology that is scientifically validated, is designed to help you balance your mind, body and emotions by teaching you heart coherence.
emWave® PC / emWave® Mac Stress Relief System:† The emWave®
PC/Mac allows you to see how emotions affect your heart rhythms and trains you to experience the emotions most beneficial to you. You’ll learn how to shift into a positive emotional state and see changes in your heart rhythms immediately on your computer screen. These shifts in heart rhythms create a favorable cascade of neural, hormonal and biochemical events that benefit the complete mind and body. † Formerly known as Freeze-Framer®.
Learn more…
Quick Coherence® Technique: Use this powerful technique to reduce the stress that’s keeping you awake at night. Quick Coherence will help you refocus your emotions anytime during the day and connect you with your energetic heart. You’ll learn to relieve worry, fatigue and tension. Improve your emotional, mental and physical balance during the day so you’re prepared for restful sleep at night.
Read about diabetes patients who experienced improved sleep patterns and many other benefits after using the HeartMath System.
