Overcoming Sleeplessness
What is Sleeplessness?
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.
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 anxiety 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)
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Recommended
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.
(See our Recommendations)
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Benefits of Restful Sleep
- 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
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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.
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emWave®2: Regular use of this entertaining and scientifically validated, heart-rate monitor has helps you build resilience – a state of poise and readiness for effectively with stressful feelings that can deplete your mental, emotional and physical systems. Easy to use and noninvasive, you can use it as a handheld or connect to your computer to review past sessions or play any of the resilience building games.
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emWave® Desktop for Mac and PC†: The emWave Desktop turns your computer into an advanced heart-rate monitor. When combined with HeartMath’s widely acclaimed resilience and coherence building techniques, you’ll soon learn how easily you can create an optimal state in which your heart, mind and emotions are more in-sync and balanced. In this balanced state, individuals tend to experience more energy, focus and mental clarity. With practice of the HeartMath System can help you begin feeling healthier and happier and start living life more fully.
† Formerly known as Freeze-Framer®
(Note: Use the emWave2 or emWave Desktop for Mac and PC to help regulate your emotions in preparation for events you know may trigger your stress response and to help you recover from stressful episodes and get back on an even keel fast.)
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.
- See how participants fared in the HeartMath study Physiological and Psychological Stress in Police Officers.
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Take me to the HeartMath Store now to learn more about IHM’s life-changing tools, training programs and other resources, or call us: (800) 711-6221.
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