Insomnia and sleep disorders
Do you often lie awake at night, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep? Do you have a million thoughts running through your head? Do you find it hard to switch off your brain to relax? Inevitably, you stay awake, restless, irritated and unable to sleep. Insomnia strikes most people at one time or another, usually as a result of excessive stress.
Do you suffer from any of the following symptoms?
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Waking up during the night
- Feeling of not being rested in the morning
- Difficulty concentrating
- Sleepiness during the day
If you suffer from some or all of these insomnia symptoms, you're not alone. In fact, 35% of Canadians have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Considering how important sleep is to overall health, this is an alarming statistic.
When you don't get enough sleep, your health suffers. Research indicates that sleep deprivation can lead to a host of health problems, including increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, weight gain and obesity. Also, sleep helps your brain function by helping you focus, make decisions and perform other functions on a daily basis. The Sleep Foundation recommends 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. And if you don't get this minimum amount of sleep, your brain and body suffer, and your immune system loses its ability to fight off disease, so you're more likely to get sick.
