Yoga may relieve postmenopausal insomnia

3 February 2012 in insomnia cures

We’ve extolled the benefits of yoga more than once. We’ve also reported on the link between insomnia and menopause. Now a small study published in the journal Menopause has found that yoga can be particularly helpful for postmenopausal insomniacs.

44 postmenopausal women who were not undergoing hormone replacement therapy were involved in the study. After four months, each woman was asked to complete a questionnaire that rated their sleep quality from 0-28, with 28 being severe insomnia. Women who practiced yoga for the previous four months had an average score of 12.4. Women without a yoga regimen had an average score of 19.9.

If you’re still not convinced, it’s worth mentioning that the study didn’t find any clear differences in results for women who simply stretched instead of practicing yoga.

If you’ve tried yoga but it didn’t work, you may want to read our post about valerian for menopausal women or even consider increasing your intake of soy.

Source: Menopause

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Women are twice as likely than men to take prescription medication for insomnia

31 January 2012 in insomnia cures

We already know that women are more likely to suffer from insomnia compared to men – and now it appears that they’re also far more likely to seek a pharmaceutical cure for their insomnia.

According to IMS Health, a healthcare consulting company, just shy of 15.5 million women aged between 40 and 59 have used prescription medication to help them sleep. This is nearly twice the number of men from the same age group.

So why does it appear that women are more in need of insomnia medication than men? One doctor argues that it’s down to women’s increasingly busy and stressful role in society – often as both breadwinner and caregiver. Others argue that it’s not down to need – rather it’s due to the fact women are targeted by advertising from pharmaceutical companies.

We’ll throw our own theory into the mix, too – perhaps it’s because women are more likely to seek medical advice for their insomnia, and so they’re more likely to end up on prescription medication.

We’d appreciate hearing your thoughts on this.

Source: Pharma Marketing Blog

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The consequences of insomnia

27 January 2012 in insomnia information

Here are a few more reasons why insomnia shouldn’t be ignored. Before reading any further, let us remind you that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50-70 million US adults aren’t getting enough sleep.

Insomnia compromises your immune system

Those who get only four hours of sleep each night for a week produce half the number of flu antibodies after receiving a flu vaccine compared to those who sleep between seven and eight hours.

Insomnia may lead to depression

A two year study involving over 10,000 participants found that getting less than six hours of sleep led to feelings of anxiousness and sadness. Furthermore, sleep deprivation can lead to depression since a lack of sleep can lead to chemical changes in the brain that affect mood.

Insomnia can cause high blood pressure

Getting less than six hours of sleep each night can almost double your risk of developing high blood pressure.

Insomnia can lead to heart disease

A study found that women who slept for five hours or less each night had higher levels of CRP – a marker for heart disease.

Insomnia may cause diabetes

Research suggests that poor sleep can lead to insulin resistance, which could lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.

Insomnia makes you gain weight

One study found that those who slept five hours per night for two weeks burned more muscle and less fat than those who slept for eight hours. Another study found that getting less than five hours of sleep can cause excess weight to accumulate around your mid-section due to the higher levels of cortisol in the body after reduced sleep.

Insomnia makes you look old

Just one night of sleep deprivation can make fine lines and wrinkles more visible, since even the loss of one night’s sleep can dry the skin and leave it less elastic.

Many insomniacs know everything we’ve shared above. Now it’s time for us to educate those who are lucky enough to enjoy consistent, quality sleep. We really need to do a better job in educating the general public about insomnia and its potentially devastating consequences.

Source: MSN Health

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How your BMI affects your sleep

26 January 2012 in insomnia causes

We’ve written about the link between insomnia and body weight a few times. Now a study has found that the higher your body mass index (BMI), the less sleep you’re likely to get.

The study looked at 6,344 men and women aged between 20-60 years of age with a BMI range of 18-40 (this range covers the classifications of underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obese).

First of all, researchers once again found that women sleep more than men (regardless of BMI). Whilst the average man managed to get 6.6 hours, the average woman got 6.9 hours. This equates to women getting an additional 20 minutes of sleep each night.

Now to the nitty-gritty of the study. Researchers found that for both men and women, as BMI increases, sleep duration decreases. That being said, researchers found that sleep deprivation was more closely linked to higher BMI numbers in women, compared to men.

You may think that weight affecting sleep is obvious – however, only 46% of Americans are aware of the link between body weight and sleep, and only 26% consider sleep a factor when it comes to losing weight.

Source: Sleep Review

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Drinking alcohol may make your insomnia worse

19 January 2012

Having a drink (or two, or three…) is often touted as a cure for insomnia yet most insomniacs know that sleep through intoxication isn’t really helpful. Besides the health implications, those who drink to sleep report poor sleep quality and grogginess the next day. A study published in a well regarded journal (see source link [...]

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A list of popular over the counter sleeping pills and prescription sleep aids

17 January 2012

We’re often mentioning specific insomnia treatments here on the Insomnia Land blog. Although this works well when we want to share the latest insomnia news and research, it’s not particularly helpful if you’re simply looking for a list of the most popular insomnia treatments. With the help of Pharmacy Times, we want to change that today [...]

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