Wednesday, March 3, 2010

A Natural Awakening: Sleep Medications and Their Effects

I hope this is in the right order. Here is my research paper from English. I will Explain the rest later.






At some point in people’s lives, they have all had a night where it is hard to fall or stay asleep. What most people do not realize, is that it is a type of disorder that many people suffer from on a nightly basis. Those with insomnia deal with many problems and those problems may result in more stress for the individual. It is not an easy problem to deal with insomnia (“Chronic Insomnia Medication”). People who have insomnia suffer from their body being languid. Insomnia is common with people who tend to worry and have severe amounts of stress or anxiety and is most common in elderly people, women and drug or alcohol addicts (Schench, 18). Because insomnia is not as common as bacteria being that it is only found in certain types of people, it can be difficult to find a cure.

There are two main way to treat insomnia, and the rest branch of from the dichotomy, creating an infrastructure for the cure of insomnia. First, there is taking medication such as over the counter drugs or prescription medication. Then there is the less risky natural way such as, getting sleep therapy or starting basic hygiene health habits. Both of these are ideal when trying to cure insomnia.
Finding a cure to insomnia that works is a hard one to find without dangerous health risk attached. With all the new medicines that the pharmacies have to offer, taking a pill would seem simple enough. But in reality, it is not. When looking for the best and highest possible results it can be hard to choose between the main treatments. When people take sleep aids, they are looking for accurate results, but are the benefits outweighing the risks? There are more risks taken when a patient is using sleep medication.

Most over the counter and prescription drugs are not recommended for use over long periods of time (“Your Guide to the Best Sleeping Pills Today”). In other words they are meant to be taken when they truly need it, not when they are wanted. This is not ideal for an insomniac who has trouble sleeping almost every night. If the drugs are taken every night they can become highly addicting, leading to even more sleepless nights, and addiction which may lead to an overdose causing death. Treatment should come without risks, no risks means an essay cure and no addiction.
In this day and age there are more ways causing people to get tired. Becoming lazy will not do anything to help insomnia. Taking over the counter sleep aids, is not the best option. You do not need a doctor to use it, which means that the patient taking this medication is not willing enough to talk to their doctor about the side effects and to find out if this medication is right for them. Because they are not meant for insomnia sufferers, they should not be tried to cure insomnia, plain and simple.

Melatonin is a natural chemical hormone that is created in the brain that is essential for normal sleep (Graedon, 333). The only risk in taking this chemical is that it is slow. Most people find that it is only effective if taken a few hours before they sleep, because it takes a while to be released into the brain. If taken at the correct time melatonin can reduce the amount of time it takes to fall asleep as well as the time spent sleeping (Graedon, 333). Although it may seem like the perfect solution, melatonin can come with side effects. Having the same risks as a sleeping pill, melatonin the hormone supplement, can cause a morning “hangover” which includes dizziness, headaches, and tiredness (Graedon, 334). Just like a sleeping pill, what would be the point of taking melatonin if is just going to make you feel worse in the morning? On top of that, an insomniac would not want to take something that is going to harm them and make them worry more about their sleep troubles.

Besides taking melatonin daily as a pill, it can be produced naturally in many other ways. They are cognitive to each other but this comes without risks. Some of these options can be more relaxing, helping the body have a more enjoyable sleep. Taking a hot bath before bedtime can help. It’s relaxing and can help produce melatonin. A bath “raises the core body temperature” and as it drops” your body will produce melatonin (Graedon, 329). Another option would be to dim the lights. Watching television or staring at the computer screen before bed “can trick your circadian clock” (Schench, 23). Avoiding light before and during bedtime can produce melatonin. By using and producing melatonin can increase chances of curing insomnia. This leaves out the risks of sleep medications. The easiest and safest way to take melatonin is to produce it naturally, because it comes without the risks of taking melatonin as a pill. Without side effects there is no worry and no worry means a better sleep at night.

People are afraid to make lifestyle changes. That is another reason that people are more likely to take sleeping pills. What they do not realize is that there are more risks being taken. Some prescription medications can cause patients to become drowsy in their awakening (Schench, 23). Taking medicine to aid sleep should not cause people to become more uncomfortable. Luckily, medicines have been developed with “a low incidence of side effects” but through research the risks can vary (Schench, 24). Because everybody has a different body they are going to have to take different risks when taking sleep medication. For example elderly people taking Lunesta have woken up to be dizzy and out of place (Graedon, 337). By developing lifestyle changes and healthy sleep hygiene habits there are no risks to be taken.
As a way to cure insomnia doctors recommend “daily exercise as a way to reduce stress” (“Insomnia”). The perfect type of exercise for this is yoga or any type of exercise that utilizes breathing. Yoga can sublimate the body as well as the mind and can help to relieve stress. Keeping a steady balance of exercise a few hours before sleep can slow down and prepare the body for a better night sleep. Timing is also key when planning out a daily exercise routine. Exercise is not recommended right before bed. That is why most people can be skeptical about using exercise to treat their insomnia. This is because exercise simulates the body and makes it harder to fall asleep right after a workout (Schench, 22). This can be such a wonderful healthy lifestyle choice that can be beneficial to both sleep and the body being physically fit as well. Can a sleeping pill do that?

There have been many other simple things that have been found to help improve sleeping habits. There are plenty of things, as mentioned earlier, that insomniacs may also so everyday that can help them fall asleep, but many of them do not realize it. A huge setback would, obviously, be the consumption of caffeine. This can be extremely important when it comes to the treatment of insomnia. Beverages such as chamomile tea does not contain caffeine like most other teas, which can help aid sleep. However, beverages like decaffeinated coffee are not always the solution either. They can cause heartburn “which can trigger acid reflex that may wake you up” (Graedon, 328).

Yet again there is another natural way to aid sleep, which would be listening to relaxing music. Like most other remedies people think that this is “touchy-feely New Age nonsense” (Graedon, 329). But without trying it people will never know if the music works or not. Research and studies have been done that have showed that insomniacs “had less trouble getting to sleep, fell asleep more quickly, and had better sleep quality” when listening to calming music (Graedon, 330). This method is effective because it helps to relieve stress and there are no risks that need to be taken in order to have a satisfying sleep.

Just like caffeine and exercise, some types of medicines can act as stimulants (Schench, 20). To ensure a healthy sleep and find a cure to a patient’s insomnia, simple avoidances like these may not have even crossed the mind of the insomniac. This is why cognitive-behavioral therapy is ideal for insomniacs to have. If an insomniac gets help it is more likely that there will be less risk taking. They can make positive lifestyle choices, learn simple sleep hygiene tips, and get a cure for their disorder. That is three benefits in one.

Gayle Green, a chronic insomniac, has tried nearly everything there is to try to cure her insomnia, but what she hasn’t tried is the “ordeal therapy” (Green, 6-7). What severe insomniacs need most of all is sleep therapy. Investigators have found that Cognitive-behavioral therapy is more effective than some types of sleep medications (Graedon, 330). The only reason people are unlikely to commit to sleep therapy is because it can be time consuming. For example taking a pill and falling asleep right away is easier and faster than having to take time out of their lives to see their therapist. Another reason that people are skeptical about therapy is the price. People get scared when it comes to money, and stress is a huge reason why people have trouble sleeping at night. However what most people do not know is that cognitive-behavioral therapy is only costly if not covered by a health plan (Schenk). Otherwise, sleep therapy doesn’t come with any unhealthy risks and can be highly effective when treating insomnia.

The difference between sleeping the natural way and taking a pill is the knowledge that is involved. Patients need to know why they are suffering from insomnia. That way they can be more productive with their lives, solve the problem, and be able to sleep at night. There is a reason or a cause for everything. Insomnia is no exception. Why would they risk taking a pill for the rest of their life when they can find out what is causing the problem and learn how to fix it. This way insomniacs will have more acumen about their disorder.

Therapy is the mot juste of all the cures for insomnia. It is much more rewarding than trying to cure by taking medication. It is a learning experience. With the knowledge an insomniac can use it for the rest of his/her life, without any side effects. They have everything they have learned and it does not just cure their insomnia, it develops healthy lifestyle changes. Therapy will not only help patients get to sleep at night, but it will also help keep the patients healthy and fit for years to come.

If medicine is the only thing that is taken to aid sleep, insomniacs will still have the fear of not being able to sleep at night. Pills are an appurtenance to sleep. If the medication is taken away, the insomniac will still have the problems that they have always been having. “Once you’ve experienced insomnia, you may worry about it the next night” (Schench, 20). This is another risk taken when using sleep medications. There is never an actual cure, but instead there is something to try and keeps your body relying on one thing throughout life. Unlike a sleeping pill remedies “remind you of what it feels like to get a good night’s sleep” (Schench, 29) Leaving no worries the next night whether or not the insomniac will be able to sleep or not. Sleep needs to be beatitude for an insomniac.

No one wants to be uncomfortable. Finding a cure to an uncomfortable disorder should not have to be either. Sleep should not be a bête noire to insomniacs. The best risk free solution to go is to talk to a doctor, get help from therapy, and use natural remedies. All of these ways can be effective because they come with less risks. Insomnias will only be comfortable when insomnia is removed from their lives.

Insomnia can be cured if the right precautions are taken. Risks can be avoided to get the best possible results. Risks are just the curveball in treating insomnia. The only possible way to cure insomnia is to find a sleep aid with no risks. It is very important for insomniac to find a cure. Because it is difficult to find a cure the answer is to choose the easiest solution. In a time were people are busy and rushing around they should take time out of there lives to figure out what needs to be changed. “Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial to your health” (Graedon, 340). Having a healthy lifestyle comes with the cure to insomnia. If insomnia is treated the proper way with out risks a healthier happier lifestyle can be achieved.

No comments:

Post a Comment