Nobody ever imagines that babies – who seem to spend all their time sleeping and who seem to be designed to basically eat and sleep – would ever be capable of suffering from insomnia, but in today’s world, it’s not only conceivable – it happens. There are some doctors who believe that babies can suffer from insomnia the same as any adult. Coping with baby insomnia can be very difficult on the entire family, especially when it seems are no “tricks” that can help ease a baby off to sleep. Luckily, just like with adults who suffer from insomnia, there are some things that can be done to help babies fall asleep when they need to.
To be able to deal with baby insomnia you have to understand what it is. No matter who is the one suffering from it, insomnia means one thing: not being able to stay asleep once you’re asleep or not being able to fall asleep at all. In most cases, insomnia is related to stress, which is why it’s most often attributed to adults – they worry over job or bill problems and their sleep suffers. But many doctors actually agree that babies are capable of baby insomnia.
It’s very unlikely that a doctor will actually prescribe any kind of medication for insomnia to an infant – the medication would be far too likely to cause problems in the baby’s rain development. However, there are other solutions that are likely to work, the main one being an investment in an average white noise machine. White noise machines are made with the intent of drowning out all the sounds in the room – they actually either absorb sounds or eliminate them so that babies don’t get woken up by noises that disturb them in the night. These machines work because they give the mind a specific sound to zone in on – and when the mind focuses on one sound, it automatically blocks most other sounds out, meaning that noises likely to wake a baby up are ignored.
However, if you want to try a more natural remedy, try putting the infant on a very strict schedule. Wake them up at the same time and put them to bed at the same time, allowing their bodies to get into a cycle. This trains the body into a type of cycle that then continues; the baby becomes tired around the time it should be going to sleep. These are the best ways to try and eliminate baby insomnia.
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Today’s fast paced world can leave even the strongest person feeling exhausted, anxious, and overwhelmed. These can result in harm to our mental and physical well-being, causing things like depression, heart conditions, and insomnia. Insomnia, though, can be the most quickly deteriorating and detrimental affliction, because sleep is so important to the life cycle.
Luckily, for those of us who are averse to taking manmade chemicals to induce sleep, there are plenty of natural remedies for insomnia. One of these is called Valerian root, which has been used for centuries as a cure for insomnia. Scientists don’t know exactly how Valerian works in the brain, but they infer that it mimics the effects of prescription sleeping pills by increasing the amount of the calming neurotransmitter GABA in the brain. It usually takes two to three weeks to start working, and scientific studies, while promising, are still not incredibly supportive of its efficacy.
Another natural remedy for insomnia, which is most commonly used by those with jet lag, is a chemical that naturally occurs in the brain, Melatonin. Melatonin occurs naturally in the brain, where the pineal gland converts it from serotonin as light exposure lessens in the evening. It is usually ingested half an hour to an hour before bed, but doctors warn that those with autoimmune disease, schizophrenia, and depression should avoid use, due to a lack of knowledge of the possible side effects.
Along with taking Valerian or Melatonin supplements, relaxation techniques have also proven quite efficacious in aiding those with insomnia. These include visualization, meditation, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation. In visualization, you close your eyes and actually picture yourself falling asleep or deeply relaxing, much like meditation, where the eyes are closed and you focus on your breath, the “energy” inside your body, or a mantra for a period of time. Yoga, with its combination of stretching, deep breathing, and relaxing effect, has been found to be very helpful in inducing sleep and increasing its length. Progressive muscle relaxation is the process by which you tense up a group of muscles for a period of time, then release them, and move to another group of muscles, each group feeling more relaxed after its use.
There are many more natural remedies for insomnia these days than just the ones described above. If you feel like trying something alternative to prescription drugs, or don’t respond to them well either, then Valerian, Melatonin, and relaxation techniques are probably right for you. So take control, don’t wait any longer and let insomnia damage your sense of well being and quality of life, try curing it, the natural way.
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