• Become habit-forming
• Mask medical problems that may be causing the insomnia, and delay treatment
• Interact with other medicines you use and cause serious health problems
• Cause grogginess or rebound insomnia, where the sleeping problems get worse

Uncommon side-effects of sleep medicines include:

• Severe allergic reactions or facial swelling
• High blood pressure, dizziness, weakness, nausea, confusion, or short-term memory loss
• Complex sleep-related behaviors, such as binge eating or driving while asleep

Source:  The Office on Women’s Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

Other times, during pregnancy, hormonal, physical, and emotional changes can also disturb sleep. Pregnant women, especially in the third trimester, may wake up frequently due to discomfort, leg cramps, or needing to use the bathroom.

Some medical conditions that can cause secondary insomnia also are more common in women than men. These include depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, and some sleep disorders, such as restless leg syndrome.

If you notice prolonged symptoms, talk to your doctor, there’s always something they can do to relieve the discomfort. If you find it impossible to function during the day due to lack of sleep, you really shouldn’t suffer. During the current economical time, many women find it even harder to cope with stress. A good night’s sleep is a must in order to stay positive and care for yourself and your family.

Source: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool. If light is a problem, try a sleeping mask. If noise is a problem, try earplugs, a fan, or a “white noise” machine to cover up the sounds. Bedrooms should be used only to sleep. Don’t bring laptop to your bedroom as web surfing can keep you awake.

Source: Office on Women’s Health Office at the Department of Health and Human Services.

The next one is old, get regular exercise. But don’t exercise right before bedtime. Never eat your dinner too late or too much. Don’t use bright lights in the bedroom and keep it quiet. If you like music, only play relaxing and soft music. Hot baths help just about everyone. Take a long and hot bath before bed and read a book.

The last tip is never go to bed worrying about something. Solve the issues or forget about it before you go to bed.

Source:  Office on Women’s Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

The third one is pregnancy. During pregnancy, women tend to wake up more often due to discomfort or simply to use the bathroom.

Lastly, other health issues such as depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, and restless leg syndrome tend to be more common in women than men.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Aging comes with a big problem in sleeping patterns. Many older people get insomnia. They’re unable to fall asleep or stay asleep. However troublesome, it is part of natural aging. Unless it was caused by complications from other health issues, or as a result of medications, there’s no need to worry. As many as half of all people over 65 have frequent sleeping problems. Elderly can’t stay in deep sleep for very long. Sometimes it stops completely.

Source: NINDS

A primary insomnia sometimes can end on its own without medical attention. If it was stress related, it’ll go away once the stressful events are over. If it was travel related, it’ll go away once you go back to your normal routine. But if it’s pure life long insomnia, not triggered by external events, it can last for years. Research has shown that some people tend to be prone to primary insomnia.

Source: Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

We all look forward to a good night’s sleep. Sleep allows our body to rest and to restore its energy levels. Without enough restful sleep, not only can we become grumpy and irritable, but also inattentive and more prone to accidents. Like food and water, adequate sleep is essential to good health and quality of life.

There are two types of sleep: non-rapid eye movement — or NREM sleep — and rapid eye movement — or REM sleep. NREM sleep includes four stages, ranging from light to deep sleep. Then we go into REM sleep, the most active stage of sleep when dreaming often occurs. During REM sleep, the eyes move back and forth beneath the eyelids and muscles become immobile. We cycle through the NREM-REM stages of sleep approximately every 90 minutes.

Source: National Institute on Aging

Go to bed at a set time each night and get up at the same time each morning. Disrupting this schedule may lead to insomnia. “Sleeping in” on weekends also makes it harder to wake up early on Monday morning because it re-sets your sleep cycles for a later awakening.

• Exercise:

Try to exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day. Daily exercise often helps people sleep, although a workout soon before bedtime may interfere with sleep. For maximum benefit, try to get your exercise about 5 to 6 hours before going to bed.

• Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol:

Avoid drinks that contain caffeine, which acts as a stimulant and keeps people awake. Sources of caffeine include coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, non-herbal teas, diet drugs, and some pain relievers. Smokers tend to sleep very lightly and often wake up in the early morning due to nicotine withdrawal. Alcohol robs people of deep sleep and REM sleep and keeps them in the lighter stages of sleep.

• Relax before bed:

A warm bath, reading, or another relaxing routine can make it easier to fall sleep. You can train yourself to associate certain restful activities with sleep and make them part of your bedtime ritual.

• Sleep until sunlight:

If possible, wake up with the sun, or use very bright lights in the morning. Sunlight helps the body’s internal biological clock reset itself each day. Sleep experts recommend exposure to an hour of morning sunlight for people having problems falling asleep.

• Don’t lie in bed awake:

If you can’t get to sleep, don’t just lie in bed. Do something else, like reading, watching television, or listening to music, until you feel tired. The anxiety of being unable to fall asleep can actually contribute to insomnia.

• Control your room temperature:

Maintain a comfortable temperature in the bedroom. Extreme temperatures may disrupt sleep or prevent you from falling asleep.

• See a doctor if your sleeping problem continues:

If you have trouble falling asleep night after night, or if you always feel tired the next day, then you may have a sleep disorder and should see a physician. Your primary care physician may be able to help you; if not, you can probably find a sleep specialist at a major hospital near you. Most sleep disorders can be treated effectively, so you can finally get that good night’s sleep you need.

Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

• Insomnia
• Sleep Apnea
• Restless Legs Syndrome
• Narcolepsy

Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke