Insomnia-A guide to sleeplessness

Sleeplessness or Insomnia, as we may call it is defined by an individual’s report of difficulty with sleep. It is a positive response to the question” Do you experience difficulty sleeping?” Thus, lacking a peaceful sleep despite of adequate opportunity and circumstances to sleep, frequent awakenings or prolonged periods of wakefulness during the sleep period are considered to be the evidence of this medical disorder. Most people encounter sleep difficulties from time to time, often related to stress or pain. Many of these get better without treatment. Unfortunately, in a significant proportion of population, sleep problems turn into Insomnia.

The percentage of people suffering from insomnia is quite large. Especially the young generation can be seen as a prey to it. The causes can be many, as explained by Dr. Ramesh Arora, a private practitioner. According to him, insomnia symptoms may occur in teenagers in conjunction with any number of physical, psychological or environmental behavior. This can be anything like

• ·         Poor Habits
• ·         Poor Diet
• ·         Significant life stress
• ·         Emotional or physical discomfort
• ·         Depression
• ·         Anxiety
• ·         Excessive use of cell phones and laptops at the time of sleep

This all hampers a good night sleep. Not only this, frequent sleepless nights may typically be followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy levels, irritability, aggressiveness, severe moodiness, lack of concentration, clumsiness and even loss of appetite. An evaluation including a physical exam, a medical history and a sleep history is suggested to people who think they are suffering from insomnia. It is not a non curable disorder. In fact, insomnia can be cured with simple changes in your day to day lifestyle, if it’s not chronic. Prolonged insomnia or chronic, as you may call it includes first treating any underlying health problems that are acting as a root cause. It is important therefore, to undertake a full investigation of what could be contributing to insomnia before suggesting or undertaking a specific treatment. Techniques for chronic insomnia may involve relaxation exercises, sleep restriction therapy and reconditioning.

CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE AND GET RID OF SLEEPLESSNESS.

“Yoga and physical exercises are the best to have a good night sleep” says Dr. S.D Singh, Assistant Professor at State National Homeopathic Medical Centre. According to him, a healthy routine can bring a lot changes in people suffering from sleeplessness. Insomniacs can be helped by practicing good ‘sleep hygiene’ which includes paying attention to the effects on sleep of environmental factors such as noise, light and temperature. The other suggestive measures may include:

• Setting up fixed times for going to bed and waking up. This helps the body to get used to falling asleep at fixed hours.Don’t take your worries to bed as anxiety and stress are considered to be the major factors guiding insomnia.
• Avoid napping during the day. If your drowsiness is caused by insufficient sleep, brief naps of 10 minutes or so will most likely be refreshing, but longer siestas may impair your night time sleep.
• Cut down on your intake of caffeinated beverages, nicotine and alcohol.
• Avoid eating heavy, spicy or sugary meals at night. Instead, go for light food. Not only this, keep a check on the quality and quantity of food that you intake during the entire day. Poor dietary habits may also result into insomnia.
• Avoid watching or checking the clock throughout the night.
• Engage yourself in some physical exercise daily. But not too close to bedtime. According to a study, exercising daily can reduce the time to fall asleep and increase the length of sleep of people suffering with insomnia.
• Use comfortable bedding. Uncomfortable bedding may prevent a good sleep.
• Block out all the distracting noises while you sleep and eliminate as much light as possible.
• Remove television from your room. Most people tend to fall asleep with the television on in their room which is rather a bad idea.
• Cut short the use of cell phones and laptops during the night hours. Those who regularly use their smart phone or computer late at night are particularly susceptible to mental health problems that often result into sleep deprivation, researchers claim.

Remember: Even minimal sleep loss can have profound effects on all aspects of our lives and Insomnia is a problem that is affecting the masses today, irrespective of their age, at some point in their lives.  As our concentration diminishes and our ability to perform tasks declines, our true productivity shrinks. When we lose sleep, we also put ourselves and those around us at high risks for accidents. Insomnia is curable if diagnosed and treated properly. All you need is to take note of your body changes and symptoms to live a healthy, sleeplessness free life!

Kausani-The Visitor's Paradise!

Kausani- A beautiful hill station and Village situated in the hearts of Uttrakhand, which is approximately 116 kms from Nainital, has a lot to offer in terms of scenic splendour.  Also known as the ‘Switzerland of India’, this place is a must watch for nature’s beauty lovers. Along with experiencing spectacular panoramic views of the Himalayan Peaks, one can also get to see the exquisite sun rise as the sun emerges from behind the Panchchuli peaks of Kumayun Himalayan Range, providing the most exotic views of a lifetime! The glory of the snow crowned Himalayan Range reaches its pinnacle when the sun rays turn them to gold during the mornings and red orange sky at the sunset. With some really exquisite views, Kausani has a lot to offer to the bag packers in terms of its Scenic charms, the major attractions being the Rudradhari Falls and Caves, Anasakti Ashram, Tea Estate, Baijnath Temple and the Lakshmi Ashram. One can also chose to enjoy the place at a Resort away from the city life with delicious local homemade food prepared by the residents of Kumaon.

The Best time to visit this exotic place is between March to May when the weather is pleasant enough for a sightseeing tour and outdoor activities. It is also the ideal time to explore the natural beauty of the place. What else could one ask for when the Visitor’s Paradise in India is still left to be explored!

Her Last Wish...

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That night, as I sat holding her hands in the massive room of a place, I never wanted to visit, with the only sound of the ceiling fan creaking above me, I felt something wet trickle down my eyes. Finding no escapade from the ill fate that had doomed over us, I closed my eyes to allow my emotions to rescue. They were once very precious for the one lying next to me, all unconscious. But now, since I had no wish to hold them back, I let them free to dribble from my red, swollen eyes.

“Why on Earth did I ask her to take an Auto that day? Why wasn’t I there to pick her up as usual?” I blamed myself for not being there for her when she told me she wasn’t in a good mood. It was easy to blame but it was hard to believe. Though I have a trillion times told her that I don’t need her in my life, but the underlying truth that I failed to mention was that without her, my life has always been incomplete. She gave me a reason to smile. But she would succumb to the first remark so easily, I never knew.

“Mr. Desai. It’s very late. You can go and have some sleep. We will take care of your wife.” Suddenly a comforting voice perturbed my thoughts. I looked back and found an old nurse, standing right behind.

“Thank you Sister. But I guess, we both require each other right now than anyone else.” I managed to fumble.

“It’s okay if you say so. But you seem too drained out. I suggest you go and have some rest, while we stay here.” The nurse offered.

“Rest? That is what I have been doing that day”. I remembered as I wiped my eyes, still holding on to her lifeless hands.

“No, thank you. I would like to stay behind.” I replied and watched as the nurse left, closing the door behind her. The silence in the room once again killed me from within. It had never been like this with my wife around. She had always been the backbone of my life but unfortunately, I had been too late to tell her all this. It had been ages since I told her that I loved her. Her cold, inert body lay there, right next to me and I could feel the pain that she went through when I stopped talking to her. She told me I was her life. I failed to tell her. I looked at her face, which was once full of love and life. The love still seemed intact but there was no trace of life.

It was 12 midnight when I dozed off, thinking about all the times that we shared. Her hands, held on to mine and my fingers clasping in between the fingers of her soft hands. Few years back, I had promised to take care of her while tying the auspicious knots. A little while later, a soft knock on the door woke me up. It was 4 am. My girl was shivering, like a trembling leaf she was holding me tight. I froze for a second and rushed to call for the doctor on the instructions of the staff nurse who had by then come up for a routine check up. All I could hear was a frantic QUICK.

It took quite a while to locate a doctor on duty. Room No. 402. I rushed in through the door behaving like a maniac. I begged the doctor to save her. There were still so many things left unsaid. I couldn’t just let her go like this. I badly wanted to tell her that I loved her, in spite of all the trivial fights between us. I wanted to tickle her once and see her laughing. I wanted to whisper “You are mad” in her ears and watch her whimpering. I so badly wanted to tell her that I am Incomplete without her. I don’t know how to manage my wardrobe without her. I don’t know how to clean up the room without her. I forget my wallet and socks every day, if she isn’t there around to tell me. In all these years of our marriage, I had learnt to be dependent on her. I had learnt to be a sensible chap. I had learned to love her. What I haven’t learned was to live life without her and I wanted to tell her all this. It was muteness that enwrapped me as I watched the doctors trying their best to provide her with the last breath. They pumped her chest to bring back life in a body that was making its way to heaven abode. I sat on my knees as her eyes turned towards me. I had never felt so helpless before. I was watching her leave. If only I could. I rushed to her and clenched her hands. They felt like ice. I frantically kissed her, begging her all the mercy for that day until I found people dragging me away. Away from her. Away from my life which was lifeless now. Her eyes still smiled at me. There was nothing left of her or in her. The people, they tried to calm me down as I watched rooted, her body being covered in white.

“Mr. Desai. Please control.” I heard the people say as I rushed to hug her. “I am sorry. Please come back. Please come back”

“Take him outside. We need to move the corpse.” The doctors said.

“No. She isn’t a corpse. She is still alive. She is there with me and she will be coming back for me. My wardrobe is all messed up, you know. She knows I can’t do it alone. She knows it.” Was the only thing that I could manage to fumble.

As tears rolled down my cheeks, I remembered her last words, the thing that she said to me just before rushing her to the hospital “Don’t ever cry if I am not there, you know I can’t see tears in your eyes”.

“You promised you won’t leave me alone. You broke it” I murmured, wiping off the trickling drops on my cheeks. “ But I will keep your words. No more will I cry but you forgot to teach me life without you.” The series of events on that fatal day flashed before me. A Monday morning, rush on road, I denied to pick her up and she went hiring an Auto, the accident, the frantic phone call..................and Her last wish.