Insomnia: What Can You Do to Get Back to Sleep? Did you know that 16% of the French population reports suffering from insomnia? This is a significant figure that has only been rising since the health crisis and the concerns associated with it. The consequences? Fatigue during the day, reduced productivity at work, and a real anxiety about going to bed for fear of not being able to fall asleep. And yet the French National Authority for Health* states that only 10 to 20% of sleep disorders are considered true insomnia. So what exactly is insomnia? It affects all segments of the population: from the elderly to adults to pregnant women. Insomnia must therefore be analyzed to identify its causes and, above all, to find the right solutions and treatments to get rid of it and finally sleep like a baby!
The Definition of Insomnia
What is insomnia?
Let’s start at the beginning—with a definition: insomnia is a sleep disorder. It involves an inability to fall asleep at night, or waking up during the night and then being unable to fall back asleep. Because of insomnia, both the quality and quantity of sleep are reduced, and there is insufficient deep, restorative sleep. The main risk of insomnia is that it can become chronic. Indeed, once caught in the vicious cycle of insomnia, it is difficult to break free. Bedtime can become a source of anxiety, because the sleep-deprived person wants to sleep so badly that they cannot let go and drift off into the arms of Morpheus.
What are the symptoms?
Do you think you might have insomnia? You might if you experience several of these symptoms:
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Light Sleep
- Frequent awakenings
- Nightmares
- Anxieties
A person is considered to have insomnia when they sleep no more than 3 or 4 hours per night and the total time they spend awake during the night exceeds 20 minutes.Insomnia consequently causes drowsiness, memory and concentration problems, as well as uncontrollable yawning throughout the day… The good news, however, is that it’s not inevitable! Natural solutions and treatments exist, and they are effective once the causes of insomnia have been identified.
Insomnia: Causes
What are the causes?
To understand why insomnia affects some people but not others, it is important to distinguish between two types of insomnia:
- Primary insomnia: It can occur at certain times in life or recur regularly depending on several factors, such as stress, rumination, and obsessive thoughts…
- Secondary insomnia: It is a consequence of a more general medical condition, such as sleep apnea, allergies, hyperthyroidism, or drug use.
Insomnia, therefore, has various causes that vary depending on the stage of life. For example, it has been observed thatinsomnia and lockdowns have been closely linked since the COVID-19 pandemic. The stress caused by uncertainty and restrictive measures has significantly increased sleep disturbances among the global population.
Insomnia also affects certain segments of the population more than others. This is the case for pregnant women.
The Specific Case of Insomnia During Pregnancy
A large number of pregnant women suffer from insomnia. In fact, 75.1% experienceinsomnia early in pregnancy—that is, during thefirst trimester—and 93.3% during thethird trimester.The early stages of pregnancy bring their own share of stress and worries for expectant mothers, which can make it harder to fall asleep. During thethird trimester, physiological changes take over: an increase in uterine size, hormonal fluctuations, nighttime cramps, restless legs syndrome… In short, expectant mothers, in addition to putting their bodies through a grueling ordeal during pregnancy, are among the most affected by insomnia. Consequently, when sufferingfrom insomnia—whether pregnant or not—people desperately seek solutions, preferably ones that are as natural as possible.
Managing Insomnia: Treatment and Solutions
Once you’ve determined that you’re sufferingfrom insomnia—and identified its cause and symptoms—it’s time to take action! To break free from the vicious cycle of fatigue and sleep deprivation, there are natural solutions available for everyone.
Fighting Insomnia: Remedies and Tips
- Have good bedding: This factor is often overlooked in the treatment of insomnia, yet a good mattress makes all the difference in the quality of your sleep. Choose one made of natural latex for breathability and to ensure you avoid any risk of allergies. You may also want to replace your pillow. Its purpose is to support your neck, and it therefore plays a key role in the quality of your sleep.
- Going to bed at set times: It seems simple enough, yet the body needs a regular rhythm to fall asleep.
- Relaxing: easier said than done, you might say… However, there are techniques that can help, such as mindfulness meditation, homeopathic treatments, or herbal medicine.
- Eat light: That’s right—our digestive system needs to rest at night, too! So skip heavy meals in the evening, as well as stimulants (tobacco, caffeine, theine, vitamin C…). Eat light and opt for a cup of chamomile tea to aid both digestion and sleep.
- Find your own balance: Determine whether you’re a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper, so you don’t insist on getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep if 6 hours are enough for you. The important thing is to know yourself.
Insomnia: What Can You Do to Fall Back Asleep Easily?
Insomnia is therefore treated on a case-by-case basis; however, there are some tips that can apply to everyone when insomnia comes knocking at our bedroom door:
- Don't force it: if you're awake, there's no point in tossing and turning in bed indefinitely. Get up calmly, settle down on the couch under a warm blanket, and read a book, for example.
- Be sure not to look at screens—blue light prevents melatonin, the sleep hormone, from doing its job.
- When you wake up early, accept that the night is over, and take the opportunity to start your day earlier.
If you need more information, our entire team is available to assist you via email at help@kipli.com or via chat. Feel free to contact us! Of course, The Kipli Team
*French National Health Authority, “Tips for Better Sleep,” https://www.has-sante.fr/upload/docs/application/pdf/2013-03/echange_patient_quelques_conseils_pour_mieux_dormir_vf.pdf