Everyone experiences difficulty falling to sleep or staying asleep at times in their lives. No one is exempt. However, if it lasts longer than two to three weeks, experts suggest insomnia may be occurring. Insomnia is just that–difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.

The causes are many and varied:

  • too much caffeine or alcohol too late in the day
  • smoking
  • medications
  • life stress
  • depression or other emotional dis-ease
  • snoring partner
  • strange bed
  • new sleeping partner
  • genetics (The journal Sleep reported that victims of insomnia are more likely than people who sleep well to have a close relative who experiences insomnia.)
  • age (Seniors report more insomnia than do younger adults)

Symptoms, according to helpguide.org include the following:

  • feel irritable or sleepy during the day?
  • have difficulty staying awake when sitting still, watching television or reading?
  • fall asleep or feel very tired while driving?
  • have difficulty concentrating?
  • often get told by others that you look tired?
  • react slowly?
  • have emotional outbursts?
  • feel like taking a nap almost every day?
  • require caffeinated beverages to keep yourself going?

Most important to most of us is, what can be done about it? There are options available, depending upon what you are most comfortable with. Foremost is the need to try to identify what may be causing your sleep deprivation. If cause can be isolated, the cure is obviously eliminating or addressing the cause. If, for example, you are sleep deprived because you drink a cup of coffee at night, or have a caffeine soft drink, or eat a Snickers bar, you need to stop doing that. Tea, iced or hot, needs to be caffeine-free after 1:00 pm.

Or if you suffer insomnia because you are stressed about something in your life, addressing the stress is paramount in dealing with insomnia. Eliminating something you can put your hands on is much easier than the non-tangible causes however. Sometimes the intangible or just plain not knowing what causes sleeplessness is so frustrating that the not-knowing may contribut to sleep deprivation. There are options for those of you in that category also.]

Learning relaxation techniques, including Yoga and Cognitive Therapy, is high on the list of cures for insomnia. Focusing on better physical and emotional health through such techniques may be a positive side benefit also. The Internet is full of relaxation self-help learning tools.

We also recommend daily exercise for poor sleepers. Exercise has been shown to positively contribute to a lot of health issues, including insomnia. Using your body during the day helps your muscles need some rest, and you sleep better as a result.

If your partner snores, and if you want to sleep in the same room, we recommend ear plugs. They are available on the Internet for a few dollars, and are so good that they occlude 90% of sound. Do a search query for ear plugs and a lot of options pop up.

Many of us Seniors love that afternoon nap; but do we really need it or is it just a habit? If you can’t sleep, try foregoing that nap and see what happens. It’s worth a try.

Medications are at the bottom of our list of recommendations. However, if nothing else works for you, try the over-the-counter type before you do the heavy-duty prescription medications for sleep. And don’t expect to sleep more than you need; 8-9 hours is considered a good night’s sleep for most seniors.

Detailed information is available on Helpguide for addressing possible solutions, including changing the bedroom environment and lifestyle issues that may be contributing to your lack of sleep.