by Janet Pieterse

Created on: January 14, 2008

Dr. Rudolph Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy, predicted in 1920 that we would see an epidemic of sleep disorders by the end of the century. He was right. About a third of the population of the United States suffers from insomnia in any one year, and more than 10 million people take prescription medicine to help them sleep. It's become such a problem that sleep medicine is now a clinical medicine in its own right.

Most people reach for sleeping pills first. However, they tend to make things worse rather than better when taken over a long period of time. Prescription drugs are addictive and have a number of side effects. They also, along with non-prescription drugs, disrupt the normal sleep pattern, which makes it harder to sleep without them. However, if you take sleeping pills regularly, it's equally bad to stop taking them suddenly. Withdrawal symptoms can include panic, depression, nausea, headaches, hallucinations, paranoia, loss of memory and even seizures. Wean yourself off sleeping pills slowly.

A more natural solution looks at lifestyle issues and possible psychological causes of the sleeping disorders.

SLEEPING TIPS

Regular exercise helps improve your quality of sleep. Twenty minutes at 60% to 75% of maximum heart rate is all you need. The best times to exercise are early morning or early evening, not just before bedtime!

Check your diet. Are you consuming stimulating substances that stop you from sleeping? Suspect alcohol, caffeine and any medications you may be taking.

Eating too late may disrupt your sleep pattern, as does eating the wrong kind of food, or not enough: low blood sugar can cause you to wake up too early. Good bedtime snacks that help keep your blood sugar even without burdening your digestive system include oatmeal, whole grain breads and whole grain muffins.

If you can't stay asleep, you may not be aware of it. All you know is that you feel perpetually tired during the day. Common causes are sleep apnea, nocturnal myoclonus and restless-legs syndrome.

Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder. You just stop breathing for a few moments, which disturbs your sleep cycle. In between these breath stoppages, you almost certainly snore, although snoring does not mean you have sleep apnea. You may wake up with a mild headache.

Mild sleep apnea usually responds to lifestyle changes like avoiding alcohol, tobacco and sleeping pills, as well as losing excess weight. Some people only stop breathing when they sleep on their backs, so cushions to keep you

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