How to Cure Insomnia with Water You have been hard at work at the office all day, took a meeting after work, then went home and played with the dog, helped the kids with their homework, completed some work needed for an early morning meeting the next day and now it is time to get some heard-earned rest… NOT!

If this story sounds familiar to you then you are probably suffering from insomnia – the inability to sleep or “chronic sleeplessness.”  We are not talking about a night or two that you find it difficult to fall asleep due to too much caffeine or excitement; we are talking about a persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep on a regular basis.

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is defined as “a persistent disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep or both, despite the opportunity for adequate sleep. With insomnia, you usually awaken feeling unrefreshed, which takes a toll on your ability to function during the day. Insomnia can sap not only your energy level and mood but also your health, work performance and quality of life.”

[Source: Mayo Clinic]

There are basically 3 types of insomnia:

  • Transient Insomnia: Lasts from a few days to weeks and may be as a result of changes in schedule, depression, environment (e.g. travel), or stress
  • Acute Insomnia: The inability to sleep well for a period of 3 weeks – 6 months
  • Chronic Insomnia: The inability to sleep consistently well at night for 1 year or longer

Insomnia occurs more in women than in men, but is prevalent in young and old alike. Insomnia is not defined by how many hours of sleep one gets or how many hours it takes to fall asleep; it is a measure of “satisfaction with sleep.” [Source: MedicineNet.com]

What Causes Insomnia?

Insomnia happens for different reasons, such as disease or one or other medication you may be taking. It may also be the symptom of some physiological or mental/emotional disorder.

Other reasons for insomnia could be:

  • Caffeine nicotine and alcohol intake
  • Chronic pain such as that experienced by individuals suffering from fibromyalgia, for example
  • Dehydration caused by drinking insufficient water during the day. Drinking water on a regular basis to ensure the body remains hydrated helps to decrease inflammation, which can manifest as stiffness, irritability, headaches, and muscle pain
  • Hormonal imbalances, including the “stress hormone” cortisol; thyroid hormones; oestrogen, and melatonin. Changes in oestrogen levels during menopause for instance, cause hot flashes, night sweats and anxiety.  The pineal gland in the brain secretes melatonin, the “sleep hormone” less as we age
  • Neurological or digestive disorders
  • Stress in the form of excitement, anxiety or depression

Insufficient sleep takes its toll on the body; it can cause a lack of energy, tiredness, difficulty in concentrating, and irritability.

How to Cure Insomnia with Water

Dehydration is a big cause of insomnia, so drinking water to ensure that you are well-hydrated will help you to push the snooze button on your body and mind. If you find it difficult to drink water, set up a water drinking schedule and stick to it.

Aim to drink about 1.5 litres of water per day, split up into smaller amounts throughout the day:

  • Drink one glass of water immediately after waking up
  • Drink a half a glass of water with breakfast
  • Sip water throughout the morning, making sure that you drink water regularly, and finish about 2 glasses of water by lunch time
  • Drink water regularly through the afternoon, ensuring that you drink water with dinner too, by which time you should have consumed just over a litre of water
  • Drink a final glass of water about half an hour before retiring

If you find drinking water not quite to your taste, invest in a water cooler so that your water is chilled, tastes better and chilled. An office water cooler or a home water cooler will also encourage you to drink more water as it makes drinking water more readily available.

If your insomnia is caused by stress or the fact that you have too much on your mind, or even if it is due to a change in geographical environment, drinking water may not help, but water can still be a good solution. Instead of drinking water to try to cure the insomnia, rather run yourself a nice warm bath, possibly add some relaxing bath salts and just ‘chill out” for about 30 minutes. Once your body and mind are relaxed you will be able to sleep.

Rent water coolers and buy water coolers online from Living-Water.

Source:

Thorne Research Inc.