While many understand what insomnia is and how we feel and perform after one or more nights with insufficient sleep, few seek medical advice. Most people are unaware that there are behavioral and medical options available to treat insomnia.
Insomnia is not something to be taken lightly as this sleep disorder has many repercussions to one’s overall health at the physical, emotional and mental levels.
International studies show that about 30% report one or more symptoms of Insomnia:
Lifestyle changes, traditional proper monitoring methods and in more chronic cases, sleep-inducing medication is known to help relieve this sleep disorder.
An effective technique to address Insomnia is Chakra Healing, a non-invasive holistic method of providing substantial relief.
Chakras are energy centers that control human body operations. They can experience energy blockages, which when removed, allow the smoother flow of energy all over the body, thereby normalizing the flow of life force all over the body.
An interesting aspect of Chakra Healing is that it works well together with traditional techniques. While the latter works on the physical body, the former works on the energy body, together with accelerating the speed of healing for the patient.
Insomnia can be healed by some lifestyle changes and traditional techniques. Alongside this, substantial healing is achieved using Chakra Healing. Chakras are energy centers that enable the flow of life energy in the body, thereby directly impacting the physical body and emotions. By removing any blockages in these centers, physiological and emotional disturbances in the body can restore the balance of energy in the body. Accelerated healing results can be obtained by using traditional techniques together with Chakra Healing. For Chakra Healing, the Basic (Root), Solar Plexus, Crown, Forehead, Ajna and Throat chakras when healed can substantially help improve a person’s sleep disorder.
There are two main types of insomnia, namely Primary insomnia and Secondary insomnia.
Primary insomnia is a disorder implying that your sleep problems are not a symptom or side effect of a medical condition.
Secondary insomnia occurs alongside other health conditions or may be caused as a side effect of prescribed medication. It can be acute, transient or chronic.
Certain medications and stimulants are also known to possibly cause chronic insomnia, along with lifestyle patterns.
Some medical conditions causing chronic insomnia are Respiratory conditions (asthma, COPD, sleep apnea), Congestive heart failure, Diabetes, Acid Reflux, Hyperthyroidism, Pain.
Some conditions linked with insomnia include chronic pain, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), overactive thyroid, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
v. Concerns about work, school, health, finances or family can keep your mind active at night, making it difficult to sleep.
v. Stressful life events or trauma such as the death or illness of a loved one, divorce or job loss
v. Various unhealthy lifestyle choices, food and drink can increase a person’s risk of insomnia.
v. Taking late afternoon naps can disrupt regular sleeping patterns
v. Sleeping longer to make up for lost sleep confuses the body’s internal clock
v. Using your bed for activities other than sleep and relaxation can result in wakefulness
v. Caffeine, Nicotine & Alcohol affect sleep negatively
v. Late-night meals can be hard on the digestive process and have the potential to generate sleeping problems.
(Source: sleepfoundation.org)
Our sleep-wake cycles, metabolism and body temperature are guided by our Circadian rhythms (our internal clock). Jet lag due to traveling across multiple time zones, working late or early shift, or often changing shifts can disrupt our body’s circadian rhythms
v. Anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder are some mental health conditions that frequently give rise to serious sleeping problems. Studies show that an estimate of 40% of people with insomnia has a mental health disorder.
v. These disorders disturb sleep by stimulating pervasive negative thoughts. Furthermore, studies indicate that insomnia can magnify mood and anxiety disorders, making symptoms worse and possibly even increasing the risk of suicide in people with depression.
Once the type of insomnia has been identified, the mode of treatment can be determined. In the case that a short-term change in your sleep is the cause of your insomnia, say with jet lag, your sleep schedule is likely to normalize by itself.
If insomnia is a symptom or side effect of another health problem, your doctor may recommend treating the other health problem at the same time. When the other health problem is treated, secondary insomnia often goes away on its own.
Whether or not your insomnia is the result of stress, anxiety or depression, Chakra Healing sessions may help to substantially alleviate some of the problems. Irrespective of the factors contributing to your condition, relieving stress and restoring your sense of balance will prove to be beneficial. This is especially true if the cause of your insomnia cannot be addressed directly.
If you’ve been feeling anxious and struggling to sleep, your sleepy energy could mainly trace back to a Root and Crown chakra imbalance.
The Root chakra is connected with our sense of safety, and is blocked by fear. Insomnia mainly rooted in anxiety is likely related to the root chakra. The root chakra governs the fight-or-flight response, and when this is activated, we tend to stay alert and protect ourselves. Thus, no sleep.
Hence while one may feel tired, feeling wired is more likely typical of the root chakra imbalance. This often results in feeling confused about what is safe and what is not.
The Crown chakra, located at the top of the head, is associated with the pineal gland of the brain. The pineal gland is influenced by sunlight, which in turn impacts our circadian rhythm through the production of melatonin and cortisol.
Typically, insomnia is associated with the crown chakra. An imbalanced crown results in the feeling of being disconnected from the whole, and nature. Repercussions of this lead to feelings of sadness accompanied by sleep issues
Adding some chakra healing alongside some of the techniques mentioned in this article, including lifestyle changes and healthy sleep routines could help you with improved rest.
Pranic Healing is a very effective Chakra Healing technique predominantly involving the principles of cleansing and energizing, which help to accelerate the overall healing process.
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In addition to healing the Root and Crown chakras, Pranic Healing for Insomnia involves the healing of the Solar Plexus, Forehead, Ajna and Throat chakras. When these energy centers are healed, a person’s sleep disorder can be substantially improved.
The Solar Plexus chakra, located under your ribs and in the diaphragm, is connected to the digestive system and the adrenal glands. This is the center of positive and negative lower emotions like ambition, courage, perseverance, aggressiveness, anger, hatred, envy and others. An imbalance of this results in experiencing fears, anxiety, and loss of control, which directly affects the disruption of sleep patterns. Pranic Healing therapy found that the over-activation of the Basic and Solar Plexus chakras were the immediate cause of insomnia
The Forehead chakra, located in the center of the forehead, is connected with the nervous system and pineal gland. When this is out of balance, it may manifest as ailments connected with the nervous system. During sleep, our sympathetic nervous system – which controls our fight or flight response – gets a chance to relax. Studies have shown that when we're deprived of sleep, sympathetic nervous system activity increases, which may also result in an increase in blood pressure
The Ajna chakra, located between the eyebrows, is connected to the pineal gland and regulates our inner guidance or intuition, thoughts, and dreams. When it malfunctions, we may feel imbalanced and judgmental, unable to access our intuition, and have difficulty sleeping. Some spiritual aspirants tend to focus on the Ajna for enhanced activation, and may develop insomnia alongside. An activated Ajna chakra should not be disturbing regular sleep cycles, and the awareness of this in addition to healing, should make it easier to sleep.
The Throat chakra, located in the throat area, is connected to the thyroid gland and regulates our sense of security, leadership, and expression. When the thyroid is out of balance, it throws off the body's metabolism, which can affect sleep. Too much hormone production causes an overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism. This can lead to anxiety, rapid heart rate and insomnia.
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Chronic or more long-term secondary insomnia can be treated by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which can be tried at home. This is considered a first-line treatment for insomnia because it does not carry the health risks associated with sleep medication. CBT focuses on identifying the anxieties insomniacs often have about sleep and then replacing these with healthier beliefs and attitudes.
Typically, CBT may involve one or more of the following:
