Email a Friend
Print Article
Good News for People with Insomnia
It's one o'clock in the morning and you're exhausted. The alarm will herald a new day in fewer than five hours and you're staring into the dark room (maybe listening to your spouse sleeping soundly). You can't fall sleep. You've done everything you're supposed to do in order to enter dreamland easily, such as relax before bedtime, cast away negative thoughts, and avoid work, caffeine, and stimulating activities like being on the computer. But now you're at your wit's end trying to figure out the problem. Why can't you fall asleep?
Well, insomnia just had a brighter light shined on it.
A new study in the journal Sleep reports that some people have abnormal brain activities that keep them hyperalert. The specific culprit is a neurochemical called GABA (for you science geeks, that's short for gamma-aminobutyric acid), which is reduced by nearly 30 percent in people who have been suffering from insomnia for more than six months.
Mind you, we're talking about primary insomnia, which, as opposed to secondary, means that you're having sleep problems that are not directly associated with any other health condition or problem such as asthma, depression, arthritis, pain, alcohol use, etc. Of the 10 percent of adults who suffer from insomnia, 25 percent of those are considered to have the "primary" variety.
Because this kind of insomnia is also a risk factor for mood and anxiety disorders, the study also raises the possibility that sleep habits could be a factor in people with these health issues and who have GABA deficiencies. It doesn't take a genius to link sleep habits to problems with chronic blue moods and feelings of intense anxiety. The current craziness going on between Wall Street and Main Street has me wondering how many more people are walking around with low GABA activity, and low quality sleep.
So where's the good news in all this? Insomnia may have real physiological reasons behind it, and because many of the hypnotic medications that are most effective in treating insomnia do, in fact, increase activity in the brain at the GABA neurons, there's hope for people who fall into this category.
If you're one of them, it still helps to follow the usual recommendations for getting a good night's rest. But when you have tried everything, this gives you one more thing to consider. It could be all in your head - literally.
This sleep article is also available at Dr. Breus' blog, The Insomnia Blog.
Related Topics:
Well, insomnia just had a brighter light shined on it.
A new study in the journal Sleep reports that some people have abnormal brain activities that keep them hyperalert. The specific culprit is a neurochemical called GABA (for you science geeks, that's short for gamma-aminobutyric acid), which is reduced by nearly 30 percent in people who have been suffering from insomnia for more than six months.
Mind you, we're talking about primary insomnia, which, as opposed to secondary, means that you're having sleep problems that are not directly associated with any other health condition or problem such as asthma, depression, arthritis, pain, alcohol use, etc. Of the 10 percent of adults who suffer from insomnia, 25 percent of those are considered to have the "primary" variety.
Because this kind of insomnia is also a risk factor for mood and anxiety disorders, the study also raises the possibility that sleep habits could be a factor in people with these health issues and who have GABA deficiencies. It doesn't take a genius to link sleep habits to problems with chronic blue moods and feelings of intense anxiety. The current craziness going on between Wall Street and Main Street has me wondering how many more people are walking around with low GABA activity, and low quality sleep.
So where's the good news in all this? Insomnia may have real physiological reasons behind it, and because many of the hypnotic medications that are most effective in treating insomnia do, in fact, increase activity in the brain at the GABA neurons, there's hope for people who fall into this category.
If you're one of them, it still helps to follow the usual recommendations for getting a good night's rest. But when you have tried everything, this gives you one more thing to consider. It could be all in your head - literally.
This sleep article is also available at Dr. Breus' blog, The Insomnia Blog.
Related Topics:
14 Comments:
The points you make in this post about the kind of insomnia which is called GABA, a neurochemical that's short for gamma-aminobutyric acid is excellent.
Loss of "quality sleep" might also be caused by the fact that some of us have lossed their "behinds" in the stock market crash.
exvallarta@cox.net
Tinnitus has a way of preventing a good nights sleep. which is a problem.
It is not falling asleep at 10:30 or 11:00 that is a problem, but rather awakening at 2:30, 3:00 or 4:00 and not being able to return to restful slumber. Any insight about this problem?
So, er, what can be done about it? What's the treatment?
Wondering what might be most effective OTC options.....benadryl works great for me, but not sure about long term issues. I have mixed results w/melatonin. Any thoughts out there??
I am 40 and suffered the same miserable symptoms of insomnia even when I was a teen. I relate to the term Hyperalert. The brain will just not shut off, even though I fall into bed at 10 pm exhausted, I wake up at 2 or 3 am, and lay miserably until 6, when just as I almost doze, it is time to get up. Doctors have no sympathy. They don't understand the misery and the toll it takes on you.
I was taking a sleep aid everynight and still would wake up at night. My 65 year old mom told me to try a product called Monavie Active with glucosamaine. It is all natural and the differnence in my sleep is amazing. Which positively effects every other aspect of my life. I even have my teenager take it and she now says she has never fallen asleep easier or slept better. Have you heard of this? I started taking it about 6 months ago.Taking 2 ounces of Monavie in the AM and 2 ounces in the early evening ensure that I am getting 10 t0 13 servings of fruits a day with the highest antioxidants found in any food! For only about 100 calories . It is a no brainer- easy, gives me tons of energy, I sleep better, my skin glows and I know I have given my body what it needs. It sure takes the stress and guess work out of eating right. Among the reported benefits/features of this deep purple berry are: High levels of dietary fiber –
High levels of essential amino acids and trace minerals - High levels of plant sterols –
Essential fatty acids ratio that resembles olive oil - Protein profile similar to eggs –
Very low sugar content - High levels of antioxidants
for more info go to
Monavie-losangeles
I had the same problem of not being able to sleep and I kept waking up. I went through a sleep study and found that I have Sleep Apnea.
I have had my machine for about 6 days so I'm starting to get use to using it. I sleep longer and so far have only woke up once during the evening so this is a big improvement.
Glo
This sounds like me. I've tried everything. No help with Ambien CR. Now I'm using Lunesta 3 and got some relief for a couple of months but now it's as the same as if I never took it.
Whats the cure for this?
Thanks
You can get GABA straight up from a GNC or online. I use it on occasion when I realize its 3 am and I have to be up in 4 hours. It doesn't make you tired, but it does cause an improvement in what I'd call quality of sleep. You wake up after 3-4 hours feeling much more energetic than you have any right to be. It also keeps you from waking up in the middle of the night ... or at least it keeps me from doing so.
It's also supposed to decrease pain and
"High levels of essential amino acids and trace minerals - High levels of plant sterols –
Essential fatty acids ratio that resembles olive oil - Protein profile similar to eggs –
Very low sugar content - High levels of antioxidants
for more info go to
Monavie-losangeles"
Christi- I've heard of many studies that show the berry you speak of is causing huge tumors in rats and kangaroos. In your opinion would the tumor interfer with high-quality sleep?
i had a problem w/sleeping, & i tried eating 4 plain crackers just before going to bed, & now sleep like a rock, also, no fluids after 8pm
I have this same problem except I stay up for almost 3 days straight and if I do get any sleep its only a duration of 4 to 5 hours. I even work out for about 30 minutes to and hour a day. Have i trained myself to get less sleep or is it abnormal?
Post a Comment