What is Problem sleepIng?

Do you have problem sleeping?  Insomnia or sleeping disorder is affecting at least 30 – 40% of worldwide population.  “Women are 1.4 times more likely to have insomnia than men with elderly females the most at risk.” (Clinical Aromatherapy Essential Oils in Healthcare, 3rd Edition). 

Insomnia includes difficulty getting enough sleep, difficulty falling asleep, or waking up periodically during the night.  You may feel unrested and unrefreshed during the day.  If these problems happen three times or more in a week and for at least one month, this is considered a chromic insomnia.  

What are the underlying causes of insomnia?  It could be related to aging, caused by medication or psychiatric illness, mental stress or excitement, or simply our daytime/bedtime habits.  A survey conducted in Germany and Poland in 2022, for approximately 1,500 individuals in no specific age groups, shows that insomnia is significantly and positively associated with addiction to social media.  Both countries reveal the same findings (Computers in Human Behavior (volume 143)).   There was also a survey conducted in Yunnan, China, in late 2021, on approximately 10,000 college students.  This study concludes that “Mobile phone use addiction in college students may cause insomnia and depressive symptoms, and insomnia exacerbates the occurrence of depressive symptoms” (Journal of Affective Disorders, volume 320).

Another study conducted in Finland in early 2000 randomly selected middle-aged (41-55) population (626 men and women) reveals that women are more susceptible to insomnia problems than men.  It concludes that the sleeping disorder is predominantly associated with psychological symptoms related to our emotions and mental wellness such as tension, anxiety and depression.  The insomniacs already drank less coffee and smoked less, the average daily coffee intake by insomniacs and non-insomniacs were 4.16 and 4.76 cups, respectively.  Older depressed patients typically have early morning awakening while younger depressed patients have difficulties falling asleep (Sleep Medicine, volume 4, issue 3).

Therefore, the probable cause of people having sleeping problems could be more related to their mental wellness, addiction to social media and mobile phone use.

To improve our mental wellness, research support the use of mindfulness meditation (MM) such as Loving Kindness Meditation (LKM), yoga, and aromatherapy are effective to cope with negative thoughts and promote better sleep.  

According to Dr. Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, yoga researcher and neuroscientist, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, “Modern medicine often focuses on treating symptoms rather than the underlying condition.  Most people would rather take a pill to treat their insomnia than commit to an eight-week yoga program. Taking drugs to help you sleep isn’t a good long-term solution, but doing yoga is.  What’s more, a good night’s rest may give you more energy and motivation to exercise and prepare healthy food.  In the end, everything’s connected to everything else in our mind-body system,"

In Europe, aromatherapy has long been used in treating insomnia and there are plenty of clinical studies supporting the use of essential oils such as true lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), mandarin (Citrus reticulata), rose (Rosa x damascena Mill.) to promote deep sleep or slow-wave sleep (SWS).  SWS is an important period in our sleeping cycle as our body is repaired during this period.  Some hospitals in the west use essential oils to help patients sleep better and lessen pains.

Therefore, if you have sleeping issues, you may want to check if it is related to your daily habits and emotions.  You may also try to include some meditation and yoga time in your daily routine and diffuse essential oils to relax your body and mind.