by Andrew Pacholyk, MS L.Ac

Insomnia is a symptom, not a disease. Insomnia can have many causes, but the biggest cause is due to stress. Stress related to work, school, health or family concerns. Depression is the second biggest cause. The use of stimulants, including caffeine, alcohol, nicotine or other over-the-counter or prescription medications will also cause insomnia. Prescription drugs, including some antidepressant, high blood pressure and steroid medications, can interfere with sleep. Many over-the-counter medications, including some brands of aspirin, decongestants and weight loss products, contain caffeine and other stimulants. Change in your environment or work schedule and even long-term use of sleep medications will actually interupt your sleep cycle. Medical problems, including fibromyalgia or complex diseases of the nerves and muscles can make it very difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Behavioral insomnia, occurs when you worry excessively about not being able to sleep well and try too hard to fall asleep. Most people with this condition sleep better when they’re away from their usual sleep environment.

Feng Shui Tips

• Make sure your bed is large enough and comfortable. If you are disturbed by a restless bedmate, switch to a queen or king-size bed. Test different types of mattresses. Try therapeutic shaped foam pillows that cradle your neck or extra pillows that help you sleep on your side. Get comfortable cotton sheets. Make your bedroom primarily a place for sleeping. It is not a good idea to use your bed for paying bills, doing work… Help your body recognize that this is a place for rest or intimacy.

• Keep your bedroom peaceful and comfortable. Make sure your room is well ventilated and the temperature consistent Try to keep it quiet. You could use a fan or a “white noise” machine to help block outside noises.

• Hide your clock. A big, illuminated digital clock may cause you to focus on the time and make you feel stressed and anxious. Place your clock so you can’t see the time when you are in bed.

• Avoid sleeping with your head towards the door. The proper position in which to have the bed and to sleep is in such a place that allows you to see the door but without being right across from it. This way, you should always avoid sleeping with your feet right in front of the entrance.

• Avoid sleeping under a window. Sleeping under a window would have a bad impact on your vital energy, as well as it might cause you to loose some of your positive energy by dispersing it. If you can’t avoid sleeping under a window, then you should hang a curtain on the window.

• Avoid having pictures of water or fountains in the bedroom. Keeping a fountain or pictures of water in the bedroom can cause insomnia as well as attract bad luck to those who sleep in the room.

• Avoid any poison arrows pointing towards the bed. In order to find out if there are poison arrows, you should check for any sharp edges or corners, (such as a desk corner), which might point towards the place where you sleep. If you find any and you can’t get rid of them, you can neutralize its bad effect by covering it or by placing a plant in front of it.

Connect with Andrew Pacholyk at http://www.peacefulmind.com
Therapies for healing mind, body, spirit

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