According to the Economic Policy Institute, the UK workforce numbers 34.1 million, with an astounding 15.5 million of them either working night shifts or other non-standard schedules. That’s over 45% of Britain’s entire working population that are at risk of insomnia or other rest disorders, driving many to buy sleeping pills online to find healthy rest.
This article focuses on how insomnia comes about and the importance of the circadian rhythm. We’ll then detail how modern medicine can be part of a healthy routine that will help people find their way back to a good night’s rest.
Understanding the Condition
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in the UK, and one of the primary drivers of it is shift work. In simple terms, insomnia is a condition that makes falling asleep, staying asleep and getting enough sleep difficult.
It can be short-term or longer-lasting, depending on a variety of different individual factors, including overall health and lifestyle. While it may be prevalent in some ages, this condition can affect practically any gender and age group.
It’s more often experienced by women, especially during pregnancy or menopause. People who suffer from long-term stress disorders, mental health challenges or chronic pain also run a higher risk of disrupted rest cycles.
Some Common Causes of Sleeplessness
It doesn’t take much to cause a bout of nightly restlessness. Anything that causes stress, uncomfortable bedtimes or breaks up regular routines can trigger it. The mind can be driven to stay alert by work pressures or emotional stresses that make slumber difficult.
Drinking too much caffeine too close to bedtime, eating heavy meals or spending too much time in front of screens also keep the body from relaxing into a dormant state. These issues can easily be imagined as a Venn diagram of easy-to-see problems on the outside, but without the right help, solutions are much harder to find.
A GP will help patients sort out the most likely causes of the disrupted repose, and perhaps recommend they buy zopiclone online as part of a recovery plan. This will help get treatment started, but remember that these modern treatments are for short-term use and should be part of a plan for overall health improvement.
How Should Medication Be Used as a Tool?
Science and technology have not only made buying sleeping pills online easier, but they are also more effective. Remember that they aren’t meant to be a cure; they work best with a healthy lifestyle. They help restore healthy patterns temporarily, allowing the body and mind time to get back to a regular rhythm.
Once patterns become healthy, a GP may decide it’s time to bring the dosage down so that the patient can naturally begin to get more rest. This also helps avoid any tolerance or dependency issues. With health playing such a large factor in the effectiveness of the medication, a GP will also ensure that the treatment does not negatively impact any other medications currently being taken.
Britain’s Shift-Work Workforce and Circadian Disruption
Getting back to deep rest begins with the circadian rhythm, also known as the sleep-wake cycle or body clock. It primarily controls alertness, grogginess, digestion, hormones and body temperature.
The Circadian rhythm is regulated by the superchiasmatic nucleus, or SCN. It has used light and dark to tell humans when to wake up and go to sleep from the beginning of time. People would typically start to feel drowsy and exhausted about dusk, and when the sun rose, their bodies would start to wake up and their internal processes would resume.
Fatigue, moodiness, or inattention result when this process is reversed during irregular shifts or at night. Because the light-dark imbalance interferes with the production of melatonin, which is necessary for sleepiness, this is especially true for night shift workers.
Lifestyle Factors: Caffeine, Alcohol, and Late-Night Eating
While in the process of resetting the circadian rhythm and getting back to healthy repose, move away from things that trigger disrupted rest. For example, caffeine stays in the body for hours, increasing alertness and making nodding off more difficult.
The early effects of drinking alcohol may feel relaxing, but as the effects wear off, sleep can become fragmented, leading to the eyes opening and the mind waking. When this happens, get up and move about, or do something to get back to a relaxed state.
Heavy meals are bad, and eating dense foods late into normal slumber time can create both rest and digestion problems. Sleep time is when the body is slowing down; filling it with fatty or spicy foods is going to reactivate body processes, which prevents both the mind and body from relaxing.
Establishing a Consistent and Healthy Night-time Pattern
People with insomnia can benefit by prioritising sleep hygiene and a healthy sleeping environment. The key is controlling the sleep environment to ensure darkness when sleeping, this helps regulate the body clock or circadian rhythm. Once a patient has bought their sleeping pills online, the next step is committing to going to bed and rising at the same time each day.
Make sure there is complete darkness when it’s time to go to bed and light when you wake up. Remove any light sources, such as computers, phones, and tablets, and fully darken the space. Blackout curtains can be used to filter out external light and sound.
The bedroom should be clean, noise-free and at a comfortable temperature. Some patients use fans to cool the room and create a comforting sound to rest too. Technology advances have also brought about very effective devices for white noise. Some even cover their ears with headphones to create quiet.
Paving the Way Toward a Well-Rested Nation
Circadian rhythm disorders are mentally and physically unhealthy, along with damaging a country’s economy by weakening its workforce. An individual with insomnia can buy zopiclone online and include it in a treatment plan with consistently applied healthy habits. This method will improve sleep hygiene and reset their circadian rhythm, which will drastically help them in the long term. To learn more, head to our homepage.
