Insomnia is a very common disorder. Nearly everyone suffers from it at least occasionally. Lots of things can cause sleepless night like, for example, stress. I receive letter after letter saying: "Please help me. I can't sleep!" And, somewhere in the letter, I frequently find a reference to worry, stress, anxiety - whatever you want to call it.
Read, for instance, this forum post from ASTOEHR!:"Every night I 'm in bed by 8-9PM and wake early--between 2-4 and stay up at least 2-3 hrs. Then I'm tired and impatient all day. I've tried over the counter sleep aids, but I either have a headache the next day or feel groggy. Anxiety plays a large role and I try to control this, but it's not always possible."
But I don't need email or forum letters to tell me about stress, insomnia and illness. I know about it from personal experience. Let me tell you my story.
About twenty years ago, my husband, Norman, and I bought a small general store and tackle shop at a lake in northern Alberta. It was ideal for us. Norman loved to fish, and I liked the country life. The business would never make us rich, but it was a living. We were content.
Our main source of customers was the adjoining Native Canadian Reservation. They gave us a steady trade that nicely supplemented our fishing supply shop.
We had been there about three years when the Reservation decided to build their own store. We lost most of our customers. Worse, we had given our customers credit. Many of them never returned to pay their bills.
I could see our business going under. The worry wasn't too bad during the day, but when I went to bed at night, all I could do was think about what was happening and try to see a way out. We owed a lot of bills to suppliers and I knew I wasn't going to be able to pay them.
When I couldn't sleep, I'd get up, sit at the kitchen table with pen and paper and write down endless figures. I'd drink cup after cup of coffee and smoke endless cigarettes. I know. The worst scenario for someone with insonia. Then, when the headaches struck, as they often did, I'd take aspirins.
It took about two months before I was sleep deprived and so nervous and irritable no one could stand me. A week later, in the middle of the night, I began to throw up blood. By the time my husband got me into the car and into town (it was December and twenty below zero Fahrenheit) I was in shock from loss of blood. I had a bleeding ulcer.
I was lucky. If the weather had been colder or if the roads had been closed as they sometimes were due to drifting, the ulcer, caused by insomnia and stress, would have killed me.
There are ways, both medical and non-medical, to relieve stress. In April, watch for an article with tips and strategies for beating this killer before it beats you.
