Every time he lay down in bed, his mind "would be whirling faster than the fan, wondering about our cargo, job interviews, the bills". He would put on the AC, "hoping its white noise would help me get some sleep". No luck. "I’d just toss and turn till Nina would shout at me to stop bumping around in bed." Not even after he landed a cushy job last November did things get better. His was a case of chronic insomnia, which made him a kvetchy employer, snappy spouse and a party pooper.
Insomnia affects 40 per cent of women and 30 per cent of men. Implying not just snooze-snags, insomnia can also be caused by sleep apnoea (blockage of the throat-airway), narcolepsy (overwhelming sleepiness in the day) and restless leg syndrome (sensations and involuntary jerking of the limbs). A lifestyle complaint, among the many things that insomniacs like Keval have to give up are smokes (nicotine is a stimulant), hard drinks (alcohol fragments sleep), fries and heavy foods (carbohydrates increase digestive action) and lying with head pointing in directions other than the north.
One swallowable solution is benzodiazephine pills. But this is a temporary cure that works only for two or three weeks. The most effective remedy is 30 minutes of daily workout, deep breathing exercises before turning out the lights and a diary to log your slumber hours. Make sleep hygiene a habit by creating a cool, quiet and comfortable sleeping environment and listening to soft mood music. For people with acute insomnia, these cures work. Ask Keval. Last month, after almost a year, he clocked four straight hours of sleep. As for Nina, she’s quite happy hearing Keval snoring these days.
