Sleep is required for an individual's body to function, mature, and heal after being injured. Most research findings advise that grownups require from six to eight hours of sleep each night. Many people, however, cannot manage this. Approximately 20 million Americans alone have significant trouble sleeping each night.

Many factors that create sleeping problems are to blame for this startling fact. For instance, a large number of people snore. Loud snoring sometimes can cause sleeping persons to awaken, in a start, by this noise. Furthermore, people who have a spouse that snores heavily frequently find it hard to sleep with such a racket occurring in the same room!

Snoring can also be a symptom of a similar sleeping problem known as sleep apnea. This problem occurs when a person quits breathing while sleeping. It is sometimes caused by obstructions in the nose and sinus passages, or from obesity. This condition is potentially deadly, and individuals who are diagnosed with sleep apnea usually wear a mask that delivers pressured air to their lungs while they are asleep.

Sleep apnea may cause narcolepsy, another common sleep disturbance. Often, however, people who do not have sleep apnea may develop narcolepsy. Those who have this condition usually go to sleep suddenly and without warning wherever they happen to be. If someone suffers from this problem, the physician typically prescribes that person to avoid driving before the condition is being treated effectively; falling asleep while driving can be very hazardous!

One other potentially dangerous sleep problem is known as sleepwalking, but can be described referred to in medical literature as somnambulism. People who walk in their sleep engage in the same behaviors - cleaning house, drinking, walking, et cetera - that they engage in during their waking hours. Up to 20 percent of the world's population may walk in their sleep.

Sometimes, people have often documented cases of people who have left their homes or killed someone during a sleepwalking episode! Most of the time, however, the one who is asleep is in significantly greater danger than those nearby. The recommended strategy is to assist the sleepwalker back to bed.

Another problem called shift work sleep disorder is often seen in people who work alternating shift schedules, evening, or night shifts. This problem can cause one of two types of sleep problems: excessive tiredness, or an inability to sleep. In addition, persons who suffer from this condition experience an increased likelihood of cancer than individuals who do not have it.

Individuals diagnosed with insomnia usually have difficulty going to sleep at bedtime. If they are able to go to sleep, they often do not sleep soundly and are awakened easily. They sometimes only sleep several hours before experiencing this condition.

The consequences of this disorder are feeling sleepy during the day and decreased physical functioning. Despite the fact that those who experience insomnia may suffer from sleepiness, however, those who suffer from chronic insomnia often learn that they are perpetually hyper-alert, and cannot easily relax or remain calm. Additional potential effects of this condition are physical and emotional fatigue.

Many people believe they know how to cure insomnia. These suggestions include some odd home remedies for insomnia. One of these remedies is a concoction of honey, tea, and milk, despite the fact that there is no concrete proof showing that this concoction] is effective. Alternative home remedies for insomnia include drinking warm milk at bedtime, relaxing while playing slow music, and relaxation or meditation exercises.

Additional insomnia cure strategies are internal martial arts exercises, and drinking wine at bedtime. Many herbal remedies have been used as approaches to cure insomnia, including valerian, lavender, and hops. Many people have even tried cognitive treatment methods trying to find a potential insomnia cure. A large number of medications are also used as sleeping aids.

A more recent cure for insomnia is insomnia hypnosis, or insomnia hypnotherapy. Therapists who practice insomnia hypnosis teach persons with insomnia to develop good sleep routines by teaching a series of suggestions that helps them to fall asleep with less difficulty. People are taught the skills of self-hypnosis to successfully treat their insomnia. This approach is a form of insomnia hypnotherapy that can be very effective for suggestive persons, but is much less useful for people who are analytical thinkers. A quite comparable method, known as Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP, is usually more effective with these people.

So many possible treatments for insomnia exist that one article cannot discuss them all. Professionals do not agree about how to cure insomnia. Most clients who have tried Neuro-Linguistic Programming and insomnia hypnotherapy, however, have found them most beneficial in meeting their need for uninterrupted, restful sleep. These innovative and beneficial treatments, unlike drugs or other alternative remedies, does not have any hangover or side effects, and can be used almost anywhere.

Summary: From five to ten percent of the United States population struggles with some form of sleeping problem. Insomnia is a sleep problem that stops individuals from getting to sleep or sleeping soundly each night. A number of treatments are used to help them cope with this problem. One of the most beneficial, as described by those who have tried this treatment strategy, is hypnotherapy for insomnia.

Author's Bio: 

Alan B. Densky, CH. is certified by the NGH, and he is an NLP Practitioner. He offers self-hypnosis for insomnia CDs. He hosts a FREE hypnosis article library on his Neuro-VISION Video Self-Hypnosis website.