| Sleep, like wakefulness, is a natural phenomenon. | | | | apprehension, anguish, drugs, or certain diseases. Loss |
| Humans spend almost one-third of their lifetime | | | | of sleep for a day or two may not pose any problem, |
| sleeping. During sleep the activity of the brain is altered, | | | | but prolonged insomnia can cause physical and mental |
| but not completely suppressed. It is an accepted fact | | | | fatigue, leading to increase in automobile accidents, |
| that periodically the body needs rest. Nobody knows | | | | alcohol consumption and poor performance and in |
| why the brain or any other organ should need rest, nor | | | | such cases, medical treatment becomes necessary. A |
| what happens during sleep that is beneficial. Only one | | | | large number of sedatives, hypnotics (causing sleep ), |
| thing is certain - that sleep is necessary. If a person is | | | | and anti-anxiety drugs are available for this, but the |
| not allowed to sleep for 2 or 3 days mental | | | | greatest difficulty is that all these have varying degree |
| co-ordination gets impaired. Deprivation of sleep | | | | of addiction on potential and their withdrawal or |
| increases suggestibility and is, therefore, an effective | | | | discontinuation may pose serious, problems. The |
| technique for brain washing. | | | | withdrawal effects may be in the form of anxiety, |
| How much sleep is essential? Children sleep longer | | | | insomnia, restlessness, tremors, weakness, and |
| than adults. Old people tend to sleep less. Among | | | | convulsions and if untreated, may result in coma |
| adults some feel completely rested after 6 hours of | | | | (unconsciousness) and death. Since they cause |
| sleep; others may need 8 or 9 hours. Mahatma Gandhi | | | | addiction, the drug laws prohibit the sale of these drugs |
| used to sleep for only 4 hours, and used to wake up | | | | without a prescription. |
| fresh. Stalin needed only a very short sleep and used | | | | Treatment and Drugs |
| to receive officials at the odd hour of 3.00 am. | | | | The drugs for treatment of insomnia may contain a |
| In order to sleep well, some need ideal conditions: a | | | | single drug or a combination of two or more drugs with |
| comfortable bed in a noiseless room with controlled | | | | similar effect. However, none of the combinations |
| temperature. There are others who manage to sleep | | | | offer any advantage over a single drugs. They only |
| soundly even on the hard wooden berth of a second | | | | add to the cost of treatment. |
| class rail compartment. It is really wonderful to be able | | | | Pentobarbitone (Nembutal), Secobarbitone (Seconal, |
| to sleep well, but there are times when it is not possible | | | | Secobutal) |
| to do so due to circumstances. Travellers going long | | | | These two drugs are barbiturates which inhibit REM* |
| distances on jet planes have to readjust their sleeping | | | | sleep (dreamy sleep) and do not produce natural or |
| hours in a new place. Presidents and Prime Ministers | | | | refreshing sleep. In view of their potential abuse for |
| take injections of sleep-inducing drugs to overcome | | | | committing suicide and a marked addiction potential, |
| travel-induced insomnia and to readjust to new | | | | these have almost completely been replaced by the |
| working hours when travelling abroad. | | | | benzodiazepine family of drugs. |
| Sleeplessness or insomnia means difficulty in falling or | | | | AdvCare is one of the leading Canada drugs |
| stay asleep, reduced total sleep times or disturbed | | | | websites. First established in January 2000, its mission |
| sleep. Sleeplessness or insomnia may result from | | | | is to become the number one site for ontario drug and |
| various factors such as emotional trauma, fear, | | | | prescription medication searches. |