Hypothyroidism can surprisingly lead to headaches, sinus infections, migraines, sore throats, hair loss, weight gain and several other health symptoms.

Hypothyroidism occurs when our thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone.  The thyroid is one of the biggest glands of our endocrine glands.  This controls the amount of energy our body uses up.

Research has shown that when the thyroid is not producing enough hormones, a person may notice that their sinuses seem to be “acting” up to.  Remember that a hypothyroid disease can cause such a problem.

When your thyroid is not functioning properly your metabolism is not burning enough energy which does not let all the bad bacteria to get out of your body and will lead to a sinus infection.

Did you know that in America, nearly 64 million people suffer from insomnia?

So, next time if you find yourself tossing and turning on bed or are unable to get proper sleep for a few days at stretch, beware! You might be becoming insomniac.

Insomnia and psychotic disorders go hand-in-hand. Insomnia can lead to psychotic disorders and vice-versa. Do not consider your lack-of-sleep a trivial issue – chronic insomnia puts you at an increased risk to depression, various other psychotic disorders, and heart diseases.

What is Insomnia?

Do you sleep with a pillow over your head because your partner constantly snores while sleeping?

Well… you may be tempted to believe that your partner’s loud snoring helps in keeping the house safe from intruders at night, but the claim that snoring is good for house safety is yet to be proven. What has been proven though is that snoring is not good for health and may cause sleep apnea and hypertension. And these two are pretty serious health conditions… ones you wouldn’t want your loved ones to suffer with.

The good news is snoring can be treated naturally and doesn’t require expensive medical attention.

Insomnia, a health condition that was earlier only prevalent in adults, is now fast affecting teens too. Recent studies have shown that while teenagers should ideally sleep for 9 hours, many young adults today sleep for just 7 hours and 53 minutes on an average.

Lack of Sleep and Depression

Studies show that lack of sleep and depression are interlinked. Lack of sleep fuels depression in teenagers just as it does in adults.

Studies show that teenagers who sleep less than 5 hours have a 71% risk of developing symptoms associated with depression. Another startling figure that studies report is that teenagers who stay up late after midnight are at a 20% increased risk of getting clinically depressed and having thoughts of suicide. It isn’t without reason then, that the moniker “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy and wise” is still so prevalent to this day.

The next time your hand reaches out for a sleeping pill because you are unable to sleep, stop it!

Sleeping pills are addictive and are not the answer to your prayers for sound sleep. At some point, we have a problem with sleep, but this does not mean we should pop a sleeping pill to get that much needed sound sleep. Two valid reasons why we should resist taking sleeping pills are:

• Sleeping pills are addictive, and over a period time, the dosage increases; as such, a stage may come where even a heavy dosage will not be able to provide you a good night’s sleep.
• Sleeping pills come bundled with many discomforting side effects, some of which include: drowsiness, slow motor reactions, and lack of focus.

Natural remedies that help you sleep better

When battling with poor sleep, some introspection can be helpful. Your present condition may be the result of anxiety or stress, and tackling those aspects that are causing you stress may help you sleep better. At times, external factors such as a discomforting bed can also cause sleeplessness.

Whatever be the cause of your inability to sleep well, here are some tips that you can use to improve your condition:

• Drink a glass of milk before going to bed
• Take a warm shower or listen to music before bedtime, as they both help in relaxing your nerves.
• Use herbs to relax your tense muscles.

Herbs can help immensely in improving the quality of your sleep, and they don’t have any side effects. You can even grow some herbs such as catnip in your own backyard and use it when required.

Another herb that helps improve sleep is chamomile. Chamomile contains apigenin, which has a soothing effect on our nerves and induces sleep. This herb is a very safe option, as even pregnant or breastfeeding women can use it to improve their sleep.

Other herbs that help in soothing your nerves include: kava, lavender, lemon balm, valeria root, and hops. Most of these herbs can be easily found in any herbal store near your home. All these are beneficial, and you can choose the one that suits you best.

Besides herbs, do some physical activity daily to sleep better. If you’re having trouble sleeping, use some natural remedies to get rid of that morning grogginess. To learn more on how to sleep better, check out our insomnia guide. 

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Research shows that insomnia over a period of time can lead to high blood pressure. Findings of a research that studied the relation between insomnia and hypertension were published in Sleep, a medical journal. The findings showed that blood pressure of insomniacs is higher than of those who sleep soundly at night.

Professor Paola Lanfranchi, the lead author has said that sleeping well at night gives our heart the much needed rest. When we are awake at night, as is the case in insomniacs, the heart doesn’t get the rest it requires. The result is higher than normal blood pressure at night. If the condition of insomnia continues for long, then chances of higher nighttime blood pressure leading to long-term damage of the heart increases.

Professor Jacque Montplaisir, who is the co-author of the study published in Sleep, also share the same opinion as Professor Lanfranchi. Professor Montplaisir has said that the blood pressure cycles are linked to sleep-wake cycle, and as insomniacs have higher than normal blood pressure at night they are at increased risk to cardiovascular diseases.