An ongoing spell of insomnia could lead you to try almost anything to help you get some much needed rest. But don't resort to just any solution; be sure you know what your options are and how they work.

Should You Medicate Your Insomnia?

Most people who experience a few nights in a row of insomnia will head straight to the pharmacy to get an over the counter remedy. You might get some relief from a sleep aid at first, but they won't give you long term results because they don't fix the problem.

A sleep aid should not be utilized as a fix for insomnia. It could assist you at first, yet you need to ascertain the reason why you're experiencing sleep problems. For your long term health, you don't want to have to rely on medication to help you sleep at night.

Lots of people get hooked on medications and aren't able to fall asleep if they give them up. Others have undesirable side effects, or experience complications due to interaction with their prescription meds.

Antihistamines, a familiar remedy for allergies, is a common ingredient in over the counter sleeping aids. They make you sleepy and help to make sure you remain asleep.Some people experience drowsiness the next day, which might interrupt your natural sleep cycle. Side effects could include constipation, dizziness, memory loss, blurred vision, and dry mouth. If you become dependent on them, you will require increasingly larger doses to get the benefits.

You might get a prescription for a more potent medication, perhaps a non-benzodiazephine. This will rev up the normal chemical processes in your brain and encourage drowsiness. If you need a sleep aid for long-term treatment of insomnia, it's safer than taking nonprescription, short term cures, however they can also cause dependency.

Although it's not that common anymore, if your insomnia is extreme, your doctor might give you a prescription for a tranquilizer. This causes drowsiness by slowing your nervous system. It's a short-term answer that might leave you feeling foggy the next day.

You might be prescribed antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications that act as sedatives if your doctor believes it's the best alternative for you. These are common, but don't have the same possibilities for addictivion as other prescription drugs.

If you want to avoid the medical choices and select something more natural, you could look at an herbal remedy for your insomnia. There are herbs that have been shown to encourage a good night's sleep, such as chamomile, which is often served up as tea.

Melatonin, valerian root and SAMe are also considered to be effective herbal insomnia treatments. Be sure you take the correct dosage, since too much of a good thing can sometimes lead to uninvited side effects.

Perhaps all you need to change is some habits you may have picked up. Changing habits for good sleep is called sleep hygiene these days. Here are some habits to look at:

*Eliminating caffeine or chocolate. Try this for a few days. The effect of these two on your body can change over time. Taking caffeine or chocolate even in the morning may be able to affect your night-time sleep.

*Prolonged evening exercise. Taking you 30-minute walk at bedtime can keep you from sleeping.

*Sweets. Sugary items eaten close to bedtime may stimulate your system, and make it hard to fall asleep. Natural sugar such as what is in orange juice is no exception.

*Arguments. Instead of getting into arguments in the evening, make an appointment to argue the next day, preferrably not at bedtime!

*Creative projects. Are you working on a creative project late in the day? This can get your creative juices flowing too strongly at bedtime. This could be great for ideas for your project, but bad for sleep. Best to save these for the following day.

Finally, let's talk about what you SHOULD be doing for good sleep hygiene.

*After supper, do calm things on purpose, in a calm manner.

*If you read near bedtime, read news magazines or other items that have no exciting story line.

*If you want to watch TV or video, watch a documentary rather than a thriller or a whodunit.

Give these practices a try to see whether good sleep hygiene will make a difference for you!

Of course, the question that naturally arises is whether men also actually experience menopause, and could that experience possibly help them with appreciation of what women go through?

In truth, there is solid medical evidence establishing that, in the aging process, women are not the only ones who experience menopause. Men do, as well. There's even a name for the male variety - Andropause - and sometimes Viropause, both used to describe what is more commonly known as male menopause. The primary symptom is a decline in testosterone levels. Some describe it as an end to first adulthood and the commencement of a second phase of adulthood. More often than not, in the popular view, it manifests itself in the sexual realm, where deterioration in sexual desire and performance is experienced.

Some men react with acute alarm to these hormonal changes and look upon the phenomenon as a direct assault upon their virility. So, in some cases the male experience is not unlike what occurs with women when drastic hormonal changes alter their physical and mental condition. For women, menopause has more distinct and defined symptoms such as termination of the menstrual cycle, hot flashes which show visible signs on the face, chest and neck, perspiring, dryness in the vagina, throbbing heartbeat, body aches, itching skin and growth of unwanted facial hair.

With men, the drop in testosterone levels is the primary symptom. Physicians can screen and identify this change and often do so since it can be associated with the onset of illnesses such as diabetes. However, the lowering of testosterone can also produce the following symptoms:

Physical exhaustion from simple tasks: There is a decrease in alertness and a feeling of being tired that comes on more quickly than previously. Insomnia may ensue which contributes to the feeling of being exhausted.

Gaining weight: An increase in weight and body fat becomes evident, seemingly, however, unexplainable.

Mental Fatigue: A decrease in the ability to concentrate. It seems to take more time to digest matters discussed in conversation or to absorb written or audio material.

Emotional Exhaustion: A man may become more easily angered, or have sudden feelings of sadness, depression and nervousness. Yes, there can be wide mood swings, just as with women.

Decrease in Sexual Desire: For a man, this can well be the most alarming symptom, since it is so much intertwined with his view of himself as a virile force. Inability to perform shows up in failure to gain an erection.

In western culture, men tend to have a low level of awareness that these changes are occurring, and often can be said to be in deep denial. Men simply are not anxious to acknowledge these sorts of things. This, of course, can lead to considerable stress in a marriage or intimate relationship. Andropause, once a man accepts that he's in the midst of it, need not be as alarming as it might seem. Certainly, a visit to a physician is indicated to address any symptoms that can be alleviated with medication such as overcoming erectile dysfunction and treating depression.

In the final analysis, in any relationship where these changes can be observed and acknowledged, there is need for support. In other words, just as women require support and understanding in the menopausal stage, so do men need it with andropause. In either case, openness and willingness to listen and understand are the keys to maintaining intimacy.