Suffering From Insomnia? Walk-in Tub to the Rescue!

By Alan Knight

There's a classic joke: “How can you tell you're getting old?” The answer: “When you feel terrible in the morning without having had fun the night before.”

If you're an insomniac, or suffer from periodic insomnia, you probably understand. How often do you awake in the morning with some of the symptoms of a hangover, although you've not had a drop of alcohol? A poor night's sleep will have you starting your new day tired, irritable, and less productive.

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During a normal night's sleep, while our conscious mind is asleep, our body is busy repairing itself. When you’re deprived of a good eight hours of shut-eye, you not only feel tired, you look it. It could also lead to more serious consequences, such as obesity, high blood pressure, poor concentration, and lack of energy and being accident-prone. And with little energy, exercise becomes more difficult and is often neglected. Poor eating habits may appear, and thus the negative cycle keeps feeding itself.

There are severall key things can lead to insomnia:

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Stress. Nearly everyone experiences stress. It's unavoidable in our culture. But how we cope with it is what's important. Three-in-four U.S. adults stated they felt mild to severe stress levels in the past month, according to a report presented by the American Psychological Association. Also, teenagers report that school, family, and peer groups have them stressed out. (Nearly half of the teens polled said that their worries have increased during the past year.) As a result, they go to bed with their minds too wound up to sleep. How often do you hit the sheets with unsolved problems from your day and find your mind will just not “turn off”?

Dr. Alon Avidan, Associate Professor of Neurology and Associate Director of UCLA's Sleep Disorders Program states, “We see people using BlackBerries and laptops in bed, answering emails, and continuing to do the work they do all day long. For people who suffer from insomnia, that can perpetuate it.”

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By the way, insomnia and depression tend to go hand-in-hand, and it can be difficult to figure out which came first. Research shows people with insomnia have a 10 times greater risk of developing depression than people who sleep well. People who are depressed commonly struggle with insomnia, showing such symptoms as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up tired.

Caffeine. Caffeine stays in the bloodstream much longer than most people think, Dr. Avidan says, keeping you wired when you should be sleeping. Depending on your metabolism, it can take as long as eight to 14 hours to eliminate one-half of the total amount of caffeine you consumed from your body. Dr. Avidan continues, “A latte with two shots of espresso contains about 150 milligrams of caffeine. If you have that at 5 p.m., by the time you wake up at 7 in the morning, the level of caffeine in the body is still about 75 milligrams.” One can of Red Bull contains 80 milligrams of caffeine.

Alcohol. Here is one that is greatly misunderstood. Most people think that a couple of drinks before bedtime is the perfect setting for a good night's sleep. Although a few glasses of wine might knock you out, as alcohol is metabolized in the body (a rate of one glass of wine per hour is typical), levels of alcohol begin to fall, and its sleep-inducing effect wears off. That's when you wake up. Alcohol disrupts your ability to sleep in a number of ways.

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During the first stage of sleep, a number of things are altered. Alcohol shortens the time it takes to fall asleep. It also reduces REM sleep (which research shows stimulates regions of the brain necessary for learning and good cognitive function), and increases non-REM sleep, which is a lighter slumber. As the alcohol begins to be metabolized in your body later in the night, sleep becomes more shallow and disrupted. REM sleep increases (all at once, rather than slowly, over the course of the night), and with it, so do dreams and nightmares. This all adds up to a poor night's sleep. Alcohol can also rob you of needed sleep by swelling mucus membranes, blocking airways. People breathe more heavily, making it difficult to pass oxygen to the lungs. That's particularly dangerous for people with sleep apnea. Dr. Avidan says, “Red wine with dinner is fine if you don't have trouble sleeping. Just make sure to drink three to four hours before bedtime so your body has enough time to metabolize the alcohol and your sleep is not disrupted. That's the average time needed for three glasses of wine to clear your system.”

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Eating. Food and sleep don't make good bedmates. Eating too much or even too little at bedtime can keep you up. Too much food before bedtime can cause reflux. Dr. Avidan says, “Lying down brings acid from the stomach back up the esophagus, which can trigger heartburn, pain, or coughing — not a good recipe for restful sleep. Try eating dinner early in the evening. You want to have finished your dinner at least four hours before bedtime.”

There are many other potential causes for insomnia and likewise, some suggestions that can be offered to cope, but let me mention one that might be overlooked.

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The Walk-in Tub is a relatively new product on the market. It’s a personalized spa that offers many safety features for those who find getting in to and out of a normal bathtub difficult. It comes as an upright tub standing approximately 40 inches tall, with a built-in, slip-resistant seat and door. The door comes with a water-tight seal and the seat is ADA-compliant. Inside is a sturdy grab bar for getting up and down. It’s ergonomically designed so that the faucet, controls and hand-held shower wane are within easy reach.

The exceptional relaxation benefit of the Walk-in tub is that it offers spa-like features. It can come with 18 air jets that create therapeutic air bubbles to relax and soothe the body. The inline heater and water-jetted hydrotherapy system are like having your own personal Jacuzzi. It can direct warm water with your desired pressure and force to any part of your body.

Think for a moment how this can condition your body and brain before bedtime. Recent studies show that with as little as 15 minutes of spa therapy, you’ll experience a better quality of sleep, a more restful sleep, you’ll sleeping longer, and awake more refreshed.

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Why not put an end to restless nights of frustrating, tossing and turning, when you can enjoy the benefits of your own personalized spa system that will help you fall asleep? It fits conveniently in your existing bathroom, normally where your current bathtub is located now. Installation only takes a day or two and then ― ahhhhhhhhh ― you can start enjoying all the benefits of air- and bubble-jetted, warm water therapy, night after blissful night.

Put an end to that irritable attitude, a tired body and severe mood swings that occur with poor sleep habits. A Walk-in Tub will positively change your quality of life, both when you’re asleep and awake.

Experience the Deep Relaxation from a Walk-in Tub

In this article, I discussed some of the negative consequences of insomnia. I also talked about the nature of our sleep cycle, as well as some of the behaviors and substances that can cause insomnia. I then pointed out how the various built-in features of a Walk-in Tub can help alleviate insomnia.

If you’d like to receive a FREE Walk-In Tub Buyers’ Guide, click here. Or, if you’d like to receive a FREE Clawfoot Tub Buyers’ Guide, click here.

Have a question? Feel free to contact me at the number or email listed below and I’ll personally get back to you. Thanks for reading; it’s my pleasure to share this information with you.

Check Out Tub King's Walk-in Tub Selection.

Alan Knight is the owner of Tub King, Inc., and SeniorBathtub.com in Jacksonville, Florida. He has many years of experience in the antique and senior bathtub industries. His companies not only provide superior products, they are also award winners, receiving the “Best of Jacksonville Chamber Award” four years running. To contact Tub King directly, call (800)843-4231 or email alan@tubking.com.

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Suffering From Insomnia? Walk-in Tub to the Rescue!

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