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Over 70 million adults in the U.S. suffer from some type of sleep disorder and it's estimated that this accounts for nearly $15 billion in health care costs. Insomnia and sleep disorders are a very serious problem that do more than just make you feel groggy in the morning; insomnia can affect your overall health and make you prone to everything from heart disease to depression. While there are hundreds of OTC and prescription sleep medications you can buy, they don't actually address the problem and most come with side effects that can be serious, such as dependency. If you're interested in treating your sleep disorder without medication -- or drugs simply haven't worked for you -- guided meditation may be able to help. Why is Medication Such a Problem? About one quarter of people in the United States use some type of sleep aid, although this is only a temporary solution. Medication can't address the underlying problems and it may cause health problems and side effects, including dry mouth, dizziness, constipation, drowsiness the next day, drug interactions and drug dependency. Medication can't cure insomnia and you face the risk of tolerance. Once you develop a tolerance to the medicine -- which can happen in less than a week! -- you will need a higher dose, with more side effects, for the same effect. When you become dependent, you will find you can't sleep without the medicine. What is Guided Sleep Meditation? Guided meditation is an absolutely safe method that has been proven to help increase the quality and duration of your sleep. There are no side effects and it can be used by anyone, including children, to take the mind to a relaxing setting before bed, allowing the day's stress to simply melt away. The brain doesn't always know the difference between real and imaginary and relaxing imagery can actually trick your mind into believing it's real. Hypnotherapists and sleep clinics use guided meditation for their patients, but you can try it at home as well using a download or CD and some headphones. If you want to try guided meditation (also known as guided imagery), just get comfortable and close your eyes for a few moments, concentrating on your breathing. Then, use the guided visualization program and focus on the guide's voice to help your mind take an inner journey of relaxation. Insomnia is one of the biggest health problems in the United States and it effects your quality of life, productivity at work and even your safety. It contributes to heart disease, stroke and depression and 30% of adults in the US suffer from a sleep disorder. 9 out of 10 adults with depression also suffer from insomnia and this condition has also been linked to obesity. It's even estimated that around 100,000 car accidents are caused by drowsy driving annually, killing 1,500 people every single year. If you're suffering with insomnia and medication hasn't been the answer you were hoping for, try guided meditation to help you ease into sleep and help your mind relieve it's burdens of the day before bed. Author: Christine Daniel writes for The Healing Waterfall, which produces some of the most popular guided imagery and guided meditation programs ever produced, including Sleep Well Tonight, a guided sleep meditation
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