Fighting insomnia there are three types of insomnia: you can’t fall asleep, you wake up several times a night, or you get up too early in the morning. If you have any of these, you understand how frustrating and draining this is.
What Causes Insomnia?
What makes sleep elusive? Everything from job stress, grief, traffic noise, alcohol, medications, jet lag, shift work, a hard bed, or a soft bed to an off-kilter biological clock. Usually, there is a real identifiable cause. You’re worried about something, or you’re just not physically relaxed in your surroundings.
Is insomnia serious?
Most insomnia lasts only a few nights or a couple of weeks until the situation causing the sleep loss resolves itself. Meanwhile, you are probably tired, irritable and out of sorts. But you recover as soon as you start sleeping better. Any sleeplessness that lasts three weeks or more, however, isn’t normal and could be a warning sign to see your doctor.
How to fix insomnia?
Nightly Rituals
Many people have poor sleep hygiene, meaning that they do not have good habits for bedtime. Create a ritual around sleep so as to prepare the body and mind that it’s time to rest. Use the half-hour before bed for light reading or watching TV, or do som light stretching or relaxation exercises.
To Lie Down, Or Not To Lie Down?
If you are not sleepy, do not force yourself to go to bed, you’ll just lie awake thrashing. Instead, go to bed only when you feel tired.
No matter how little or how much sleep you have had during the night, always get out of bed at the same time every day. This includes weekends, When sleep doesn’t come easily, you have to be more regular in your habits, you cannot expect your body to do one thing on the weekdays and another on weekends.
Need Foooooood!
Hunger pangs, even little ones, sometimes inhibit sleep. A glass of milk, crackers, or an apple before bed takes the edge off and allows sleep to come. Have just a small snack. You don’t want to eat a meal before bed.
Let Go
While breathing slowly through your nose, focus on relaxing the muscles in your feet. Visualize your feet, your bones becoming denser, sinking into the bed, and losing feeling. After a few mins, move to your calves, your knees, and eventually advancing up the body. You’ll undoubtedly be sleeping by the time you get to the head. Let go of your thoughts and concentrate on relaxing the body.
Herb it up
Drink some valerian tea before turning in for the night. There is evidence that it has a sedative effect, and for some, valerian is great for anxiety too. Steep one tbsp. of the dried herb in a pint of water, and brew for 3 to 4 mins. Drink it before bed as needed.
Preventing Insomnia
Ork out BEFORE dinner. Hearty exercise like fast walking or taking a nice stroll on your bike for twenty to thirty mins boosts up the metabolism and body temp. for four to five hours. If you exercise about 5 to 6 hours before time for bed, your metabolism will slowly drop at the same time your body is naturally getting ready for sleep. But if you exercise too late at night, you may be too hyped up to get sleep.
Anna Leake is a health blogger that focuses on topics related to nutrition, fitness, and mental health. She was born in New York City but at age 6 moved to the Midwest where she spent her childhood exploring nature with friends and family. Anna graduated from University of Michigan-Ann Arbor with degrees in psychology & human development.
