Whenever we face a hurdle in life, we first try to surmount it on our own. When that doesn’t work, we need to reach out for help from those who know what is going on. This article was written by the experts to provide you with simple advice about insomnia you can’t sleep without.

Try not to take naps. Napping can interrupt the normal sleep schedule, making it harder to fall asleep at bedtime. Try to associate sleep with darkness and relaxation. You will be more likely to fall asleep easily if you are tired from being awake all day, instead of feeling refreshed from an earlier nap.

If you have trouble with insomnia for any length of time, consider getting a new mattress. Look for one that is firm without being hard, as these are the most conducive to sleep, and provide you with the most support. Mattresses are the cause of insomnia in many cases, but people just don’t realize it!

Use an audio player, preferably one with a timer, to help you fall asleep in the evenings. Choose music that is soft and relaxing. There are plenty of products on the market that were designed to assist people in having a more restful night’s sleep. You may find that sounds other than music help you as well.

Try yawning. Yawning triggers relaxation in your body, so why not try to manually trigger it yourself? It can help make your body feel like rest is the thing it needs most at this instant. It may take a few minutes for the effect to hit, so don’t give up after just a yawn or two.

Chronic depression and anxiety often lead to insomnia. If you suffer from anxiety or depression, and cannot get to sleep at night, see your doctor as soon as possible. By treating the underlying disorder, you may be able to restore your sleep habits, and begin getting a good night’s sleep again.

Your body needs to wake at a consistent time each day. Most people sleep in whenever they can to catch up on the missed sleep during the week. If you constantly suffer from insomnia, train your body to wake up at a certain time each day and stick to it!

Particularly if you work in an office and do not engage in much physical activity during the day, establish a workout schedule for yourself. Just 15 minutes a day of activity can help, as long as you do so a good 30 minutes or more before bed. Exercise enables you to get the oxygen you need to rest and sleep well.

Wake at the same time consistently every day. That might seem strange if you want to sleep in whenever you’re able to catch a bit of sleep, but if you can get yourself use a regular waking schedule, you’ll save up all that sleepiness and it will be easier to go to sleep during the night.

Blue light is known to suppress the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep. Be sure to avoid blue light from things like laptops, tvs, and phones for at least thirty minutes before bedtime. This will help your brain know it’s power down time and not play time.

If you’re having trouble with insomnia, you may be causing it because of the environment you’re sleeping in. Is this room cool, quiet, and dark? Noises, light and heat can hurt your sleeping patterns. If outside noise is disturbing you, cover it up with sounds of your own, such as an electric fan. Having a fan on you will help you stay comfortable, too. Use blackout curtains or wear a sleep mask to eliminate light.

Avoid late-night snacks and drinking. Sleep patterns can easily be interrupted when food and alcohol are consumed too close to bed time. Your body’s normal function at night is recovery. When you introduce food or alcohol, you are interrupting the normal body functions, and creating a situation where your body is distracted from normal functions as it processes these substances.

Can you think back to when you were read bedtime stories each night? This fix is helpful to adults, too. If you want a relaxing way to drift off, pick up an audiobook and listen to that as you wind down in bed. Gentle music is another option.

Does insomnia keep you up at night? Have you been napping to make up for your sleep loss? Avoid taking these naps! It can be harder to fall asleep if you nap. If you must take a nap, do it before three in the afternoon, and only do it for a half hour.

So many problems are easy to solve once you know what others have tried. Even if one tip doesn’t work for you, the next one likely will, so keep trying and persevere. The more effort you put into fixing your insomnia, the better the results will be once you find a working strategy.

Better Deal With Your Insomnia Using These Tips was originally published on Spring