If you suffer from insomnia, you probably have determined how valuable sleep is to your life. If you have them regularly, you likely don’t value them too much. When you have insomnia, sleeping well is worth all the money in the world. Change your life and your future by reading the tips below and using them yourself.
About three hours before bedtime, avoid all stimulants, such as caffeine, tobacco, alcohol and certain medications. Caffeine effects can last for up to six hours, and alcohol, while sedating at first, can cause frequent wakefulness. Certain medications, such as for asthma, are stimulants as well. Check with your doctor to see if you can substitute, or make a different schedule.
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!
Try deep rhythmic breathing to snap out of a bout with insomnia. Lay in bed with your eyes closed and simply breathe with deliberation. This exercise will relax you and help take the focus off of the price you will pay tomorrow for not getting enough sleep tonight. Try counting the breaths too, to get sleepy faster.
If you find yourself having trouble with insomnia every night, stop drinking anything with caffeine in it by noon. This may sound extreme or like self-deprivation, but the effects of caffeine can actually be felt many hours after consumption. Enjoy your coffee or tea by lunch, and forgo them in the afternoon or early evening.
Don’t read right before going to bed. You may love the time you have right before bed to get a few chapters in, but really you are stimulating your body. If you’re battling insomnia that’s the last thing that you want to do. So keep the books out of the room.
Try imagining that it’s the time to get up in the morning. This is sort of a fake out tip. You are trying to fake out your body to thinking it wants just a few more minutes rest, just like it does when that alarm goes off first thing in the morning.
Yes, drinking can make you feel sleepy and even knock you out, but when you wake up at 3am with a massive headache, you still won’t get a good night’s sleep. Avoid drinking if you have sleep issues as it can cause insomnia, frequent bathroom trips and a horrible hangover.
Try finding a soothing and calming tea that you can sip on an hour or so before bed. Make sure it’s an herbal tea that contains no caffeine at all. The best kinds for sleep would probably be chamomile or some kind of a mint tea. Experiment with the blends that say they’re for sleeping as well.
For the perfect pre-bed sedative, warm up a glass of milk and add a tablespoon of honey to it. The combination of warm milk and sweet honey can help to sedate you very quickly. It also fills your tummy, plus milk has a long lasting effect on blood sugar, keeping you from having hunger pains overnight.
Introduce a nightly ritual of quiet time before bed. Television, smartphone and tablet use are common for many people as they prepare to sleep. These devices can create over-stimulation in your brain and prevent the proper shutdown needed for rest. Avoid these devices and opt for a good book or writing in a journal.
TV is usually action filled and it can somehow leave your mind thinking about the scenes you’ve just witnessed. Watching TV before your bedtime can actually hinder your ability to sleep. Consider turning off your TV an hour before your bedtime and giving your brain some time to wind down and relax.
Avoid eating or drinking things that have caffeine in them when it is close to bedtime. To be on the safe side, you should do them no less than six hours before. Caffeine is a stimulant and it will keep you up for far longer than you would like, so drink decaffeinated versions of your favorites as bedtime approaches.
Smoking stimulates your body, so don’t do it near bedtime. In fact, it’s probably difficult for you to not smoke in the evening, so you are better off just to quit entirely. It will take a few months for your body to purge the toxins and get back to normal, but it will leave you feeling amazing.
Life with insomnia is truly difficult. Thankfully, they get relief at some point, and their solutions appear in this article. Because of the advice in this article, you have the power to sleep soundly.
Wondering How To Eliminate Your Insomnia? Check Out These Tips! was originally published on Spring