Do you find yourself lying awake at night? You cannot sleep, but do not know why? Does your mind race,chasing sleep farther and farther away? You may have insomnia, a sleep disturbance that can wreak havoc on your sleeping, as well as waking, hours. If you are suffering from lack of sleep, read further for some tips and advice that may give you some relief.
Try to sleep enough so that your body feels rested. Hours of sleep aren’t like rollover minutes on cellphones; you don’t get those hours back by sleeping longer. Sleep just until you feel rested, and do so each night. Avoid banking hours or withdrawing them from different days.
Attempt to get some exercise. Insomnia effects people in sedentary lines of work more often. You need a tired body to be able to rest. If nothing else, walk for half an hour each evening.
Have a bedtime ritual. Let your body know that sleeping is coming by doing the same things every night. For example, you might try having a hot bath, hot tea and reading in bed for about half an hour. This practice will be more effective if you are consistent, so keep it up.
Take some time in the early evening to put the day’s worries away. Write down any stresses, or tasks that were left undone, and plan to do them tomorrow. If things you have to do the following day are keeping you up, make a solid plan, or even a schedule, so that you do not have to linger over these thoughts while you are trying to sleep.
Be sure to keep all your electronic equipment in another part of the house. If you bring laptops, phones and so forth to bed with you, it will be hard to get to sleep. Stay off of gadgets such as these for an hour or so before going to bed. Give your body time to relax.
A lot of people who are plagued with insomnia spend many nights watching the hour hand moving on their clock. Thinking about how you have to take care of the kids or get up for work can keep you up. Turn the clock away from you so it doesn’t add to your worry.
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.
Turn your bedroom into a restful retreat. Try using lighting that is soothing and not harsh and bright. Change your bedding to a soothing color. Try aromatherapy by using a soft fragrance. See if using a fan can create a relaxing white noise that will lull you to sleep. Small changes can make a big difference.
A warm bath before bed can help relax your body. This is especially helpful when you have a hard time sleeping. Try taking a bath with Epsom salt and some baking soda, about a cup of each. This mixture can help you relax and also removes toxins from your body.
If you find you are tired during the day, consider taking a ten minute nap in the afternoon. This can rejuvenate you just enough to give you energy, but it won’t cause you to not be able to fall asleep at night. If you stick to a routine, that will help even more.
Do not reach for the wine or beer before bed. You might notice that it does help you feel sleepy, but the sleep that follows a few drinks is usually fragmented and not refreshing. Stop drinking at least 4 hours before bed to prevent issues sleeping caused by the alcohol.
Once you are lying in bed and you cannot fall asleep, it is not a good idea to wait there idly while waiting for sleep to come your way. The best thing to do is to get up and do something relaxing to help you feel a bit more drowsy.
If you are one of the many people who can’t fall asleep due to excess noise such as chirping crickets, or pattering rain, wear ear plugs. If you don’t want to use ear plugs, sleep with a small pillow covering your ear. Make sure you rotate the pillow as you flip to block out the noise.
A warm bath prior to bedtime will help relax you. Your body temperature drops after getting out of warm water which causes sleepiness. Thus, going to bed after taking a warm shower or bath may help you go to sleep.
By now, you may suspect that insomnia is the reason you cannot get a peaceful snooze. Try the tips in this article to help you better cope with your symptoms. And, as always, check with a doctor anytime you have a sleep disturbance. He or she may be able to help.
Insomnia Keeping You Awake At Night? Try These Tips And Get Some Rest was originally published on Spring