Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep and / or get enough sleep, which can cause many physical and emotional problems. It is estimated that about 95% of Americans experience bouts of insomnia in their lifetime. It is often caused by moderate or severe stress (usually due to financial and / or emotional difficulties), but other factors, such as dietary and medical problems, can also affect. Treating insomnia generally requires a multifactorial approach, including changing your sleeping and eating habits.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Improving Your Sleep Habits
Step 1. Make the bedroom comfortable
To treat insomnia, your bedroom or sleeping place should be as inviting and calm as possible. The environment should also be relatively quiet, but it must be said that many are used to hearing some background noise. The place where you sleep must first and foremost be comfortable. The bed should only be used for sleeping, for moments of intimacy and for light reading (not for eating, studying, watching television, texting or paying bills online). This can improve the quality and duration of sleep.
- If you live in a noisy neighborhood, you may want to wear earplugs or use a device that generates white noise. White noise (such as interference) overrides more annoying sounds.
- Prepare the bed using comfortable sheets that don't make you feel too hot or cold at night. In general, the room temperature should be cool, so it should be around 15-18 ° C (although for some it may be too low or impractical).
- Go to bed when you feel sleepy and don't try to fall asleep at all costs. If you can't sleep, get out of bed after 20 minutes and do something relaxing.
Step 2. Make your bedroom darker
To help sleep, the environment should be relatively dark, although many are used to some light. Darkness releases hormones such as melatonin, which helps you doze off and promotes deep sleep. Consequently, close the blinds tightly and turn off any light sources you can see from the bed. Do not surf the internet, because the bright screen of your mobile, tablet or computer can keep you awake and get you through sleep.
- Use thick blackout curtains to prevent light from filtering through the windows, or put on a mask.
- Avoid using a bright (and noisy) alarm clock and arrange it in such a way that you can't see it. Once the alarm is set, hide it so the light and time don't distract you. Watching the time can increase anxiety and make insomnia worse.
Step 3. Try to establish relaxing routines before going to bed
In the evening, it is important to adopt certain habits to prepare the mind and body for sleep. Work, school, sports, bills to pay, and keeping your home tidy can have a lot of impact on stress, so having activities that help you unplug before bed can help you sleep better and fight back. insomnia, or to lower the risk of it occurring. There are several relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing, which have been shown to be effective in giving respite to the brain and body.
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation, or RMP, teaches you to relax your muscles with a two-step procedure: first, intentionally contract muscle groups, such as the neck and shoulders; afterwards, relax them, concentrating intensely on one part of the body at a time. Try this method every night before going to bed.
- Using deep breathing techniques before bed can help you relax and fall asleep. Place one hand on your lower abdomen and inhale deeply with your diaphragm (you need to make the belly expand and the hand rise). Hold your breath for a count of three, then exhale fully as your hand drops and your belly returns to normal. Do this three times in the evening.
- A warm bath can also help treat insomnia. Make sure the water is not boiling and add a couple of tablespoons of Epsom salts. They are rich in magnesium, which can be absorbed by the skin and relax the muscles. Light a few candles. Soak in the tub for 20-30 minutes while reading something light and fun.
- Avoid doing overly stimulating or stressful activities on your computer (or phone). Don't watch horror or action movies, as they'll get your adrenaline pumping.
Step 4. Don't go to bed hungry
Don't eat just before bed, as this can give you an energy boost (like a sugar rush) and you also risk GERD. On the other hand, going to bed hungry can also prevent you from sleeping. If your stomach rumbles and you feel hunger pangs, this can keep you awake, especially if your mind is fixed on food. As a result, don't go fasting for more than three to four hours before going to bed.
- If you need to snack after dinner, choose healthy, light foods, such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains.
- Some foods, especially poultry, contain amino acids (tryptophan and glutamine), which promote some sleepiness. As a result, try eating a whole turkey sandwich for a nighttime snack.
- Avoid snacking, especially spicy snacks, an hour before bed. In this way the digestive system will have time to adequately assimilate the food and will allow to calm any energy discharges.
Part 2 of 4: Changing Your Lifestyle
Step 1. Fight the stress
Worries about finances, work, school, relationships, and social life in general often cause stress, which can trigger temporary or chronic insomnia. Trying to reduce or control the factors that stress you the most on a daily basis can improve sleep quality and help treat insomnia. Don't be afraid to make significant changes in your life to get rid of various stressful situations, because insomnia is only a symptom of chronic stress. What are the others? Attacks of anxiety, depression, headaches, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases.
- Address your obligations and responsibilities reasonably. Many get stressed out because they are full of commitments and things to do. Don't make promises that are impossible to keep.
- You can also decide to have less contact with people who stress you a lot.
- Manage your time better. If being late stresses you out, get out of the house a little earlier. Plan ahead and be realistic.
- Combat stress with moderate exercise instead of bingeing. Stressed people tend to gorge on "comfort" foods, but this can cause weight gain and depression. Instead, be dynamic and play sports when you feel stressed (read further for more).
- Talk to your friends and family about the issues that stress you the most. Sometimes it is enough to let off steam and externalize your problems. If you can't talk to anyone, write how you feel in a journal.
Step 2. Exercise regularly throughout the day
Constant exercise can help regulate your sleep cycle, which is effective in fighting insomnia. During the day it will give you a boost of energy and vigor, but in the evening the effort made and the increased oxygenation will make you feel tired and sleepy. If you don't already have a regular workout, do at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity a day (walking, hiking, cycling, swimming).
- Exercising regularly involves some sacrifices. Try to play sports around the same time, whether it's early in the morning, on a lunch break, or after work.
- Physical activity also promotes weight loss, which can reduce various aches and pains, make you more comfortable in bed, decrease the chances of snoring and having other breathing problems.
- Do not do vigorous exercises just before bed as your body will produce adrenaline and this will prevent you from falling asleep quickly. Make sure you work out five to six hours before bedtime.
Step 3. Reduce your alcohol consumption
Drinking alcohol can certainly cause drowsiness (calms the nervous system), but often decreases the quality of sleep, making it more restless and less profound. You may wake up in the middle of the night and have a hard time falling asleep again. Reduce the amount of alcohol you consume and don't drink alcohol at least an hour and a half before bed.
Step 4. Stop taking nicotine
Nicotine is a stimulant substance and can keep you awake if taken just before bed. This substance is commonly found in cigarettes. Since smoking is severely harmful to your health, you should definitely quit completely.
- If you are still using products that contain nicotine, stop smoking and chew nicotine gum a few hours before bed.
- Cigarettes, cigars and tobacco contain nicotine. There are also nicotine patches and chewing gums designed to help smokers quit. All of these products can negatively affect sleep and make falling asleep even more difficult.
Step 5. Avoid taking caffeine before bed
Caffeine is a stimulant substance that can disrupt sleep. The effect can last up to eight hours. So, as a general rule, avoid caffeine after lunch.
- Caffeine increases the activity of neurons, which can over-stimulate the mind with thoughts and ideas.
- Coffee, black tea, green tea, hot chocolate, dark chocolate, cola or other fizzy drinks and virtually all energy drinks are high in caffeine. Some cold medicines also contain it.
- Keep in mind that sugar (especially refined sugar) is also a stimulant and should be avoided for at least an hour before going to bed.
Part 3 of 4: Contact a Professional
Step 1. Make an appointment with your doctor
If a transient insomnia has become chronic (despite trying to change your lifestyle), go to the doctor. It will try to understand if it is caused or exacerbated by a specific pathology. In such a situation, treatment should first target the underlying disorder, so sleep problems should fade as a side effect.
- Here are some common causes of insomnia: chronic pain, depression, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea (snoring loudly), bladder control problems, arthritis, cancer, hyperthyroidism, menopause, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, and chronic gastroesophageal reflux.
- Ask your doctor if a prescription medicine could cause insomnia. The most problematic drugs include those used for depression, hypertension, allergies, weight loss, and ADHD (such as methylphenidate).
- Read the package leaflets of the medicines you take regularly. If they contain caffeine or stimulants such as pseudoephedrine, they can cause insomnia.
Step 2. Learn about pharmaceutical remedies to help you sleep
If your doctor thinks it is necessary or helpful, he can prescribe medicines to help you sleep. Some medications are more effective for short-term (newly acquired) insomnia, while others are preferable for long-term (chronic) insomnia. Generally, if it is caused by an underlying condition, medications are prescribed to treat this disorder without combining them with medications for insomnia. Mixing different types of drugs increases the risk of having adverse effects (read below).
- The most prescribed tablets for short-term insomnia include eszopiclone, ramelteon, zaleplon, and zolpidem tablets.
- Other prescription medicines used to treat insomnia include diazepam, lorazepam, and quazepam.
- Remember that some medicines for insomnia can be addictive and have unpleasant side effects, including low blood pressure, nausea, anxiety, daytime sleepiness, and sleepwalking.
Step 3. Consider Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TCC)
Get advice from a psychologist or a specialized psychotherapist: this therapy can be useful for fighting insomnia. TCC is used to eliminate factors that worsen the disorder, such as negative thoughts, poor sleeping habits, irregular schedules, poor sleep hygiene, and misconceptions about it. If you want effective treatment, but don't want to take medication, it's a good solution.
- TCC can include sleep education, sleep hygiene information, relaxation techniques, cognitive control, psychotherapy, and / or biological feedback.
- TCC promotes behavioral changes by helping you adopt healthy habits, acquire regular schedules, and eliminate afternoon naps.
- Your therapist will work with you to help you control or eliminate the negative thoughts, worries, and misconceptions underlying insomnia.
- If no one can recommend a psychotherapist, you can search for him on the internet.
Step 4. Go to a sleep medicine center
If you suffer from chronic (long-term) insomnia that hasn't gone away even after implementing the above tips, then ask your doctor to recommend a sleep medicine center. These facilities are run by doctors, nurses, psychologists and other health professionals who specialize in sleep disorders. After being connected to various devices (such as the one for polysomnography) that will monitor your brain waves and your state of consciousness, you will sleep for a night in the clinic.
- Compared to people who sleep normally, people with chronic insomnia usually do not reach the REM (rapid eye movement) phase, or it does not last long.
- REM sleep should begin about 90 minutes after falling asleep (this is when you dream intensely).
- Insomniacs also have difficulty achieving non-REM sleep. When they do, there is often no transition to deep non-REM sleep and eventually to REM sleep.
Part 4 of 4: Alternative Therapies
Step 1. Try natural remedies to help you sleep
There are many plant-based products or natural supplements that act as mild sedatives and help treat insomnia (if it wasn't caused by an external disease). Natural medicine is generally very safe and there is no risk of intoxication, provided that you follow the instructions on the packaging of the products. Also, unlike many medications, it has no potentially serious side effects. Some of the most used natural products are valerian root, chamomile and melatonin.
- Magnesium can facilitate relaxation and promote better sleep quality. try to take around 400 mg per day.
- Valerian root has a mild sedative effect, so it can help you sleep. You can take it in capsule or herbal tea form for one or two consecutive weeks. In very high doses, it can have negative effects on the liver.
- Chamomile flowers are also mild sedatives that can calm the nerves, promote relaxation, and induce sleep. Many are used to drinking chamomile tea, to be consumed about an hour before going to sleep.
- Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland. It is essential for the circadian rhythm and for stimulating the transition to deep sleep phases in a dark environment. Taking it in supplement form can help fight insomnia, although there is still no definitive research on it.
Step 2. Relax with aromatherapy
It consists of using essential oils or other vegetable oils to achieve a calming effect. It cannot treat insomnia or its causes, but it can relax, create the right mental predisposition to fall asleep and have a peaceful sleep. Essential oils most used in aromatherapy and recommended for relaxation include lavender, rose, orange, bergamot, lemon, and sandalwood. Lavender is thought to stimulate the activity of brain cells in the amygdala, acting similar to some sedatives.
- Smell essential oils by pouring them directly onto a piece of cloth or cloth, or use them indirectly through fumigations, vaporizers, or sprays. You can also pour them into the bathtub.
- Start an aromatherapy session about 30 minutes before going to bed. If you buy a special vaporizer, leave it on at night.
- Some candles contain essential oils, but never leave them unattended or lit while you sleep.
- Professionals such as aromatherapists, nurses, chiropractors, massage therapists, and acupuncturists often practice aromatherapy.
Step 3. Experiment with acupuncture
It consists of inserting very fine needles into specific energy points on the skin or muscles. The goal is to stimulate the flow of energy within the body and combat various symptoms. Not much research has been done on acupuncture in relation to insomnia, but some say it is quite relaxing and calming, plus it takes away the pain. Based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture can work by releasing various pain-relieving and well-being substances, including endorphins and serotonin.
- Acupuncture can increase the nocturnal production of melatonin, which in turn can help treat patients suffering from anxious insomnia.
- If other methods outlined in this article don't work, you can try considering acupuncture.
- It is practiced by several professionals, including some doctors, chiropractors, naturopaths, physiotherapists and massage therapists. The important thing is to make sure they have the right qualifications.
Step 4. Consider hypnotherapy
As a last resort to try to treat insomnia, learn about hypnotherapy. It involves an alteration of one's state of consciousness, in order to relax and become rather suggestible. When this altered state is reached, the hypnotherapist can give suggestions or commands to help the patient relax, banish anxious thoughts, change their perceptions, and prepare the body for sleep. It is potentially effective for all types of insomnia, but it is important to understand one thing: it does not cure the underlying conditions or disorders that contribute to the problem.
- Get a referral to a reputable hypnotherapist, be sure to check their qualifications as well.
- More and more doctors, psychologists and psychotherapists are practicing hypnotherapy.
- Always let a friend or family member accompany you (at least initially), because people who are hypnotized are very vulnerable.
Advice
- Most people need seven to nine hours of sleep a night, although some can get away with three hours without showing any negative side effects.
- Jet lag from long journeys and changing time zones can cause short-term insomnia.
- Taking an over-the-counter antihistamine can cause drowsiness, which may help you fall asleep if you have insomnia.
- Long-term chronic insomnia is usually associated with a mental or physical problem. Mental conditions that are usually responsible for this problem include depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic anxiety.
