How much do you value sleep? If you never have any trouble going to sleep, you likely never give it any thought. When you have insomnia, sleep means everything to you. Use these helpful tips to get what is important to you.
If you are troubled by insomnia, the first thing to do is visit your doctor to rule out any medical conditions that are causing your sleeplessness. For example, headaches, diabetes or Restless Leg Syndrome can all keep you up at night. You will get a better sleep if you treat these conditions.
A rigid sleep schedule is beneficial for many insomniacs. Your body’s internal clock causes you to sleep at around the same times each night. If you pay attention to that clock and try to sleep regularly when you feel you need to sleep, you can overcome insomnia.
Feel Rested
Make sure you are sleeping for as long as you need to to feel rested. Avoid trying to sleep for a longer time to compensate for lost sleep or sleep that you expect to lose. Sleep until you feel rested every night. You cannot “bank” sleep hours for another day!
Pay attention to how your room is ventilated and also the temperature. Things can get uncomfortable when it’s too stuffy or too cold. It can easily make it a struggle to get to sleep. Put the thermostat down near 65 degrees to create the best sleeping conditions. Use more than one blanket, and add them or remove them as needed to get comfortable.
Stay away from the computer prior to bed. In particular, avoid stimulating video games. Playing video games will make it so you won’t have a peaceful mind while trying to sleep.
Tryptophan can help you fall asleep. A dinner that contains this substance may be the start of a peaceful night of rest. Turkey, eggs, cottage cheese, warm or hot milk, and cashews all have tryptophan. Be sure to drink warm milk because it is relaxing; whereas, cold milk is not.
Adding a hot water bottle to your bed space may help you rest. The heat will help your body release tension. That might be the trick to getting rid of your insomnia. One place you can start is putting the bottle where your stomach is. Allow it to heat you up as you deep breathe.
It’s harder to sleep when you aren’t sleepy! If you’re working somewhere where you just sit around, then you should take some breaks and move your body during your day. A little extra physical movement during the day can help you be more sleepy when it is time for bed.
Do not force sleep if you’re an insomniac. Only sleep when you are tired. This may be counter-intuitive, but it’s better to let your tiredness lead you to sleep, rather than force yourself to sleep when you can’t.
Cognitive Therapy
If insomnia is having serious effects on your life, consider cognitive therapy. This helps you figure out what beliefs you have which are keeping you from sleeping. Cognitive therapy gives you information like sleep norms and changes that go along with age, so you can establish some sleep goals.
Sleep is so important to your health that you must find a way to get the sleep you need. Use the tips in this article to rest easy at night. The road to deep refreshing sleep is waiting for you.