How to treat insomnia

More people than one might think suffer from insomnia. If one has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up to early then you may be suffering from insomnia. I suffer from a certain type of insomnia; I am not the person that will lie awake staring at the ceiling but I wake up every 2 hours. My sleep is constantly interrupted, that when my alarm sets in I press snooze 5 times and I wake up feeling groggy. If I am lucky I will get 4-6 hours of sleep at night. But how much sleep does one really need? According to the National Sleep Foundation sleep needs vary. Usually, most healthy adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a night. However, some individuals are able to function without sleepiness or drowsiness after as little as six hours of sleep.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• milk
• sleeping pills
• warm bath

1. 1. The first thing to look at is your lifestyle which is what affects your sleep habits.
   Try going to bed and get up at the same time each day, including week-ends.
2. 2. Exercise regularly; a 30 minute walk each day is sufficient. Regular exercise, fresh air and daylight will give you more energy during the day, which will make you more tired at bedtime.
3. 3. Limit naps to before 3 P.M and do not extend them more than 30 minutes.
4. 4. Before bedtime try these tips:
   Have a bedtime routine to let your body and mind know when it's time to sleep.
5. 5. Think of going to bed as relaxing and enjoyable; maybe take a relaxing bubble bath right before bedtime to get you in the mindset. Learn to relax: deep breathing can help. Sit or lie down and take a slow, deep breath, hold it for 5 counts and then breathe slowly through your mouth. Keep doing it until you feel relaxed.
   If your worries don't let you sleep, write them down in a diary. Then close it, and go to bed.
6. 6. Use medication wisely, over the counter sleeping pills may help you fall asleep, but after some time they can become less effective.
7. 7. Have a glass of warm milk, (unless you are lactose intolerant). Milk contains tryptophan, which is the same ingredient that is in turkey; this is probably the reason that my niece and nephew pass out at night after 30 minutes of having their milk at night. Another tip is to add some noise, by noise I mean "white noise", not a blasting stereo or keeping the TV on, but maybe a fan on or the noise of a waterfall.

Tips & Warnings

• If, the insomnia still persists, talk to your doctor about it, also for more information you can visit www.aasmnet.org (American Academy of Sleep Medicine) and www.sleepfoundation.org (National Sleep Foundation). Have a good night sleep!
• Use medication wisely, talk to your doctor before taking it.