How to Deal With Insomnia

About 1/3 of Americans suffer from either short-term or long-term bouts of insomnia. The results of the continuous battle takes a toll on an individual's ability to cope with family, friends, work and life in general. The purpose of this article is to explore ways of dealing with insomnia.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A comfortable mattress and pillow
• A properly heated or cooled room
• A willingness to break old habits
• A desire to change sleeping patterns

How to Deal With Insomnia

1. Determine how much sleep you believe you require each night. Not everyone requires a full 8 hours of sleep. Some can get by on as little as 4 hours, while others require at least 10 hours per night. To deal with insomnia issues, you must first have an idea how much sleep you require. If you cannot determine that on your own, you may wish to visit a sleep clinic for assistance.

2. Determine what issue(s) are keeping you from sleeping. Some that could be affecting your sleep pattern are snoring (by you or your significant other) and drugs. Check with your physician or pharmacist to see if any of your prescriptions fall into that category.
   
   Medical Problems conditions (including psychological ones) can cause insomnia. Consult your physician for assistance in dealing with these issues.
   
   Noisy neighborhood. Noises like outside traffic, loud neighbors, or even noises created within other areas of the house may be keeping you awake.
   
   Restless Leg Syndrome. RLS is more common than most of us think. The constant moving of the legs does not allow the body to relax enough for a decent night's sleep.
   
   Sleep breathing disorders. Some people breathe irregularly when they sleep, making it easy for their sleep to be disturbed.

3. Determine if you are making some of the most common sleep mistakes. These include, but are not limited to erratic hours (this may be caused by shift work or by something that you do to yourself); inactivity (if your day consists of relaxing around, the body may be lulled into thinking that it has experienced enough "rest" and be unwilling to sleep); caffeine can impede sleep if you drink too much coffee or other decaffeinated drinks after 6:00 p.m.; food or other drinks could force you to get up multiple times during the night for trips to the bathroom--while a drink before bedtime might help you get to sleep, research indicates that alcohol is also likely to interrupt a regular sleep pattern; inappropriate room comfort such as a room that is too hot, too cold or too stuffy may keep you from sleeping; too much light may ultimately interrupt your sleep pattern--even night lights can have an effect on certain individuals; too much brain activity--some people try to work right up to the minute they are ready for bed. The problem is that sometimes the mind can't calm itself down that quickly; exercise is good for you, but not if it is done right before bedtime; stress is a killer any way you look at it, and it can severely hamper your sleep pattern.

4. Once you have identified the issues that may be keeping you from sleeping, you may be able to change them. Eliminate those things within your control that might be affecting you. If drugs or medical problems are an issue, contact your physician for assistance in solving those issues. Sleep breathing disorders may be a little trickier to overcome. Your physician may want you to go to a sleep clinic in order to map your sleep patterns and get at exactly what is causing the problem. There are, however, things that can be done to help you once the problem has been identified. If you live in a noisy neighborhood there may be a lot you can do to resolve that issue short of moving. Traffic patterns rarely get better, and noisy neighbors, on the whole, are rarely concerned about anyone's well being but their own.

5. Once you have identified the mistakes that you are making that might be attributing to your insomnia, you can also correct them. Regulate your sleep hours and develop a regular sleep pattern that you can keep. If inactivity is the problem, then you must develop some form of exercise or revitalization program that will jump start your body during the day while still allowing it to slow down and rest at night. If you think caffeine is the villain, then switch to decaffeinated drinks. Cut off eating and drinking of anything at least 1 hour before bedtime; 2 hours would even be better. Try never to consume alcohol after 7:00 p.m. That will give it time to work through your system before bedtime. If your room is too hot, too cold or too stuffy, correct those issues instead of trying to live with them. Try eliminating all sources of light at nighttime. Stop any kind of work that might increase your brain activity at least 1 hour before bedtime; again, 2 hours would be best. Eliminate as much stress from your life as possible. While some things may not be possible, others will be. Finally, exercise first thing in the morning rather than just before bedtime.

6. Try some natural ways of relaxing your body for sleep. These include, but aren't limited to Take a hot bath. Just don't make it too hot or stay in it too long. You want to relax, not exhaust yourself. Get a massage. If your significant other has magic fingers, take advantage of them to relax those muscles and prepare them to allow your body to sleep. Watch a relaxing movie or television. That doesn't mean "Star Wars" or anything with a lot of action in it. Try something soothing and calming. Listen to music. Again, don't go for the heavy metal. Instead, choose something soft and soothing. Try a nature sounds recording. When nothing else works for me, I pull out the sound of a gentle rain in the forest and I'm asleep before I know it. Drink warm milk or hot tea. Both are believed to help aid in sleep. If you can't get to sleep, get up and move around for a few minutes and then try it again. Use your bed for sleep only. Don't watch TV, work or just relax in it. You want your body to associate bed with sleep. Meditate before bed to prepare your body for sleep. Read, but only if your body associates that activity with rest. In some people, reading may actually stimulate them to stay awake.
   Count something. It doesn't have to be sheep, but oddly enough, the monotony of counting seems to relax the mind and prepare it for sleep.
   Get up earlier in the morning. Maybe your sleeping in is keeping you from sleeping properly.

7. If nothing else works, you may require the assistance of a professional. Ask your physician for a referral.

Tips & Warnings

• Eliminate as many sleep inhibitors as you can, whether you think they aren't working against you at the moment.
• Take advantage of sleep aids IF they are recommended by your physician, but only as prescribed.
• Develop a bedtime ritual that lets your body know you are getting ready for sleep. Take a hot bath, read a chapter in a book, or drink a cup of hot tea. After a few weeks, your body will automatically associate the pattern with sleep.
• Don't eat or drink anything after 8:00 p.m. if you want to assure a good night's rest.
• Don't take over-the-counter sleep aids without your physician's approval.
• Avoid any kind of activity that requires a lot of cognitive thinking just before bedtime. It will rev up the mind just as you are trying to put the body to be. Mixed messages result in mixed sleep.

[LisaSmegal]

on 3/19/2008 Great article. Excellent information.