If you live in a noisy neighborhood, consider wearing earplugs or buying a white noise machine. White noise (like the sound of static) drowns out other more distracting noises. Make your bed with comfortable sheets that don’t make you too hot or cold at night. In general, try to keep your room cool — around 60 to 65 °F (16 to 18 °C) (though this may be too cold or impractical for some). [4] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School’s Educational Site for the Public Go to source Wait until you’re comfortably drowsy to go to bed and don’t try too hard to fall asleep. If you can’t sleep, get out of bed after 20 minutes and do something relaxing.
Use thick black-out shades to prevent light from coming in through your windows, or wear a sleep mask over your eyes. Avoid bright (and noisy) alarm clocks and remove them from view. Once you set your alarm, hide your clock so the light and time don’t distract you. Watching the time can increase anxiety and make insomnia worse. [5] X Research source
Get completely ready for bed before you start winding down—take a shower, brush your teeth, and turn down your sheets. That way, when you start to feel drowsy, you can go straight to bed. [6] X Expert Source Jeremy Bartz, PhDClinical Psychologist Expert Interview. 8 January 2021. Progressive muscle relaxation or PMR teaches you how to relax your muscles through a 2- step process: first, you intentionally tense muscle groups in your body, such as your neck and shoulders; next, you release the tension, focusing intensely on 1 body part at a time. Try this each night before bedtime. Deep breathing techniques prior to bed can help you relax and get to sleep. Place a hand on your lower abdomen and breathe in deeply so your hand rises (called stomach breathing). Hold your breath for a count of 3 and then exhale fully and watch your hand fall. Do these 3x per night. A warm bath can also help cure insomnia. Make sure the water isn’t too hot and add a couple scoops of Epsom salts — it’s rich with magnesium, which can absorb through your skin and relax muscles. Light some candles. Soak in the tub for 20 to 30 minutes while reading something light and funny.
If you need a snack after dinner, stick to healthy and light stuff, such as fruit, veggies, low-fat dairy and whole grains. Some foods, especially poultry, contain amino acids (tryptophan and glutamine) that promote sleepiness. Thus, consider having a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread for an evening snack. Avoid eating snacks, particularly spicy stuff, within 1 hour of bedtime. This strategy will let your GI system properly digest the food and allow for any energy rush to subside.
Be reasonable about your obligations and responsibilities. Many people get stressed because they are over-committed or over-scheduled. Don’t promise what you can’t reasonably deliver. Feel free to reduce contact with people who cause you lots of stress. [8] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Manage your time better. If running late causes you stress, leave for work a little early each day. Plan ahead and be realistic. Use moderate exercise to handle stress instead of binge eating. People who are stress tend to binge eat on “feel good” food, but this can lead to weight gain and depression. Instead, be active and go exercise when stressed out (see below). Talk to friends and family members about stressful issues. Simply venting about your stressful issues can help. If you can’t talk to someone, write your feelings down in a journal.
Establishing an exercise routine takes effort. Try to be active at the same time each day, either early in the morning, during your lunch break, or right after work before you eat. Exercise also promotes weight loss, which can reduce annoying aches and pain, make you more comfortable in bed at night, and reduce the risk of snoring and other breathing problems. Don’t engage in vigorous exercise too close to bedtime because your body produces adrenaline and it will prevent you from falling asleep quickly. Make sure your workouts occur 5 to 6 hours prior to bedtime.
If you are still using nicotine products, stop smoking or chewing nicotine gum a few hours before bedtime. Nicotine is found in cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco. There are also nicotine patches and chewing gums meant to help you quit smoking. These can all make it more difficult for you to sleep.
Caffeine increases the activity of brain neurons, which may cause your mind “to race” with more thoughts and ideas. Coffee, black tea, green tea, hot chocolate, dark chocolate, colas, some other sodas and virtually all energy drinks are significant sources of caffeine. Some cold medications also contain caffeine. Keep in mind that sugar (especially the heavily processed types) is also a stimulant and should be avoided for at least an hour before heading to bed.
Common causes of insomnia include: chronic pain, depression, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea (severe snoring), bladder control problems, arthritis, cancer, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), menopause, heart disease, lung disease, and chronic heartburn. [11] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Ask your doctor if any of your prescription drugs can potentially trigger insomnia — problematic drugs include those used for depression, hypertension, allergies, weight loss and ADHD (such as Ritalin). Check the labels of any medications you take regularly. If they contain caffeine or stimulants like pseudoephedrine they may be causing your insomnia. [12] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
First-choice sleeping pills for short-term insomnia include eszopiclone, ramelteon, zaleplon and zolpidem. [14] X Research source Additional prescription medications used to treat insomnia include diazepam, lorazepam, and quazepam. Note that some insomnia medications can be habit-forming and may come with unpleasant side effects, including low blood pressure, nausea, anxiety, daytime drowsiness, and sleepwalking.
CBT can involve sleep education, info on sleep hygiene, relaxation training, cognitive control, psychotherapy and/or biofeedback. CBT promotes behavioral changes by getting you to keep regular bedtimes and wake-up times, as well as eliminating afternoon naps. Your CBT therapist will work with you to help control or eliminate negative thoughts, worries and any false beliefs that are causing sleeplessness. They’ll also help hold you accountable to the changes that you’re trying to make. [16] X Expert Source Jeremy Bartz, PhDClinical Psychologist Expert Interview. 8 January 2021. If you can’t get a referral from your doctor, you should be able to find a list of CBT providers through your insurance.
People with chronic insomnia usually don’t experience much or any time in the REM (rapid eye movement) phase of sleep compared to people who sleep normally. REM sleep should occur about 90 minutes after falling asleep — intense dreams happen in this stage. People with insomnia also have difficulty initiating non-REM sleep to start with, but once there, often don’t transition to deep non-REM and finally REM sleep.
Magnesium can help to relax you and promote better sleep. Try taking a 400 mg supplement daily. Valerian root has a mild sedating effective on people, which leads to sleepiness. [17] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source You can take it as a capsule or drink it as a herbal tea for 1 to 2 weeks at a time. In very high doses, valerian root can have a negative effect on the liver. Chamomile flower is also a mild sedative that can calm the nerves, promote relaxation and trigger sleepiness. Chamomile tea is very popular and should be drank about an hour before bedtime. Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland in your brain. It’s essential for circadian rhythm and triggering deep sleep at night when it’s dark. Taking it as a supplement can potentially help with insomnia, although research is currently inconclusive. [18] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
Breathe in essential oils directly from a piece of tissue / cloth or indirectly through steam inhalations, vaporizers or sprays. You can also mix essential oils into your bath water. Start an aromatherapy session about 30 minutes prior to bedtime. If you buy a special vaporizer, let it run throughout the night. Some candles are infused with essential oils, but never let candles burn unattended or while you’re asleep. Aromatherapists, nurses, chiropractors, massage therapists and acupuncturists are often the health professionals who practice aromatherapy.
Acupuncture can increase night-time melatonin production, which can help treat patients with anxiety-induced insomnia. It’s likely best to look into acupuncture treatment for insomnia if other methods (mentioned above) don’t work. [20] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Acupuncture is practiced by a variety of health professionals including some physicians, chiropractors, naturopaths, physiotherapists and massage therapists — whoever you choose should be certified by NCCAOM.
Get a referral to someone reputable who practices hypnotherapy and be sure to ask for their credentials and licensing information. A growing number of physicians, psychologists, psychologists and counselors practice hypnotherapy. Always take a friend or family member with you (at least initially) because people are very vulnerable once hypnotized.
