Insomnia Treatment

Why can't I get any sleep?  How do I get help with this??

Insomnia is defined as not being able to fall or stay asleep, having sleep that doesn't rest and restore you, or waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep. Insomnia can leave us feeling fatigued, moody, irritable and angry, having trouble staying awake during the day, and having poor memory and a lack of concentration.  I have experienced my bouts of sleepless nights, that resulted in me falling asleep at the drop of a hat during daytime hours. Functioning daily depends on getting a good rest; however, there are about a third of us who have insomnia every now and then. Having chronic insomnia can result in problems like weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and depression.

Treatments for Insomnia

There are three types of treatments for insomnia that can be effective.  The first is to find out if there is mental stress that is stopping us from getting the rest we need.  Talking to a Psychologist or Counselor about what may be bothersome and learning techniques to deal with negative thoughts can help you get the sleep you need.  Secondly, learning new sleeping habits can help you to get a good nights rest.  Third, there are medications that can help you to get a better night's sleep.

Steps to Take to Improve Sleep Performance

Fortunately, there are many things that can be done to get a good night's rest.  First, it is important to talk with a doctor to determine that there is not an underlying cost for your insomnia. If you feel like the problem lies with having mental stress, you can schedule an appointment with a mental health therapist to find techniques to help with sleeplessness.  If you feel that the source of the problem may lie with something physical, you can see a primary care physician who can provide guidance. You can also have a sleep study done to determine if you suffer from Sleep Apnea.  Sleep apnea is a disease that causes you to start and stop breathing when you are asleep.  Sleep apnea also causes you to snore loudly or feel unrested after sleeping at night.  If you feel you can't afford to see a doctor or you want some tips on how to deal with insomnia on your own, here are some suggestions.  

Exercising and Television Viewing

Try exercising 20-30 minutes a day.  You'll need to exercise four hours before sleeping so that exercising doesn't give you too much energy to prevent you from going to sleep.  When the television is on, it emits blue short wavelengths when watched that can keep you up at night.  Try reading a book under low light instead before bed or using glasses with amber lenses at night while watching television that will block the blue light.

Eating foods and beverages that help you fall asleep

Drinking tart cherry juice can add minutes to your overall sleep time per night. Eating yogurt can allow you to have deep sleep because it changes tryptophan into melatonin that helps you sleep.  Eating two kiwis at dinner can help regulate your sleep.  Peanut butter can improve the quality of your rest because of the magnesium contained in it. 

Room temperature and Taking A Nap

You will have a better quality of sleep if you keep your bedroom a little cool.  Your body temperature drops as you sleep and if the bedroom is too hot it can interfere with your bodies natural sleep process and make it harder to get rest.  Short naps for 20 minutes can help restore the body. You would not want to nap late in the evening or more that 20 minutes because it could interfere with your sleep.

Relaxation CD's, Natural Light, and Alarm Clocks

One of my favorite ways to relax is to listen to the ocean.  Since I can not make it to the beach, I bring the beach to me by listening to ocean music.  Ocean music is calming and helps you to relax and fall asleep.  Please consider purchasing an ocean music CD from the picture below this article.  Also, get plenty of natural light during the day. Getting about 20-30 minutes each morning can help you to have a healthy sleep cycle.  Getting natural light during the day helps to synchronize your internal clock so that you can sleep at night and be awake during the day.  Hide your alarm clock during the night so that you don't become anxious about how much sleep you may not be getting.  Anxiety can cause you to stay awake when you need to be sleep.

Using these treatments and sleep habits can cause you to wake up refreshed in the morning. You can use as many of these options as you like to help you get a restful night sleep.