Ways to Overcome Insomnia

You have probably had nights when you couldn’t fall asleep no matter how desperately you tried. It is called Insomnia, and it involves the difficulty of falling asleep, maintaining sleep, awakening too early, experiencing unrestful sleep or a combination of all. Also, it’s when you have trouble sleeping at night, staying asleep or both.When insomnia lasts for few days or more, it causes increased risk of heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, depression, and excessive weight gain. According to Nadeem Chisti, “women are more likely to have insomnia than men. It is also more common among shift workers who don’t have consistent sleep schedules; people with low incomes; people who have history of depression; and those who don’t get much physical activity.”Some causes of insomnia are using medicines that interfere with sleep, dietary choices such as caffeine, stressful thoughts, depression, hormone changes, chronic pain, alcohol intake, change of environment and recent upheavals in people’s life. However, here are some ways to overcome it:

Have a Relaxation Exercise

You need to master some exercises that will help you to systematically tense and relax your muscles in different parts of the body. Gradually from head to toe, the exercise calms your body and helps you to prepare for sleep. Also, you can try breathing exercises, mediation or guided imagery.

Set Strict Sleep Rules

Considering a strict sleep hours helps to rest your body. For instance, you can go to bed at 10:00pm and wake up 5:00 or 6:00am regardless of how much time you spent asleep. The idea is that, if you go to bed at 10:00pm, toss and turn until midnight, and then sleep until 8:00am, you will likely repeat the pattern night after night.

See a Therapist

Having sleep struggles can affect your mental health and feeding. It can also inspire fears and beliefs about sleep. The simple phrase is that, “the more you battle insomnia, the more you worry about insomnia, and that worry breeds more insomnia.” So, seeing a therapist has been shown to improve people’s sleep quality in just six weeks. You can do the session either in person or online, at least once in a week.Finally, it is pertinent to note that, the right sleep habit can go a long way in helping you get the quality and quantity of sleep that you need to feel rested during the day. However, if you are struggling with insomnia, don’t hesitate to see a doctor before you take sleeping pills or supplements.Read Also: What You should Know About Your Menstrual Cycle