Tips to beat insomnia

This article gives 10 tips to help you beat insomnia.

Insomnia is the inability to get enough sleep needed to wake up feeling refreshed and well-rested.  Millions of people are suffering from this sleeping disorder.   You can cure insomnia without the additional cost of medication with just little changes in your lifestyle.

1. What you drink and eat before bedtime are also factors that can induce insomnia.  Cut down on alcohol, and do not eat heavy meals before bedtime.  Stick to light snacks and chamomile tea.Cut the caffeine – caffeine is a stimulant.  Cut down on other drinks and foods that have caffeine also, like sodas, teas, and tiramisus.  Coffee should be drank in the morning or at least eight hours before sleep.
2. Keep a quite, dark, and cool bedroom – an uncomfortable sleeping area will not induce sleep. Noise, light, and heat interfere with sleep.
3. The bed is for sleeping and sex – train your brain and body that the bed is for sleeping and sex. Doing office work and reading in bed is a no-no.  The goal is to associate the bed with relaxation and sleep.  Avoid watching TV while lying down in bed, watching TV stimulates your brain to think.  It may make your eyes tired, but the brain is busy converting images to thoughts.  Better yet, transfer the TV to the living room.
4. Avoid naps – try hard not to get that super nap in the afternoon. Naps disrupts sleep at night.  If you really can’t avoid it, limit it to 30 minutes before 3 pm.
5. Quit Smoking – nicotine, like caffeine, is a stimulant. The more you smoke, the more awake you’ll be.  Aside from the hazards of smoking, quitting will do wonders on your sleeping habits.
6. Change the way you think about insomnia – self-defeating thoughts help fuel insomnia. Think positive.  Instead of thoughts like “It’s the same every night,  another night of misery’, think this way instead “This does not every nught, some nights I get enough rest.”  Don’t worry too much, quit this mental habit.
7. Do away with stressful situations before bedtime – avoid heated discussions, heavy mental activities, even strenious activities before bedtime. Try some relaxing activities instead, listening to soft music with keeping the lights low will help in relaxing the brain.
8. Ban Blue Light in the bedroom – Short waves from blue light interferes with sleep. Use devices that have blue light an hour before going to sleep.  This includes TV, cellphones, and digital clocks.
9. Fat or Flat – not the body types, this refers to pillows. The discomfort you give your necks affects the quality of sleep, aside from having a sore neck upon waking up.  Pillows should be just the right size.  Side sleepers should have their nose align with the center of the body while sleeping.  Stomach sleeping should be avoided as this cranes the neck.
10. Control your body clock – go to sleep and wake up around the same time daily, irregardless if its a holiday or a weekend the next day. Our bodies have biological clocks and it is light regulated.  Try getting a ray of sunshine the minute you wake up, for 5 to 30 minutes.

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