More Insomnia Tips

Insomnia Tips May Help Bring On A Good Night of Restful Sleep

If you lie in bed struggling with the day's stresses and worries, try to remember all the insomnia tips you've heard of in the past. Counting sheep, trying to turn your brain into a blank screen and don't forget the warm beverage before bedtime. Amazingly, simply concentrating on the insomnia tips you've heard of in the past may put your mind at ease enough to allow you to go to sleep. Your insomnia is hopefully temporary and not a full blown sleep disorder.

If it's a continuing problem, check your mattress and pillow. It's possible they are making you uncomfortable and draws attention to that feeling, not allowing you to fall asleep in a reasonable amount of time. Maybe you are allergic to something in the pillow, the materials used, or the detergents or fabric softeners. Pillows may also make you feel as though you are lying uphill, or down, and if they are too hard may press into your head uncomfortably, reducing the chances of falling asleep.  Mattresses can be too hard or too soft or even lumpy. Among the many insomnia tips provided by physicians and other health professionals, the most important is the ability to be physically relaxed enough for you to get to sleep.

By going to bed at about the same time every night, your body develops a natural rhythm as it begins to understand it's bedtime. Every person has an internal clock that runs the body' s circadian rhythm.  The circadian rhythm tells your body that when it's daylight you get up and when it’s dark, it’s time for bed. While many insomnia tips revolve around people with normal work schedules, the rhythm can be upset by working strange hours or shifts but the rhythm can be re-established if you're on the same shift for any extended period of time.

Make sure that you don't have any light on in the bedroom, including the red light on digital clocks, night lights or any other light, even a small flicker.  Any light at all can stop the production of melatonin which is produced when it starts getting dark enough in your bedroom but will shut down if even the smallest light is glowing. You need melatonin production for a good nights sleep.  In tests that were done where they used a flashlight to shine light on the back of the knee and tested the reaction of the brain on the sleeping centers, it was detected! Who would think that your body knows when there is a light shining on the back side of your body. Some people have found relief form insomnia by using dark drapes  to keep out all light from street lights at night  and early morning sun. Early morning sun can be a trigger for the body to wake up to start the day.

Avoid Sleep Medications or Drugs If Possible

Many doctors are reluctant to prescribe sleep medication unless it becomes absolutely necessary, which may be the case for those suffering injury accompanied by pain. Other doctors may offer a short-term solution and some insomnia tips, but will seek to find the underlying cause of the sleeplessness and treat the cause instead of the symptom. You want to always seek a more natural approach and avoid all drugs if possible. One can become dependent on them and many have side effects and some serious side effects.  One cannot always see the damage that is being done. The liver and kidneys have to evaluate the drug and try to get rid of it. Drugs should always be considered toxic or poison and possibly addicting, whether psychological or physical.

Don't ever get into the habit of drinking a glass of wine, hard liquor, or any other alcoholic beverage at bedtime. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and it will interfere with your REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and cause other problems you might not be aware of.  You'll never get a purely restful night of sleep with alcohol in your system.

Avoid foods and drink contain caffeine, often used for its ability to keep you alert during the day and, if possible do not eat a large meal before bedtime. Many contend they have trouble sleeping if they go to bed hungry, but research shows that large meals before going to bed usually cause indigestion and even additional sleeping problems. It takes the body a minimum of  2 1/2 hours to go through most of the digestive process and to be fully digested after four to five hours or so.  It may take even longer if you ate a lot of food or harder to digest food like meat that can take two to three days before it's eliminated.

One of the most common insomnia tips, which can be useful for some other sleeping disorders, offered by medical professionals is finding something that helps you relax and can help rid your mind of stress. It may be through aromatherapy (which may not be the best choice for many people) or through meditation, but whatever it takes to make the mind clear and keep it clear through the necessary hours of sleep, will help reduce stress as well as insomnia. In bed do try to focus on anything long enough to distract you from any worries that are keeping you awake. Setting the TV timer for 30 minutes with all other lights off and watching something that doesn't require a lot of thinking, like the late night talk shows, may help you fall fast asleep.