How To Treat Insomnia
Most of us have or will experience insomnia or difficulty sleeping and have wondered : What can I do ? How to treat insomnia ? Chronic insomnia affects up to 10% of the population, but even short-term insomnia or just difficulty staying asleep can result in unwanted and sometimes dangerous consequences in your daily life.
How to treat insomnia – The NON-medical treatments
Your behaviors :
- do not over sleep. Go to sleep the same time every night ( this means weekends too) Wake up at the same hour everyday, do not try to sleep-in to catch up on your sleep. Get up the same hour and it will make you more tired for the next night. It has found to be very helpful in some cases. Take a 20 minute nap in the after noon if you need to and only sleep in if you are sick.
- do not force yourself to fall asleep. It will stress you and keep you from sleeping
- do not drink alcohol. Yes, you will fall asleep faster with alcohol but it will wake you up in the middle of the night when the effects are over. Alcohol will also dehydrate you. Drinking alcohol will keep you from falling into the “deep sleep” you need to restore your mind and body
- do not drink caffeine. If you do, drink caffeine beverages in the morning, before noon. This includes teas, coffees, soft drinks, chocolate and energy drinks
- do not go to bed if you are too hungry, or after eating too much. Same goes for fluids. Do not drink too much water either.
Your environment :
- use your bed only for sleep. Do not use the bedroom for your work or eating. Do not use the bedroom to watch TV. Your bedroom should be associated in your mind to relaxation and sleep.
- adjust the temperature of your room so you are comfortable. Not too hot, too cold, too dry, too humid…
- adjust the lighting in you bedroom. Your biological clock is very sensitive to light. Dim the lights in the evening and adjust the shades in the windows