Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant, in other words, it speeds up the heart rhythm, promotes adrenaline production and lowers melatonin levels. Most people know that caffeine is present in tea and coffee, but it is also found in chocolate and some medicines — that is, you may not even suspect that you use it.
Without panic, you don’t have to give up caffeine altogether: a cup or two in the morning is not a problem, but you have to be more careful in the evening, because at this time it will interfere with sleep.
For some time, it may seem that by giving up this habit, you began to feel worse.
Caffeine is addictive: often after giving up, headaches occur. However, do not allow yourself to turn off the chosen path; Soon the body will get used to the new state – and you will feel great again (especially after sleep has improved).
Stop using caffeine six hours before bedtime. The body needs time for splitting, so it will work for several hours after you go to bed. Try herbal teas or caffeine-free drinks instead.
Nicotine
Nicotine also has a stimulating effect and is very addictive. It excites the nervous system, accelerates the respiratory and heart rate, and also increases blood pressure – all this will not allow you to relax and feel sleepiness. Studies have shown that heavy smokers fall asleep longer and sleep less than those who never smoked.
Quitting smoking is practically the only way to stop nicotine from affecting sleep, but if you can’t or don’t want to do it, there is one trick that will make life easier: never smoke in the middle of the night. Otherwise, the body will begin to expect the usual nicotine shock – and wake you up at blissful hours. If you truly want to quit smoking, go to a therapist who will help you make a plan of action and connect with the support group.
Alcohol
Although it may seem like a good way to relax and calm down for the night, alcohol leads to intermittent, fragmented sleep. Maybe you will wake up early or several times a night. In addition, alcohol acts as a diuretic – an urinary agent: you have to repeatedly go to the toilet or drink water in buckets, because the body is dehydrated. This can turn into a vicious circle: you worry about not sleeping, drinking alcoholic beverages to calm down, not sleeping well – and the next evening you drink even more alcohol.
Try not to drink alcohol at least six hours before going to bed, then the body will rest and not absorb alcohol. However, if you prefer not to close your eyes rather than deny yourself the pleasure to drink a glass of red wine in the evening, try different doses; so it is possible to calculate the personal level of portability. (It is directly related to the strategy of keeping a journal of sleep, which will be discussed at the end of this chapter.)
Non-alcoholic beverages
No doubt, for many years you were inspired by the idea that it is good to drink more water – and this is true. Nevertheless, if you drink too much at bedtime, you will run to the toilet all night. A full bladder will wake you up, requiring attention.
If you see that you spend more time in the toilet than in bed, try to redistribute the amount of fluid you drink: more from the morning, then evenly throughout the day. Two hours before bedtime, do not drink anything, and before you go, try to go to the toilet.
Hypnotic
Sleeping pills can effectively solve the problem of insomnia for a short time, but its constant intake can cause addiction and interfere with the natural sleep pattern. It exacerbates sleep problems, since you do not fix the cause of insomnia. Also, some drugs can cause drowsiness during the day, that is, you want to take a nap – another unwanted deviation from the natural rhythm of sleep.
Taking long sleeping pills is bad. Consult with your doctor about this.
Nap
Drowsiness creates problems rather than solves them. Because of her, you find it harder to sleep at night and, as a rule, sleep intermittently. You not only diminish the desire for sleep (and interfere with his homeostat), but, lying on the couch half awake, are breaking a very important association with bed and sleep. If you doze off regularly, then tune your body in such a way that it will expect rest every day: if for some reason you cannot take a nap, you will feel even more tired.
Just don’t do it. Snooze is a short-term solution to a long-term problem that aggravates a sleep disorder. It’s like a violation of the daily rhythm of the body: you must get rid of fatigue before you lie down at a reasonable time; then there will be more chances to sleep all night long.
A look at the clock
Calculate how many hours you have to give to sleep – “If I’m right now sleep, sleep three hours, “- one of the most dull and useless exercises. You will begin to reproach yourself for not falling asleep, it will cause anxiety for how you will cope with the duties the next day. When you check what time it is, you actively maintain the state of wakefulness, because the brain is charged to assess how long you have been sleeping. Suddenly, as if in shock, you will wake up with the thought: “Did I sleep (a)?”; then, realizing that they were asleep, chastise myself for waking up.
Spread the clock 180 ° and do not look at it. (It is unlikely that it will help if they emit a blue light.) Looking at the clock, you will not solve the problem, just be more disturbed. If you woke up late at night or early in the morning, tell yourself that it is now 2 am. The brain will put up with it without panicking: although it is already night, it is possible to sleep a few more hours.
Technological overload
We have already mentioned that most gadgets emit a blue light that physically annoys, and going online at night excites the psyche. In our society, when people are in touch around the clock, it is extremely difficult to disconnect: from every corner we get updates on social networks. Attempts to consider a continuous stream of sharp replies on Twitter will only maintain a state of wakefulness — at a time when you should fall asleep.
Turn off gadgets at least an hour before bedtime. The world will not collapse if you do not take part in virtual discussions, and the work at night will definitely live without you (realizing and checking this, you will feel how a huge burden fell from your shoulders).