Regardless of what was the initial complaint of insomnia, its main reason is always associated with violation of the rules of sleep hygiene, which means proper preparation for sleep. Indeed, many people who suffer from insomnia, in fact, for many years accumulate bad habits, which lead to sleep disorders. Temporary episodic insomnia, for example, before an important exam or on a trip, usually passes before a person visits a doctor. Insomnia should be treated “when the disease takes on healthy forms,” and this is temporary and chronic insomnia. It is these two types of insomnia that require diagnosis and mandatory treatment.
Read the rules of sleep hygiene and take them into account:
1. Reduce time spent in bed before bedtime .
The longer you lie in bed, the more fragmentary the sleep will be, because 8 hours of sleep from 8.5 hours of staying in bed are more effective than 8 hours of 10. It has been established that you have to lie as much time as you think directly required for sleep, plus another 15 minutes.
Do not try to sleep if you do not want to sleep. In addition, do not sleep during the day, even when you really want. Do not go to bed too early. If you are worried about pain, it is better to take painkillers than to suffer, listening to it and suffering not only from pain, but also from insomnia.
Teach yourself to go to bed at the same time. But if one cannot fall asleep for half an hour, then read, watch TV, listen to light relaxing music or do something else. For some people, it is enough to leave the bedroom for a while and return again, in order to fall asleep quickly.
2. Get up at the same time every day .
Since the body’s work is governed by circadian rhythms, a constant point is needed to start the biological clock. Fixing on it, the body controls the time of internal processes. Recall that the only time that is subject to us is when we wake up and open our eyes so that the rays of light “wake up” the biological clock. For insomnia sufferers, it is very important to comply with the regime even on weekends.
3. Remove the clock to not look at them at night.
Turn their dial in the opposite direction. If you wake up in the middle of the night, you will not be tempted to look at them, look up and look at the numbers, and even wear glasses for this, sometimes not immediately finding them. Do not open your eyes completely, then it will be easier to fall asleep. And what’s the difference, what time is it, if you still do not sleep?
4. Do not consume caffeine, alcohol and tobacco before bedtime .
The effect of caffeine lasts 3-5 hours. Remember that it is not only in coffee, but also in tea, chocolate, carbonated drinks, and not at all in harmless doses. For example, in Coca-Cola – 46 mg of caffeine, in Pepsi-Cola and dietary Pepsi – 35 mg, in 50 g of milk chocolate – 9 mg. After 4 pm, do not drink caffeinated beverages: cocoa, coffee, tea, refreshing tonic. But a glass of warm milk with cookies has a calming effect and causes naps.
Nicotine excites and thus complicates sleep. This is a good reason to quit smoking.
Alcohol makes a person sleepy at first, and when his action passes, insomnia sets in.
5. Do physical exercises not at bedtime, but 6 hours before it .
Physical activity before bedtime re-energizes the nervous system of the body, which is preparing for the evening rest. But breathing exercises will benefit.
Try breathing exercises before bedtime: breathing is slow, diaphragmatic, deep. Take 10 deep breaths and try so that they become less and less each time. Repeat this sequence repeatedly, relaxing more and more with each new cycle.
6. Dinner before bed should be light .
It is difficult to fall asleep on an empty stomach, as well as on a crowded one. Studies have shown that the sleep of the amino acid tryptophan, which is in dairy products, is improved, and therefore a glass of warm milk for the night will help you fall asleep. Is there tryptophan in bananas, cheese, turkey – why not an exquisite dinner?
7. Adjust your sleeping environment .
With a busy daily routine for the first time, the opportunity to think about the past arises before bedtime. Know that this is a bad moment to remember the problems. Do not carry them into the bedroom. Make a list in advance of the various methods of solving your difficulties.
A bedroom is not a place for disputes and conflicts. Try not to sort out family relationships before going to bed, find another time for this. Try to relax at night. A warm, but not hot bath, a light massage, an interesting, but not exciting, book will help. It is good to imagine a soothing and pleasant landscape: a warm summer evening, sea breeze, rustling of birch trees in the forest, the edge, to hear the chatter of grasshoppers, to feel pleasant smells, a breath of breeze. The ways of relaxation and stress control are described below.
8. Learn to use relaxation techniques .
For insomnia, the problem is that the harder a person tries to fall asleep, the less chances he has for it. A neurosis of expectation may develop: we do not sleep because we are afraid not to fall asleep. In this case, relaxing exercises will help :
1) slow down your breathing and imagine that the air slowly enters and leaves you. Breathe through the diaphragm, puffing up the belly. Practice in the afternoon, then to do it easily.
2) tune in to get rid of unpleasant, disturbing thoughts. Think good. Remember the pleasant events of life, fantasize, build rainbow plans. Try counting sheep back and forth, ranging from one to a thousand and from a thousand, each time adding or diminishing to 7. A monotonous mental score helps one fall asleep.
A well-known effect of sex on sleep. By the way, a benevolent home environment, a good attitude to loved ones, warmth and caress of a loved one are very good for health and good sleep.
Insomnia becomes a medical problem when it is caused by diseases, drugs or drugs that violate circadian rhythms. In this case, the result of treatment depends not only on the implementation of the rules of sleep hygiene, but also on the correction of the root cause of insomnia. We will talk about the most common such cases.