Nothing is worse than being dog-tired and not being able to sleep. It’s a horrible feeling when you wake up in the middle of the night and know that you will lie there for hours, unable to nod off again. If you are having trouble sleeping at night, there are several approaches. They all rely on a good behavior program – one that pays attention to periods of relaxation:
Sleep restriction
Sleep restriction is a technique that can be very effective, but it’s a little funky actually doing it. Basically, you are going to retrain your body to sleep through the night, falling asleep when you want and sleeping without waking up.
First, set your bedtime and your wake-up time according to the number of hours of sleep you are getting currently. For example, if you are sleeping only five hours a night (even though you usually plan to spend eight hours in bed), set your sleep time for that amount.
Then increase the amount of sleep time by 20 minutes or so every few days. In this manner you will stop waking up in the middle of the night, and slowly build yourself up to the number of hours you really need.
Background sounds
As you are probably aware, you can procure CD’s or even small radio-type devices that put out “soothing” sounds, ranging from rainfall to rustling leaves to wind chimes. These can possible help you drop off.
However, there are also two other types of noise that you might want to try. These are free downloads and I’ve put some information about all the sound options here.
Change of scenery
Have you ever had the experience of staying in a hotel or somewhere else away from home and getting a really good night’s sleep? Sometimes, a change can BE a rest, not just “as good as” as rest. If you are having trouble sleeping, try relocating to another room in the house – a guest bedroom, or even the couch, for a night or two.
Also, try sleeping in a different direction. There are those who say you should always sleep with your body facing west-east. Others say your head should face north to align with the earth’s magnetic field. The Feng Shui crowd have a specific direction just for you, based on your gender and birthdate. You may not subscribe to such notions but hey – it can’t hurt to try.
Ramp down
Give yourself a “ramping down.” period before bedtime. If you have insomnia you need to allow your brain to slow down before the sleep mechanism kicks in. Stop all work and social activities with a couple of hours to spare. For the last hour, read a book or listen to relaxing music, as these things are calming.
Conditioning for good sleep
Focus on conditioning yourself for different sleep behavior. Some people who suffer from insomnia feel anxious, uncomfortable and tense in their bedrooms, as they know from their experience that they might spend the night tossing and turning. You need to set up a situation so that you have positive feelings about bedroom.
The bedroom should be visually pleasing and very comfortable. Only use the bedroom for sleep, sex, and changing clothes. If you awaken in the middle of the night, move to another room so that your uncomfortable feelings take place outside the bedroom. In particular, activities such as working on the computer, talking with one’s partner, talking on the phone and watching TV should also take place out of the bedroom.
Decrease Stress and Anxiety
If your sleep problem comes and go with episodes of stress, rather than persisting the rough all periods of your life, it’s more likely that the sleeplessness is stress induced. Not all insomnia is due to stress, but people who are under considerable stress can have insomnia, as well as being at risk for a host of other medical issues.
In the case of insomnia related to stress, alleviating the stress should alleviate the insomnia. Stress causes insomnia by making it difficult to fall asleep and to stay asleep, and by affecting the quality of your sleep. Stress causes hyperarousal, which can upset the balance between sleep and wakefulness. However, many people under stress do not have insomnia.
Natural Sleep Aids
The Internet is bursting with “natural sleep aids” ranging from melatonin and essential oils to secret herbal recipes “guaranteed” to make you sleep through the night. Check the ingredients carefully before you take any of these. Having said that one of them might be the one for you, so you should at least try.
Medications
Over-the-counter medications, in combination with a good behavior program, can be helpful for a few days; but the problem with OTC medications is that they tend to have limited effectiveness over the long term and can have a high incidence of “hangovers.” Many people taking OTC medications still feel tired the next day and attribute it to their insomnia, but it can be a lingering effect of the medication. Be wary of OTC medications— use them only as you would aspirin for a headache, only so much for so long.
At what point should I seek professional help?
It’s important to recognize that periodic insomnia are very common. A night or two of insomnia may not be much of a problem for most people. But if insomnia persists for days and has an impact on the way you feel during the day, you should think about speaking to your doctor. Most doctors will turn to prescription medications for short-term insomnia. When judiciously used, medications can be very safe and highly effective in combination with other aproaches suggested here. If the problem persists, you might need to turn to a board certified sleep expert.
Finally…
Insomnia can be very debilitating, but it can be resolved, no matter how hard it seems. You need to work through all the recommended approaches until you find something that works for you. If you don’t, lack of sleep can have serious long-term effects. We wish you good luck and a good night’s sleep.
