If You Have Trouble Sleeping Try This Simple Guide to Get Through Insomnia

If you have trouble sleeping, you are not alone. Many people have or will have some sort of sleeping disorder in their lifetime. Get through insomnia with this simple guide that has easy tips and tricks.

Not being able to sleep well can be debilitating, leaving you weak, irritable, and unhealthy. It’s time for you to have the best sleep of your life. These simple daily habits can prepare you for a good night’s rest tonight.

What is Insomnia

Getting over insomnia is easier said than done. It is more than just not being able to sleep. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that reduces your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep. It may cause you to wake up early and not be able to go back to bed. This leads you to feel tired when you wake up and can drain your energy levels throughout the day.

Causes

Some common causes of insomnia include stress. This can be due to big events in your life, such as moving, job loss, or other changes that leave you anxious. Other things such as jet lag, a new shift at work, or not getting enough light in the day can also lead to insomnia. Ambient things such as light, noise, or temperature may also impact sleep. Worst of all, sleep disorders and insomnia run in the family, so it may just come down to genetics.

If that wasn’t enough, a couple of other reasons and causes for sleep disorders include pain or discomfort, caffeine, tobacco, or alcohol, or mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.

Symptoms

Not getting enough sleep impacts overall health. When you aren’t sleeping enough, the body cannot undergo important biological processes. This leaves you tired and lacking energy. Not getting enough sleep and driving has been compared to drunk driving with good reason. Lack of sleep negatively affects your motor abilities, concentration, memory, and reaction time.

You may also notice that you have more worries the less you sleep. This worry about being able to fall asleep is one of the reasons why it becomes harder and harder to rest.

Tips to Get Through Insomnia

Let’s jump right down into it, here are tips and habits that you can use to get through insomnia tonight. Not getting enough sleep can feel painful, and sleep should take up about a third of our life. It is our time to relax, repair, and fall into a restorative unconsciousness.

Environment Habits

Here are some things you can do to your environment to help it be somewhere you want to sleep. Some simple changes in the room can make all the difference.

1. Lower Temperature

Studies have found that a cooler room helps people fall asleep faster than a hot room. Tonight, try lowering the temperature by just two degrees more. This can help signal to the mind that it is time to rest.

2. Use a Weighted Blanket or

A weighted blanket is a way to keep warm and feel protected. It doesn’t work for everyone, but for individuals suffering from insomnia, getting under a weighted blanket may be just what they need to feel safe and secure.

3. Make it Dark

We need darkness for our minds to shut off. Make sure you are sleeping in a dark environment tonight. This signals the brain to start releasing melatonin, the sleepy time chemical.

4. Cozy Up

Even if a weighted blanket is not for you, there are benefits to being as cozy as possible. Night, try getting cozy. It can be as simple as putting on a pair of socks. Research indicates that cold feet may send a signal to the brain to stay awake.

5. Avoid the Clock

Having to stare down at a clock and watch your minutes breeze by is stressful. When you’re trying to fall asleep, avoid looking at a clock at all costs.

Daily Habits

Things you do throughout the day can actually help you sleep better at night. Here is the list of five things that will help bring you to sleep fast.

1. Exercise 

Exercise has been linked to a better night’s rest. If you want to fall asleep at night, it may be beneficial to start working out during the day. Plus, physical activity can get you tired enough to fall asleep as soon as you’re able to.

2. Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine 

Some drinks help you fall asleep, but alcohol and caffeine are not on this list. Caffeine is a chemical that keeps you awake. Alcohol is a depressant that does make you sleepy, but it negatively affects your sleep schedule. Try to avoid caffeine after 4 pm if possible! Avoid drinking too much as too much alcohol is bad for your sleep anyways.

3. Reduce Naps 

Napping is tempting when you are extremely tired throughout the day and have the time to do so. However, not being does not replace the restorative sleep that nighttime rest provides. Try to reduce naps during the day if you want to sleep well at night.

4. Get Some Morning Light

One of the best habits you can have during the day is to get some morning sunlight in. Morning sunlight can increase your levels of vitamin D and provide energy throughout the day. It’s also a good way to signal to the brain when morning is so that it is better ready to rest and sleep at night.

5. Meditate Daily 

Meditating is a good habit to have in general. Here is a good guide on why meditation matters and its benefits. In general, meditation helps you deal with emotions and thoughts better. This may be a reason why meditation helps reduce insomnia.

Nighttime Habits 

Some of the most important things for sleep to go well is all about how you prepare to go to bed. Here are some nighttime habits meant to get you in a sleeping mood.

1. Dim the Lights 

When the evening and nighttime rolls around, start dimming the lights around the house. This can help your brain acknowledge that it is almost time to sleep.

2. Avoid Blue Light

Blue light has the opposite effect of dim warm light. It signals to the mind that it’s time to be alert and active. This is especially true of the blue light from electronics such as your computer and phone when it is almost bedtime. Lucky for us, many devices have a blue light filter available.

3. Drink Warm Things

A warm beverage is sometimes just what you need to settle the mind and body. It’s especially beneficial if it’s something like chamomile which has relaxing properties.

4. Set The Mood

Before bed, you don’t want to be doing anything too exciting or emotional. Turn off that action movie and turn on that white noise machine. Set the mood for sleepy time by doing soft, slow, and cozy activities such as yoga, breathing exercises, practicing mindfulness, or going on a slow evening walk.

5. Stop Thinking About it

The more you think about wanting to go to bed, the harder it becomes. When you try to force yourself to sleep, sleep starts to slip away. If you can’t sleep, stop thinking about it, stop trying, and simply let yourself lie there with your eyes closed. Try to think about something relaxing, imagine yourself in a hammock on a beach listening to the waves and feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin. You may fall asleep to that relaxing thought without any effort.

The Takeaway

Sleep is crazy important. It is a time when we are resting the body and mind, repairing what needs to be repaired, and healing. We need to do what we can to sleep. Try out these habits and watch how quickly you knock out tonight as soon as your head hits the pillow. If these tips don’t help, check out some other habits for a good night’s sleep here.

Remember that health comes from within. Eat nutritious food, exercise when you can, and take care of your mental health. The small daily habits you cultivate become the basis for overall wellness. Don’t forget about microbiota health too! Gut microbiota affects the entire body, from the skin to muscles, to immune and mental health! Get all the resources you need about microbiota health for free here!