Cures for Insomnia

Archive for June, 2009

Have you ever had a fight with someone who is (or was) important to you? Of course you have, right? Arguments, disagreements, hurts and conflict close to bed time can significantly impact your ability or inability to sleep.

You might think this is obvious but for others it just might clue them into something that has become a natural part of life. And that part is stopping them from sleeping.

Take a look at who you talk to before bed. What do you talk about? Is it a time to talk about those pressing issues you didn’t get to earlier in the day? Do you feel like you need resolve issues?

On one hand, resolving issues before bed can be a good thing. We all know the saying, “don’t go to bed angry.” If something is bothering you and you are just holding it in, this can impact how you sleep. It doesn’t mean you need to start a fight or argument but you need to resolve it, even within yourself if that’s the only way.

Issues that should be resolved before bed are usually emotional ones. If you were hurt by something someone said or did, then it can help to talk about it, forgive and move on.

Other issues are not helpful to talk about before bed. Controversial issues that could lead to disagreement and conflict. These kinds of discussions lead to stress – your blood pressure goes up, you get tense, etc. This physical response will not help you to sleep. Just the opposite. You may even be in “fight-or-flight” and that will definitely not help you to sleep!

Discussions about money, who is right/wrong about something, what someone should or shouldn’t be doing, etc, are good to avoid. You can probably pinpoint a few touchy areas from your own relationships.

What can be helpful is to choose a specific time a day to talk about those kinds of topics. And times of day not to talk about them. I would suggest leaving the hour before bed free from topics that could lead to conflict. Use that time to wind down, not “wind up”. Be aware of things that start to create tension in your body and stay away from them. It just may be one thing that will help you to get to sleep and to sleep easier.

One of the biggest problems for people who have insomnia is thought-racing. If this is you, you know exactly what I’m talking about. And it happens to the best of us.

You go to bed, you’re tired, you’ve had a busy day, you want to sleep, and then you start thinking. And thinking and thinking and thinking.

Why do we do it? It doesn’t seem constructive. It gets in the way of something we really need – sleep. Well, there are many reasons why and you might want to ask yourself why this happens to you. Sometimes asking a question of yourself can give you a surprising answer.

Often thought-racing is a result of stress, anxiety or busyness. If you’re worried about something, you’ll want to continue thinking about it until you have a solution. Maybe you’re concerned about the next day and keep running through what you have to do. Maybe you’ve had a fight with someone important and just keep reliving it.

Some Strategies for Dealing With Thought-Racing

1. Make a list before bed. This could be a list of anything you might find yourself thinking about. A list of things you need to do, a list of solutions for a problem you’re anxious about, anything. Sometimes getting it down on paper stops your mind from going over things.

2. Journal. If you’re feeling stressed, anxious or worried, it can help to journal and sort through those things. You might think you don’t have time but just think of the time you waste lying in bed and not sleeping. It should gain you time.

3. Work on controlling your thoughts. You have power over them. They are doing what they think you want them to do. If you start thinking, stop yourself. Tell your mind to be still. Your thought life is not a run-away train. You have power over it. You control it.

4. Simple meditation or focusing. This has also been known as counting sheep. Count to 100 and then start again. Say the alphabet – one letter per breath. Focus on a picture in your mind. Think of a place where you’re happy, calm and relaxed and stay thinking of it.

Try it out and sleep well tonight!