Cures for Insomnia

Archive for the ‘what not to do’ Category

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.

Having trouble sleeping? You may want to look at your bedroom environment for some clues as to why that could be. Is it a restful place? Is it calming? Does it make you feel relaxed?

On the other side of things, when you look around do you feel stressed? Do you see things and tasks that you need to do? Does it remind you work? Is it a mess? Is it just not that nice to be there?

These questions can lead you to some clues as to why you may be having trouble sleeping there. I know someone who has trouble falling asleep in their bed but when they go out to the couch, they fall asleep right away.

Some Do’s and Don’ts

Try to use your bedroom for things related primarily to sleeping at night. Use your bed for sleeping in. Don’t sit in bed doing work, studying, talking on the phone, using your laptop, etc. When you do these things in bed, your body becomes accustomed to doing anything there. It should know that the bed is for sleeping in.

That’s a critical point. If you use your bed only for sleeping in, your body will associate it with sleep and you will fall asleep much more easily. This one tip that has really made an impact on people’s ability to fall asleep.

You may also want to consider removing some things from your bedroom. Electronic things like a TV, video games, computer, your cell phone, etc. Make it a restful place. Somewhere that you can get away from it all.

Keep your bedroom tidy. If you look around and see a mess, you may feel stressed or bad that you haven’t cleaned it up yet. Often times, the area we live in reflects what we are inside. It can make a difference to your stress level and ability to feel like you have life in control if you just organize your space a bit.

You may also want to consider painting. Certain colours are more relaxing than others. Blue is a very calming colour while red, orange and yellow are not. Having blue walls in your bedroom can help you feel restful, relaxed and tranquil.

All in all, just take a look around your bedroom. Do what you can to make it a peaceful place and hopefully that will help you to sleep better.

If you’re having trouble falling asleep when you want to, it could be caused by a number of physical factors. These things may seem obvious to some but aren’t to others. And they can be very influential over your ability to fall asleep.

Coffee and Caffeine

Some people are really sensitive to caffeine while others aren’t. If you’re experiencing insomnia, you may be drinking more coffee (or other forms of caffeine) during the day than usual. This can contribute to not sleeping later on. I would suggest not drinking coffee or any drink with caffeine after lunch time. Especially not in the evening.

High Sugar Foods and Drinks

Sugar is another culprit when causing insomnia. Even when you are tired, it can keep you up just enough so that you can’t fall asleep. Watch what you are eating within 4 hours of going to sleep and take any sweet things out. This includes carbonated beverages, cakes, chocolates, cookies, fruit, etc. This makes a huge difference to me personally.

Exercise

When do you exercise? If you are exercising at night or in the late afternoon, it could be keeping you awake. Exercise provides energy but you want that energy earlier in the day. Try to move up the time you’re exercising to morning or early afternoon.

Also, if you are not getting enough exercise, this could be a contributing factor to insomnia. It could be that your body has too much energy hanging around and needed some of it to be used. Exercising – even taking a walk, can help you sleep better later.

Take a look at what you are doing physically and what you are eating before bed or in the evening. Experiment by changing your eating habits and activities. It may be easy to change one or two things and end up sleeping better every night.