20 Time Tested Insomnia Tips

Posted on August 11, 2007 in Latest News

  1. Find out the cause of your Insomnia. Often you might be under some medication that may be causing sleep disorders as a side effect. Or you might have some unresolved emotional or personal problem or stress and anxiety. It is very important to spot the cause of your problem before treating it.
  2. See a Doctor. Insomnia is often neglected and people are too reluctant to visit a doctor for it. But Doctors are the best people who can find out the cause of your Insomnia and suggest appropriate remedies.
  3. Drink a glass of warm milk about 15 minutes before going to sleep. Milk contains calcium and melatonin that help to soothe your nerves and improve your sleep pattern.
  4. Take a warm bath before going to sleep or soak yourself in warm water with some added bath salts. This will soothe your jagged nerves and relax you.
  5. Instead of thinking about your day’s worries you can listen to some soothing music that can relax you and keep you off from worrying.
  6. People have observed that a small bedtime snack such as juice or cookies eaten about an hour before going to sleep can help you fall asleep faster.
  7. Avoid Caffeine before going to sleep. Not only coffee, but chocolate, cola and tea are high in caffeine. Avoid smoking and alcohol about 5 hours before bedtime. All these upset your sleep.
  8. Try a cup of Herb Tea. Some popular herb tea flavors are chamomile, catnip, anise or fennel tea that soothe you and help you fall asleep.
  9. Develop a routine. Make sure you have a fixed bedtime hour. If you go to bed at the same time everyday you might develop a habit. This would help you feel sleepy at the same time everyday regardless of your tiredness.
  10. Exercise daily. If you do not have time for exercise during day. Try taking a brisk 15 minute walk at least half an hour before going to sleep. Even sex is believed to be a great exercise. Such aerobic activity would tire you and give your body the oxygen it needs. This way you would be able to sleep comfortably during night time.
  11. Your sleeping positions are also important. You should either sleep on your back or on to your right side. These are the best positions for relaxing that allow your internal organs to work properly. Never sleep on your stomach because it causes pressure on your lungs and results in shallow breathing. It may also leave you with a stiff neck and back problems. Never sleep on your left side too. This may cause your lungs, stomach and your liver to cause pressure against your heart.
  12. Keep your room pitch dark. If you keep your room pitch dark, the darkness may cause you to sleep comfortably. While bed lamps or illuminated bed clocks can be extremely annoying and distract your attention.
  13. Make sure your bedroom is well ventilated. Let the fresh air come in. Make sure the temperature of your room is between 60-65 degrees so that you can sleep comfortably. Extreme heat and cold may cause discomfort.
  14. Make sure you have a firm bed and not a very soft one. A firm bed will give your body and spine good support. Else you may have back problems.
  15. Read some books. Some people really find this idea useful. Try reading something, say Bible or some religious text. Once you start feeling sleepy, you can keep it aside and go to sleep.
  16. If you cant sleep even after tossing on your bed for about 30 odd minutes. Its better to get up and do something. You can try a warm bath, a warm glass of milk, music or reading.
  17. Even if you have slept late at night, get up at the time you had gotten up the day before. Follow your routine.
  18. Avoid other activities like working, watching TV or anything else in your bedroom and keep it exclusively for relaxing and sleeping. This would help your mind associate your bedroom exclusively with sleep.
  19. Meditation is also a good thing to do instead of worrying about other things. The idea is to take charge of your attention and prevent your mind from wandering. Close your eyes. As you take charge of your attention, start paying attention to each part of your body and keep moving from one part to other. Pause a little while on each part before moving to another. After completing a few rounds of your body from head to toe pay attention to your breathing. Now move from one part of your body to another while imagining that your breath is moving in and out from that part.
  20. If you are not being able to sleep. Do not get frustrated and do not panic. Do not try too hard to sleep. Its better to get up and avoid sleeping throughout the day. Sleep only at night during your bed-time. Avoid taking any nap during the day.

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