Cures for Insomnia
To get an over-all view of Insomnia, click this image to go to our Insomnia Overview page. It gives a clear view of the causes, effects, and treatments for insomnia.
Can’t sleep?
When the lack of sleep becomes bothersome and already affects your daytime functioning. It’s high time to find cures for insomnia. Insomnia is a common condition that people experience when they can’t sleep or always get their sleep interrupted. Hopefully, these 20 effective cures for insomnia will finally put a stop to your problem.
1. Establish fixed times for going to bed and waking up.
The body will only get used to falling asleep at a certain time if this is relatively fixed. Train your body by setting a regular time for sleeping and waking up. In time, it will no longer have to be a conscious effort and will develop as a habit. This should be practiced every day. If you are retired or no longer working, it is still essential to make sure your sleep cycle has a regular rhythm.
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2. Read or listen to music while lying in a relaxed position.
Develop activities or pre-sleep rituals that signal your body that it is time to slow down and sleep. Listening to relaxing music and/or reading something soothing for 15mins. or until you fall asleep serve as such signals. Avoid reading material that is work or study-related which might stimulate your brain more and beat the purpose.
To get an over-all view of Insomnia, click this image to go to our Insomnia Overview page. It gives a clear view of the causes, effects, and treatments for insomnia.
3. Maintain a comfortable sleeping environment.
Make sure that your bedroom is not too cold, hot, noisy or bright and keep your room well ventilated. Also make sure that your mattress and bedding is comfortable. These factors may keep you awake or make it more difficult for you to fall asleep. This might not seem like one of the effective cures for insomnia. However, you just might be surprised at how eliminating these factors encourage sound sleep.
4. Don’t take naps.
You shouldn’t be surprised to find it difficult to sleep at night if you take naps during the day. Most people find late afternoon to be a “sleepy time.” It isn’t a bad thing to take a nap then only if you can still sleep at night. Limit the nap to 30-45 minutes before 3 PM. In general, avoid taking naps even if it is a weekend. To ensure you are tired at bedtime.
5. Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol 6 hours before sleeping.
Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that can keep you awake. Cigarettes and some drugs contain nicotine. Beverages containing caffeine like coffee, tea, many sodas, as well as chocolates should be avoided.
Too much alcohol causes insomnia. It does have an immediate sleep-inducing effect. After a few hours, as the alcohol levels in your body start to fall, there is a stimulant or wake-up effect. This can lead to fragmented sleep.
6. Exercise regularly but not 4 hours before bedtime.
Regular exercise is important in having a healthy lifestyle. It is even recommended to help you sleep well. But do it in the morning or early afternoon so it does not interfere with sleep.
7. Avoid eating a heavy meal late at night.
Eating a heavy meal before bed can interfere with your sleep. The body isn’t designed to cope with a heavy load before sleep. Your digestion will crank up at full speed when your body should be calm and relaxed.
8. Avoid checking or watching the clock throughout the night.
Being conscious about the time while you’re supposed to be sleeping only prevents you from sleeping.
9. Avoid other activities that may over-stimulate when it’s close to bedtime
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Avoid watching TV, playing video games, surfing and using social networking sites, sex and other activities that can keep you awake before bedtime. Too much stimulation before sleep keeps you up and makes you unable to fall asleep. Avoiding these activities before sleeping can be one of the simplest cures for insomnia.
10. Use the bedroom only for sleep and sex.
Refrain from watching TV, paying the bills, or working in bed. Sex is the only exception. In order for your body to know that it’s time to sleep when you go to your bed.
11. Practice meditation or yoga.
Meditation or yoga may help relieve anxiety and reduce muscle tension. Shabad Kriya – Bedtime Meditation regulates the rhythm of your breath.
To get an over-all view of Insomnia, click this image to go to our Insomnia Overview page. It gives a clear view of the causes, effects, and treatments for insomnia.
12. Use breathing and relaxing techniques.
Several relaxation techniques can be used as cures for insomnia.
- Progressive relaxation
- Toe tensing
- Deep breathing
- Guided imagery
- Quiet ears
13. Get a massage or have a warm bath or shower 90 minutes before bed.
Both can relieve muscle tension and help you relax.
14. Drink warm milk and honey.
Light snacks high in amino acid tryptophan, like bananas and warm milk, may help you sleep.
15. Use herbal insomnia treatments.
The following herbs are helpful in relaxing, sleeping and nourishing the nervous system at the same time. They may be taken as teas, infusions and baths or aromatherapy.
- California poppy
- Chamomile
- Hops
- Kava
- Lemon balm
- Passion flower
- Rooibos
- St. John’s wort
- Valerian
- Oat straw
- Lavender
- Jasmine
- Neroli
- Rose
- Sandalwood
- Ylang ylang
- Sweet marjoram
16. Drink alcohol.
Alcohol can be used as a form of self-treatment of insomnia to induce sleep. Ironically, it can also cause insomnia. Take moderately and observe how your body reacts to it.
17. Take sleeping tablets.
If insomnia is persistent and above-mentioned cures for insomnia aren’t working. Sleeping tablets are considered the last resort. Some sleeping tablets can be prescribed by your doctor.
18. Take Melatonin.
Technically, melatonin isn’t a sleeping tablet and is only prescribed for patients over 55 years of age with persistent insomnia. It supplements the melatonin hormone that regulates the body’s “circadian rhythm” or daily cycle.
To get an over-all view of Insomnia, click this image to go to our Insomnia Overview page. It gives a clear view of the causes, effects, and treatments for insomnia.
19. Practice hypnotherapy.
In a Swedish study insomniacs taught by Edmund Jacobson’s progressive muscle relaxation, 82% reported significant improvement. 80% were able to drop their sleeping tablets.
20. Get cognitive and behavioral treatment (CBT).
To get an over-all view of Insomnia, click this image to go to our Insomnia Overview page. It gives a clear view of the causes, effects, and treatments for insomnia.
CBT is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the important role of thinking in how we feel and what we do. If you find it difficult to practice good sleep hygiene cures for insomnia mentioned above, CBT will aim to fix that.
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