Insomnia can often be improved by changing your daytime and bedtime habits or by improving your bedroom environment.
Making small changes may help you to get a good night's sleep. Try some of the methods below for a few weeks to see if they help.
1. Keep regular hours
Going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time every day will programme your body to sleep better. Choose a time when you're most likely to feel sleepy.
2. Create a restful sleeping environment
Your bedroom should be kept for rest and sleep. Keep it as quiet and dark as possible. It should be neither too hot nor too cold. Temperature, lighting and noise should be controlled so that the bedroom environment helps you to fall (and stay) asleep.
3. Make sure that your bed is comfortable
It’s difficult to get restful sleep on a mattress that’s too soft or too hard, or a bed that's too small or old. If you have a pet that sleeps in the room with you, consider moving it somewhere else if it often makes noise in the night.
4. Exercise regularly
Moderate exercise on a regular basis, such as swimming or walking, can help relieve some of the tension built up over the day. Make sure that you don't do vigorous exercise too close to bedtime, however, as it may keep you awake.
5. Less caffeine
Cut down on stimulants such as caffeine in tea or coffee, especially in the evening. They interfere with the process of falling asleep, and they prevent deep sleep. The effects of caffeine can last a long time (up to 24 hours), so the chances of it affecting sleep are significant. Instead, have a warm, milky drink or herbal tea.
6. Don’t over-indulge
Too much food or alcohol, especially late at night, can interrupt your sleep patterns. Alcohol may help you to fall asleep initially, but it will disrupt your sleep later on in the night.
7. Don’t smoke
It’s bad for sleep. Smokers take longer to fall asleep, they wake up more frequently, and they often have more disrupted sleep.
8. Try to relax before going to bed
Have a warm bath, listen to quiet music or do some gentle yoga to relax the mind and body. Your doctor may be able to recommend a helpful relaxation CD.
9. Write away your worries
Deal with worries or a heavy workload by making lists of things to be tackled the next day. If you tend to lie in bed thinking about tomorrow's tasks, set aside time before bedtime to review the day and make plans for the next day. The goal is to avoid doing these things when you're in bed, trying to sleep.
10. Don't worry in bed
If you can’t sleep, don’t lie there worrying about it. Get up and do something you find relaxing until you feel sleepy again, then return to bed.
Ma'am Ac, can we avoid insomnia especially if we dont have it yet? If so, how?
ReplyDeleteHi Isaac! Lifestyle changes often help improve sleep for people with short-term insomnia. These include avoiding caffeine and other stimulants, going to bed and waking up around the same time every day, and avoiding heavy meals, exercise and bright lights before bedtime. But if other methods don't work to relieve insomnia, doctors may recommend prescription medications, such as zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta), zaleplon (Sonata) or ramelteon (Rozerem). These medications are usually taken for only a few weeks.
DeleteMa'am Ac, what tips can you give to help us adjust our sleeping schedule?
ReplyDeleteHi Isaac! Here are some tips to adjust your sleeping schedule.
Delete1. Determine your desired waking time. If you're changing your sleep schedule so you can wake up early enough for work, for example, you probably want to wake up an hour or so before departure.
2. Calculate your optimal sleeping time. Most people require 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night, but the exact duration of necessary sleep differs from person to person. Determine at what time you need to fall asleep in order to wake up at your desired waking time.
3. Alter your sleep schedule gradually. If you normally wake up at 10 A.M. but want to start waking up at 5 A.M., this isn't going to happen overnight. Sleep specialists argue that the best way to change your sleep cycle is by making adjustments in 15-minute increments.
4. Set your alarm to the time when you actually want to get up. Avoid hitting that snooze button. While it can be difficult to get up earlier, snoozing doesn't improve the situation and can in fact make you more tired since it doesn't give you the most restful sleep.
5. Be consistent. The key to effectively altering your sleep schedule is to be consistent. In other words, you need to stick to the sleep and wake times you set every day of the week - this includes weekends!
6. Avoid alcohol after dinner. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down your body.
7. Stay away from screens and monitors. About an hour before bed, turn off all of your electronics and dim the lights of your phone and computer.
Is staying up late night with doing some important things can be lead to insomia?
ReplyDeleteYes. Your body has an internal clock of sorts so when you regularly force it to function on an artificial schedule, it can really get out of whack. If you fight it often enough or severely enough, it's almost certainly going to result in sleep problems like fatigue and insomnia.Staying up all night every once in a while probably won't result in much more than extreme fatigue the next day, but regularly forcing yourself to stay up well past the point when you normally feel tired is just a really bad idea.
DeleteIf we are needed to sleep late at night when we do our reviews or home works, what is the best alternative way of avoiding insomnia?
ReplyDeleteHi Cesiah! I think the best alternative way to review is to have time management. Maybe you can use time table to set what time are you going to study. You can review notes before class and after class. You can also use flashcards to review. Night is not the only time to review.Use your free time wisely.
DeleteHow can we avoid insomia even though we dont have regular sleeping hours as a busy students like us?
ReplyDeleteYou can avoid insomnia through time management, try to make time table for all the things you need to do the whole day. Well you can't avoid sleeping late at night but atleast try to find a ways to sleep early. Remember use your time wisely.
DeleteCan insomia be threathen by medicine or not?
ReplyDeleteYes it can be, Treatment for insomnia may involve nonmedical therapy, such as developing better sleep habits or psychotherapy, and sometimes medications. If a medical condition like diabetes or menopause is causing your insomnia, treating those conditions may help. If insomnia is a side effect of a medication, changing the medication or its timing or reducing the dose may help. Always talk to your health care provider before making changes to any medications you are taking. Here are some medicines for sleep medication.Benzodiazepine sedatives such as triazolam (Halcion), estazolam, lorazepam (Ativan), temazepam (Restoril), flurazepam, and quazepam (Doral) and non-benzodiazepine sedatives such as zolpidem (Ambien, Intermezzo), eszopiclone (Lunesta), and zaleplon (Sonata) are drugs that can help induce sleep. However, these medicines may be addictive with extended use. Also they can be dangerous if you take them with alcohol or other drugs that depress the central nervous system. They can cause morning sleepiness, although side effects are generally less severe with the non-benzodiazepines. A prescription oral spray called Zolpimist, which contains Ambien's active ingredient, can be used for short-term treatment of insomnia. But consult a doctor before you use these medicines.
Deletewhat is the symptoms of insomnia?
ReplyDeleteThe symptoms of insomnia are the following: Difficulty falling asleep at night
Deleteawakening during the night, awakening too early, not feeling well rested after a night's sleep, daytime tiredness or sleepiness, irritability, depression or anxiety
difficulty paying attention, focusing on tasks or remembering, increased errors or accidents, tension headaches, distress in the stomach and intestines (gastrointestinal tract), ongoing worries about sleep, someone with insomnia will often take 30 minutes or more to fall asleep and may get only six or fewer hours of sleep for three or more nights a week over a month or more.
Someone told me that having insomnia might lead to being nocturnal. Is it true?
ReplyDeleteIts not true because insomnia is having difficulties sleeping or falling asleep at night while nocturnal is being active during night on purpose. So insomnia is not the same as to being nocturnal.
DeleteEvery summer I always stayed up late up to 3AM because I am not sleepy yet, is there a possibilities that I can have an insomnia? or do I have an insomnia?
ReplyDeleteBased on research when specific times are involved this has to do with the acupuncture meridian system and its relationship to certain organs at those times.if you can't sleep between 1am and 3am is liver. This is the most common time a person wakes up and is due to many reasons. As noted above, when cortisol or epinephrine levels elevate to pull sugar from the liver, this will wake the person up, as it taxes the liver as well. But staying up late can also cause insomnia, if you really want to know the reason maybe you can consult a doctor.
DeleteIs it normal when you can't sleep at night, even if you're tired from school and other things?
ReplyDeleteHi Jonnalyn! A person might feel extremely fatigued but, in fact, not be ready for sleep. As you may have experienced, feeling tired does not necessarily make sleep inevitable!
DeleteFeeling sleepy, on the other hand, is what is called a 'discriminative stimulus' for sleep; it predicts sleep is about to occur. So how can you tell if you really are sleepy-tired? Look out for signs such as: itchy eyes, a lack of energy, aching muscles, yawning and a tendency to “nod off”.
Heading to bed without having experienced any of these signs may make it less likely that you'll get to sleep quickly, and more likely that you'll find yourself lying awake, thinking about not sleeping.
An active mind
The 'racing mind', as it is known, is very common in poor sleepers. In fact, respondents to the Great British Sleep Survey revealed it to be the most frequent cause of their sleeplessness.
Hi Jonnalyn! A person might feel extremely fatigued but, in fact, not be ready for sleep. As you may have experienced, feeling tired does not necessarily make sleep inevitable!
DeleteFeeling sleepy, on the other hand, is what is called a 'discriminative stimulus' for sleep; it predicts sleep is about to occur. So how can you tell if you really are sleepy-tired? Look out for signs such as: itchy eyes, a lack of energy, aching muscles, yawning and a tendency to “nod off”.
Heading to bed without having experienced any of these signs may make it less likely that you'll get to sleep quickly, and more likely that you'll find yourself lying awake, thinking about not sleeping.
An active mind
The 'racing mind', as it is known, is very common in poor sleepers. In fact, respondents to the Great British Sleep Survey revealed it to be the most frequent cause of their sleeplessness.
On how many nights can you stay up without sleeping? And how do people with insomnia cope with this kind of situation?
ReplyDeleteThe absolute longest anyone has voluntarily stayed awake before nodding off is 264 hours (about 11 days) — a record set by 17-year-old Randy Gardner for a high-school science fair project in 1965. Before falling asleep on day 11, he was essentially a vegetable with its eyes open. But based on research a human can only stay awake for three or more after 72 hours you will experience hallucination or dreaming while still awake. People cope through medicines or they changes there sleeping habits.
DeleteMa'am insomnia is hereditary or from bad habits you do?
ReplyDeleteand drinking too much coffee can lead us to insomnia?
Hi Joshua! According to one study, the often-debilitating sleep disorder insomnia can be genetic and for some, insomnia may be hereditary. Ironically, poor sleep can interrupt the normal function of your genes, leaving many stuck in a sleep-deprived vicious circle. Yes drinking coffee can keep you from falling asleep at night.
DeleteIs insomnia hereditary?
ReplyDeleteHi Dyvon! It is mention above, you can read my comment with Joshua Retuta. Here's an example of Insomnia heredity, A survey has shown people with a family history of insomnia tend to score higher on formal measures of predisposition to arousal and symptoms of anxiety. People with a history of insomnia reported family sleep problems at a greater rate than those who never had insomnia.
DeleteWhat are the causes of insomnia?
ReplyDeleteHi Arnek! Here are some common causes of insomnia: Psychological problems and emotional distress. Anxiety and depression are two of the most common causes of chronic insomnia. Other common emotional and psychological causes include chronic or significant life stress, anger, worry, grief, bipolar disorder, and trauma.
DeleteMedical problems or illness. Many medical conditions and diseases can contribute to insomnia, including asthma, allergies, Parkinson’s disease, hyperthyroidism, acid reflux, kidney disease, and cancer. Chronic pain is also a very common cause of insomnia.
Medications. Many prescription drugs can interfere with sleep, including antidepressants, stimulants for ADHD, corticosteroids, thyroid hormone, high blood pressure medications, and some contraceptives. Common over-the-counter culprits include cold and flu medications that contain alcohol, pain relievers that contain caffeine (Midol, Excedrin), diuretics, and slimming pills.
Sleep disorders. Insomnia is itself a sleep disorder, but it can also be a symptom of other sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and circadian rhythm disturbances tied to jet lag or late-night shift work.
is insomnia can be traits to your parents?
ReplyDeleteHi Ramon! Yes it can be a trait of your mother or father or even your siblings.
DeleteIt is insomnia if you've already stress in some stuff?
ReplyDeleteHi Ruwan! Maybe you should look more for other causes of insomnia or you can consult a doctor to make sure you know if you have insomnia or not.
Deletewhat is the main reason why some people have insomnia?
ReplyDeleteHi Jonathan! Maybe you can look on my Arnel's comment to know the causes of insomnia.
DeleteFor my early age mam, unfortunately, i do have insomnia. I will follow the steps written on this blog mam,, but I guess it is inevitable to think some sort of things about life, studies, people, etc. when you're about to sleep. so confusing but thanks for this blog mam
ReplyDeleteHi Jeyrald! It is mention above you can read on Arnel Lagante's comment. But stress, depression, anxiety, too much intake of caffeine causes insomnia.
DeleteMy older cousin has this disorder called ephyleptic seizure, One of his problem is not having enough sleep. he told me it may have cause by the stress he's getting through with it. i made him read about this article in this blog and he says that your ways of getting through insomnia may help him to get through the night and have a good sleep.
ReplyDeleteHi Marty! Thank you for sharing this blog to your cousin. I hope it can help him to cure his insomnia.
DeleteI'm having a hard time falling asleep these past few days and sometimes I am woken up in the middle of the night with no apparent reason, is it already considered insomnia?
ReplyDeleteHi Laarnie! Maybe it's insomnia but here are some reasons why you woke up at night.
DeleteSometimes the problem is a stressful day. You lay your head on the pillow, and events from the day keep streaming through your brain. You’ll benefit from relaxation techniques. We’ve discussed those before in this column, so no more detail here. Consider meditation, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation or biofeedback.
Sometimes the problem is stimulants — stimulant medicines or an alcoholic “nightcap” before bed. Alcohol makes many people sleepy and helps them fall asleep. But a few hours into sleep, alcohol becomes a stimulant to the brain and causes people to awaken easily.
Sometimes the problem is pain. A person with arthritis, for example, may have joints that ache — not so much that they are aware of pain during the night, but enough to stimulate the brain. Some people with this problem sleep a lot better if they take an aspirin or acetaminophen pain pill at bedtime.
When depression, life stresses, stimulants or pain are not the cause, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be helpful. Working with a therapist, you’ll learn new ways to think about your sleep problems and develop better strategies for dealing with those problems.
What is the reason why people are having insomnia?
ReplyDeleteHi Adrian! It is mention above you can read the following causes of insomnia.
DeleteAre there illnesses we can pick up with insomnia?
ReplyDeleteAnd now I'm aware to the insomnia and what do you think is the best advice for all the students have this?
ReplyDeleteHi Edle! the best advice to give is always use your time wisely and you can't avoid sleeping late at night but atleast try to find a ways to sleep early.
Deletema'am what do you think is the common reason why people suffer from insomnia?
ReplyDeleteHi Kristel! It is mention above you can read my comment from your other classmates!
DeleteMa'am if you suddenly change your sleeping pattern, would you get an insomnia?
ReplyDeleteHi JC! it depends on your sleeping pattern, poor sleeping habit is one of the causes of insomnia.
DeleteMa'am AC What are the effect of insomnia?
ReplyDeleteHi Jerico! The effects of insomnia are sleepiness can cause accidents, sleep deprivation can lead to serious health problems, lack of concentration for long periods of time and it is also known to affect the memory, sometimes leading to distressing confusion when addressed with something you feel you should already know.
DeleteI always worry about things when im about to sleep, other than given above, are there other ways to prevent/avoid it?
ReplyDeleteHi David! Here are some tips you can use.
DeleteGet all your worrying over with before you go to bed: If you find you lay in bed thinking about tomorrow, consider setting aside a period of time -- perhaps after dinner -- to review the day and to make plans for the next day. The goal is to avoid doing these things while trying to fall asleep. It is also useful to make a list of, say, work-related tasks for the next day before leaving work. That, at least, eliminates one set of concerns.
Reduce stress. There are a number of relaxation therapies and stress reduction methods you may want to try to relax the mind and the body before going to bed. Examples include progressive muscle relaxation (perhaps with audio tapes), deep breathing techniques, imagery, meditation, and biofeedback.
Consider participating in cognitive therapy: Cognitive therapy helps some people with insomnia identify and correct inappropriate thoughts and beliefs that may contribute to insomnia. In addition, cognitive therapy can give you the proper information about sleep norms, age-related sleep changes, and help set reasonable sleep goals, among other things.
Does forcing yourself to sleep is bad?
ReplyDeleteHi Justine! Not sleeping is harmful. Your body will replenish its endorphins on its own.
DeleteSleeping is part of our human activities even animals have it. so it will just come, do not force it but tire your eyes by reading newspaper, books or seeing a movie etc.
Do insomnia have a negative effect to us?
ReplyDeleteEvery summer I stay late up night. I can't always sleep on the right time but when the school year comes, I can sleep well even I'm still using my cellphone. Is it normal?
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ReplyDeleteThankyou Maam For the information you gave, i think some info. will help me a lot especially i have a problem like insomia, but Maam, I'm curious, is it ok to take some medicines to lessen my problem (eg. insomia) and what is the advantages and disadvantages of taking some medicines?
ReplyDeleteHi Jolan! You can read the comment above about the taking medicine !
DeleteWhile insomnia prevails among a notable proportion of adults, children too suffer from sleep disorders. Insomnia in children is characterized by signs of wakefulness or restlessness daily at night, irritability or heaviness on waking from sleep, mood swings, lack of concentration, and unusual difficulty with remembering. Causes of Insomnia in Children In children, the causes of insomnia are generally more easy to work out that in grown ups. cure insomnia
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