Restful Nights: Solutions for Dealing with Insomnia

Insomnia is a silent killer. With time and without treatment, a lack of restful sleep can compromise your natural healing process, leading to health concerns as your immune system weakens. In most cases, insomnia is caused by daily habits you don\’t even know are making you lose sleep.

Top Best Ways to Cure Your Insomnia Once and for All

Here are some of the ways you can correct your sleep cycle and get a restful night\’s sleep every night:

Make Your Bedroom a Sanctuary

Your bedroom should be a sanctuary that induces sleep as soon as you walk in at night. Light, noise, and a too-hot or too-cold bedroom can prevent you from nodding off. Here are some things you can do to make the space cozier and more relaxing:

• Use a sound machine to lull you to sleep or plug your ears to block noise completely.
• Replace your window treatments with blackout curtains or wear an eye mask to bed to block out the light completely. This tip will prove useful if your partner falls asleep while scrolling through Instagram reels.
• Experiment with different mattresses for firmness and replace the original one if you need more support for restful sleep.

Maintain a Regular Sleep Schedule

Our circadian rhythm determines our alertness level, appetite, and body temperature. It makes us fall asleep and wake up at a particular time by responding to light changes in our environment. If you sleep at odd hours or force yourself to remain awake so you can catch up on your Facebook posts, you have an erratic circadian rhythm.

Support this biological clock by going to bed at the same time every day, and yes, this includes weekends. Plus, try not to sleep in during weekends to maintain that rhythm daily. Put your phone and tablet away at least an hour before bedtime so you can drift off on time.

Do Breathing Exercises

Slow, deep breaths can relax you. This breathing method is called pranayamic breathing, and it calms down the nervous system, preparing the brain for sleep. No one can get restful sleep if they are anxious. Follow these steps to calm yourself:

• Inhale slowly through your nose for seven counts
• Exhale gently through the mouth for seven counts

Repeat as many times as you want or till you feel yourself relaxing.

Relax Your Muscles

Clenched muscles keep you hyper-vigilant, preventing you from relaxing enough to fall asleep. You can loosen them up by clenching and unclenching them consciously. Do this with controlled breathing, and you will literally feel tension leaving your body.

Here is what you need to do:

• Close your eyes and breathe in and out slowly.
• Once you have a good rhythm going, start clenching your muscles.
• Begin at the top by tensing the muscles of your eyes, jaws, and lips for 10 seconds, then release while inhaling and exhaling deeply.
• Move down by tensing your shoulders for 10 seconds and repeat the breathing pattern.
• Continue all the way down to your toes, skipping painful spots as you go.

Use Imagery

If you spend hours tossing and turning at night because of worries, you are not getting enough sleep, period. Stress can make you focus on the negatives, but you can release it by switching your thoughts to the positives. So, rather than replaying adverse incidents at night, visualize peaceful images that spark joy and contentment. Here is what you should do:

• Close your eyes and lie down on your bed in a comfortable position.
• Think about a place or experience that relaxes you. This can be anything from a natural setting to memories of a relaxing vacation.
• Focus on the details in that imagery and add details from your other senses. Recall the smells and sounds to immerse yourself fully in your imagination and to keep negative thoughts at bay.

Use Medication

If nothing works, you can ask your physician to prescribe you medication that can help you fall asleep. Sedatives relax the nervous system, and hypnotic medication induces sleep. Your healthcare provider is the best person to tell you about potential treatments as per your needs and overall health. They will also help you manage side effects.

Book a Consultation at Health One Family Medicine

You don\’t have to live with insomnia your whole life. Health One Family Medicine doctors can prescribe treatments and help you overcome bad sleep habits, so your trip to Slumberland is exactly what you need it to be. The full-service family clinic treats patients of all ages using the most advanced medicine practices. Book a consultation today.