Sleep problems, insomnia and disturbed sleep is experienced by over 50 million people every night in the US. So if you experience problems sleeping you are are in good company. However, often insomnia is the symptom of a deeper problem, a problem that you may be able to begin to change by using one or more of these five ‘quick change’ tips. They will not remove the root cause of your insomnia yet they can well reduce the symptoms, which will help you to grab some well deserved sleep.
1. Avoid caffeinated drinks in the evening. To avoid sleep insomnia it is best to clear all of the caffeine out of your system before you sleep. In practice it is best to avoid all caffeine from early evening onwards. And because some teas and chocolate contain caffeine you must be careful of any secret sources of caffeine.
2. Make sleep a habit. Create a special and regular bedtime routine. Start the relaxation process some time before you want to sleep. Do the things that seem right for you, for example you could get yourself a warm drink, and put your feet up with a good book. The secret is to do things that don’t require lots of effort and ideally avoid spending time on the computer or being glued to the television as both can be very stimulating.
3. Stay clear of alcohol. It is a misconception that a late night ‘toddy’ may help you calm down; alcohol is proven to inhibit or in some cases hamper deep, relaxing sleep. Although the odd glass of wine might not make a significant difference, it is best to avoid all alcohol whist you attempt a routine to prompt healthy sleep patterns.
4. Make bedtime systematic. The majority of sleep professionals recognize that having a planned and regular time to go to bed is an aid to sleeping well. Initially, if you have a problem sleeping your normal instinct is to retire early, when the most efficient way to get a good night’s sleep is to go to bed later. You may sleep for less you will be more rested. Then once your rest patterns have stabilised and you body readjusted you can then begin to go to bed earlier and sleep for longer.
5. Relax to calming music. To aid your passage to peaceful sleep consider listening to relaxing music, natural sounds, self-hypnosis or suggestion audio for a deeper more restful sleep. These therapies are actually created to help you unwind and calm down. A few are based on successful therapy practices and designed to tackle the root cause of your sleep insomnia. When developed by real therapists rather than marketing people out for a quick profit, these subliminal sleep treatments have been proven to be surprisingly practical.
Any one of these tips could provide you a peaceful night’s rest. My goal with these ‘quick tips’ is to help you find some respite so that you could then begin to tackle the real cause or the specific underlying issue that is the true cause of your insomnia. To stop the problem forever you’ll first need to resolve this real cause, then the sleep problems will quickly dissapear.
If you try any of the techniques and still find no change with your sleep problems, perhaps you should get some help from a sleep specialist. Wherever possible you should try to avoid sleep medication, as this may well give short term, temporary respite it only deals with the presenting problem, the sleep problem instead of the underlying cause. Without dealing with the real cause of the sleeplessness any kind of medication could actually prolong your insomnia.
If you want a treatment for sleep problems, consider Sleep Easy a gentle insomnia cure which is proven to prompt a restful night’s sleep created by therapist, Jim Brackin who runs jimbrackin.com a talking therapy, self-help, advice website.