Dealing Succesfully with Insomnia

Insomnia can be a real problem for people. Members of my own family have suffered with it for years, and I had my own battles with this nasty condition in the past. I have picked up some tools to deal with it along the way, and found some others from searching the internet.

I remember once been told by an older nurse that one of the worst things that you can do is stay in bed if you are suffering with insomnia. Your bedroom should purely be a place to sleep, and by lying there awake you will begin to mentally associate your bedroom with being awake. If you feel awake then you should get up and do something instead of lying their fretting. This getting up is beneficial in a number of ways; doing something will tire you out a bit more, it will stop you associating your bed with being awake, and it will allow you to at least do something beneficial rather than just lying there.

You should never have a television in your bedroom or any other form of entertainment. This is especially true if you are someone who finds it difficult to sleep. If you want to watch television or use the internet then go to a different room to do this.

Caffeine and lots of fluids close to bedtime is a bad mistake. The caffeine will not only make you too alert to sleep, but it will also keep you awake with frequent trips to the toilet. Caffeine is a diuretic which means that it makes you pass urine. Stop all caffeine drinks a few hours prior to going to bed.

Personally, the way that I managed to beat insomnia was by regularly meditating. I try to practice for at least twenty minutes, and I practice tai-chi each day as well. I haven't really suffered from insomnia in years, and the only thing that keeps me awake these days is when I overdo it with the coffee.

A search of the internet provides a few other tips on managing insomnia. Inducing sleep through counting from 1 to 10 is one solution recommended; I have found this useful in the past, but it can take awhile to work. Another suggestion is to not challenge the insomnia; just accept it fighting it will only make you more stressed and even less likely to find sleep. This is actually very good advice.

Insomnia can be hard to deal with, but if you try different approaches then you are bound to find something that will work for you. The main thing is to try and not get obsessed with the whole thing because this can make sleep even more difficult to obtain.

Sources

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/healthy-living/how-to-be-happy-dealing-with-insomnia-439563.html