Tips for Insomniacs: Advice from a Fellow Sufferer

Everyone has had a bout with insomnia at some point in theirs lives. However, some of us suffer from a chronic version of the sleep disorder. If you suffer from chronic insomnia, there are a few things you can do to make your days ( and nights) a little more bearable.

At least try to sleep. Yes your mind might not want to shut off, but your body needs to rest! While just lying in bed might seem like torture, it is better for you than constantly going nonstop. Yes, it would probably be more productive to be working, folding laundry or even finding a new layout for your Myspace page, but letting your body recover should also be priority. Trying to sleep may make you "less productive," but it will help you survive your days!

Another issue with insomnia is the under eye circles and swelling. After a few nights of 1-3 hours sleep at most, I look like my imaginary boyfriend has beat me. Eye creams can help, and make up can cover them up. However, that gets expensive and some people (namely most guys) may not be all for those methods. Cold compresses work rather well. Sometimes I will freeze my gel eye mask and then sleep with it on to reduce the swelling. Another idea is to wet q-tips and then freeze them. You can quickly run the q-tips under your eyes to fight the puffiness.

If you know of things that make your insomnia worse, try to find ways to avoid them or alleviate them. If you suspect your problem is with caffeine, maybe try cutting back on it, or not having it after a certain time. I stopped using a regular alarm clock because it made my sleep issues worse. I would lie awake at night and watch the clock. As each hour passed, I counted down the time until had to get up. Avoiding these things may not lull you into deep sleep, but it may make sleeping easier.

Sometimes we are our own worst enemy in our quest to find sleep. More times than not we just need to relax. If we could only relax, our brains will stop running constantly, and maybe we will finally be able to find sleep. It sounds so simple, but I know that it is easier said than done. I also know that stress has other effects on me that make it hard to sleep. I carry most of my tension in my upper back. When my back and shoulders are killing me, I have a harder time getting comfortable and a harder time sleeping. Internal stimuli can be just as aggravating as any external noise, if not worse.

Finding sleep can be a major struggle. Night after night of tossing and turning and being wide awake takes its toll on a person. However, it doesn't need to run your life. Hopefully you can take these, or other steps to make your days and nights more enjoyable.