There are many reasons you could be struggling to sleep at night. If you’re suffering from insomnia, you may think you’ve tried everything, but have you tried all these potential solutions?
Stop taking naps: The longer you stay awake, the more you want to go to sleep at the end of the day – this is called “sleep drive”. When you take a nap, you lose a bit of your sleep drive while gaining very little valuable deep sleep. Napping throughout the day decreases your likelihood of feeling sleepy at night.
Regular Exercise: exercising regularly burns off excess energy, which will help you fall asleep more quickly and sleep much deeper at night. Exercise can also help alleviate symptoms of medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, which can also negatively affect your ability to sleep.
However, avoid exercising less than four hours before bedtime. If you exercise too close to bedtime your body is still storing that energy and you will find yourself wide awake.
Create a regular bedtime: This won’t work for shift workers, but if possible, set yourself a regular sleep time. Get up and go to bed at the same time every day, and that includes the weekend. This helps your body get used to a regular rhythm.
Don’t toss and turn: if you find yourself unable to fall asleep after 20 minutes or so, don’t lie there and feel frustrated. Instead, get up and perform some kind of mundane activity – many sleep experts recommend accounting. You could read an easy book, flick through a magazine, or simply lie somewhere else until you feel tired. Do this for no longer than 10 minutes, then come back and try to sleep again.
De-Clutter your bedroom: in our modern lives we often use our bedrooms as an entertainment hub, office or storage space. Keep your bedroom strictly for sleeping and move these activities to other areas of the house.
Try Herbal Sleeping Pills: unlike prescription sleeping pills, most herbal medicines aren’t addictive and have minimal side-effects. They contain natural ingredients like chamomile and ylang ylang, which have been used to cure insomnia for centuries.
For more information about insomnia and sleep remedies you can visit the Sleep and Insomnia Guide