If you do not sleep well and often suffer from fatigue, low energy, difficulty concentrating, mood disturbances, and decreased performance at work or at school, you may be suffering from insomnia.
There are different types of insomnia. Acute insomnia is temporary and is often brought on by particular circumstances, for example, when you find it difficult to fall asleep the night before an exam, or after receiving stressful or bad news. It tends to pass without any treatment being required.
Chronic insomnia is disrupted sleep that occurs at least three nights per week with a duration of at least three months. Chronic insomnia disorders can have many causes. Changes in the environment, unhealthy sleep habits, shift work, other clinical disorders, and certain medications could lead to a long-term pattern of insufficient sleep. People with chronic insomnia may benefit from some form of treatment to help them regain healthy sleep patterns. Chronic insomnia could be co-morbid, meaning it could be linked to another medical or psychiatric issue, although sometimes it’s difficult to understand the cause and relationship.
Tips on how to deal with insomnia
Eliminate alcohol and stimulants like nicotine and caffeine. The effects of caffeine can last for several hours, perhaps up to 24 hours, so the chances of it affecting sleep are significant.
Limit naps. While napping seems like a proper way to catch up on missed sleep, it is not always so. Napping can affect the quality of nighttime sleep.
Exercise regularly. Regular exercise can improve sleep quality and duration. However, exercising immediately before bedtime can have a stimulating effect on the body and should be avoided.
Limit activities in bed. The bed is for sleeping and having sex. If you suffer from insomnia, do not, for example, balance the cheque book, study, or make phone calls while in bed or even in the bedroom, and avoid watching television or listening to the radio. All these activities can increase alertness and make it difficult to fall asleep.
Do not eat or drink right before going to bed. Eating a late dinner or snacking before going to bed can activate the digestive system and keep you awake. If you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) or heartburn, it is even more important to avoid eating and drinking right before bed since this can make your symptoms worse.
Make your sleeping environment comfortable. Temperature, lighting and noise should be controlled to make the bedroom conducive to falling (and staying) asleep. Your bed should be comfortable and if your pet sleeps in the room with you, consider having it sleep somewhere else if it tends to disturb you during the night.
Get all your worrying done before you go to bed. If you lie in bed thinking about tomorrow, consider setting aside a period of time – perhaps after dinner – to review the day and plan for the next day.
Consider participating in cognitive therapy. Cognitive therapy helps some people with insomnia identify and correct thoughts and beliefs that may contribute to it. In addition, cognitive therapy can give you the proper information about sleep norms, age-related sleep changes, and help set reasonable sleep goals, among other things.
Source: https://www.webmd.com and https://sleepfoundation.org.
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