Insomnia is an increasing problem around the globe, and it is estimated that 30-50% of people are suffering from insomnia. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes an individual have trouble sleeping. Individuals who have insomnia can have one or more below listed symptoms:
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep
- Waking up too early in the morning
- Feeling tired upon waking
As a result, they may have poor quality sleep and does not feel refreshed even after sleep. Adapting simple daily routines and lifestyle changes can help you to beat insomnia. Here are the helpful tips for your restful night.
Ensure perfect sleeping environment by doing following changes:
- Keep your bedroom peaceful, calm and dark to improve your quality of sleep as noise, light, and temperature interfere with sleep patterns.
- Use thick and dark colored curtains to make the room dark.
- Wear eye masks and ear plugs which help to cut-off light and noise.
- Ensure your mattress is comfortable. Too soft or too hard beds are not advisable for your good night’s sleep.
Consider moving your pets to somewhere else which often disturbs your sleep.
Regular sleep routines:
- Stick to particular bedtime routines (even on weekends) to maintain your biological clock.
- Ensure you sleep roughly for the same amount of time daily so that you do not feel sleep deprived.
- Avoid taking naps during the day as it makes you feel difficult to fall asleep at nights.
- Hit the bed immediately when you feel tired. This helps you fall asleep more quickly.
Lifestyle changes:
- Avoid late meals; try to finish your dinner two hours before going to bed. Consumption of fatty foods in the night makes you feel uneasy as heavy food takes a lot of time to get digested. Discomfort in your stomach keeps you awake for a longer time.
- Regular exercise for 30 minutes helps you to beat symptoms of insomnia.
- Quit smoking and drinking to minimize its effect on sleep.
- Cut down on nicotine and caffeine. Caffeinated beverages like tea, coffee, and energy drinks before sleep affects your sleep quality.
Other helpful tips to beat insomnia include:
- Bring change in your thinking: Stop worrying about your sleeplessness which keeps you awake for a longer time.
Listen to some soothing music that can lull you to a restful good night’s sleep. - Take a warm bath and a cup of hot milk before bed.
- Get a soothing massage which relaxes you and promotes good restful night.
- Avoid stressful activities before bedtime as it increases your alertness and makes it hard for you to fall asleep.
- Avoid using electronic gadgets like Smartphone and computer at least 1 hour before sleep. Citing recent research, Dr. Maheen Asad, Apollo Family Physician, Apollo clinic Indrapuram, elucidates that using such devices in bed keeps you mind alert for a long time which not only affects your sleep but also increases the chances of developing high blood pressure.
- Visit a doctor if you continue to have the problem.