A Constant Quest for a Good Night’s Rest: Are You a Hopeless Insomniac?

Everyone knows a good night’s sleep enables us to work better, think better, play better, and feel better. If you’re having difficulty getting to sleep or frequently wake during the night you probably feel miserable when you get up in the morning. Most people get fewer than the necessary eight hours sleep per night. Getting too little sleep also puts you at a higher risk for diseases such as cancer, diabetes type II, heart attack and stroke.

Sleep Deprivation

Once you have gone without sleep for 19 hours, the activity in your brain becomes the equivalent of someone who has a blood alcohol level of 0.05. The less you sleep, the more sleep you need, so you shouldn’t deprive yourself of your zzz’s during the week, thinking you can catch up at the weekend. Falling into sleep deficit will put you on the road to serious health problems. If you have trouble falling asleep tonight, you are one of 65 percent of American insomniacs who will feel exhausted tomorrow.

Beating Insomnia

There are numerous reasons that you may be losing sleep. But whether it’s financial worries, stress at work, or family problems that keep you awake at night, the result is just the same. There are some simple adjustments you can make to your lifestyle that can make a difference between a night of tossing and turning and a peaceful slumber.

• Get into a healthy sleep routine; go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning. Use this Android app for your devices to help you wake up and go to sleep at regular times.
• Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages after 2 p.m. and alcohol three hours before bed.
• Maintain a cool temperature in your bedroom.
• If you keep the light on while you’re sleeping, make sure it’s dim so it won’t wake you.
• If you exercise in the evening, make sure it’s at least three hours before you go to bed.
• Keep electronics such as laptops out of the bedroom, to limit distractions.
• Don’t perform any work-related activities in the bedroom.
• If you find you can’t sleep, don’t toss and turn. Get up and sit in a different room until you feel sleepy or read a relaxing book in bed.
• Create a relaxing sleeping environment. Make sure your bedroom is quiet and that the temperature is neither too hot nor too cold.
• Get a comfortable bed. A comfortable bed with a new mattress that is not too soft or too hard will improve your chance of restful sleep.

Don’t suffer from insomnia it’s bad for your long-term health. If you have been having trouble sleeping for some time, don’t suffer in silence. Talk to your family practitioner, she may be able to help you make some lifestyle changes that will help you find you way back to peaceful sleeping.