Tips to battle insomnia

Get exercise. In a 2011 study published in the Journal of Public Health, researchers targeting patients who have trouble sleeping, using survey data on sleep and exercise found that people who reported getting “any exercise” in the past 30 days were less likely to have complaints about sleep or daytime tiredness.

Avoid TV, tablets and gadgets right before bed. The body prepares for sleep over a period of three to four hours. There’s a series of events, including the release of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep cycles. The blue light of television and electronic devices is particularly disruptive to hormones involved in circadian rhythms and can lead to problems initiating and maintaining sleep.

Don’t drink to get sleepy. Alcohol can contribute to middle-of-the-night awakenings as well. While alcohol does have sedative properties and might help you get to sleep, it’s rapidly metabolized, and when cleared [by your body] can actually attribute to waking you up.

Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet. Think of your bedroom as a cave.  Mute your cellphone, block lights from coming in your windows and anything else you feel could be disruptive to a good night sleep.

Take care of your nose!

Before heading to the drugstore in search of sleep medication. Treat any allergies, clear your nasal passages with a saline flush or a neti pot, or try nasal strips, which hold the nostrils open.

 

What if you do wake up in the night?

If you are unable to get to sleep or are awoken for more than 20 minutes, you should leave the bedroom. Go to another room, engage in a relaxing activity, such as reading, meditating or listening to music but keep lighting on the dim side. When you’re tired, go back to bed. You want to avoid associating your bedroom with the true cause of not being able to sleep.

 Insomnia can be treated.

These are just a few tips to try to narrow down the real issue.

At JoyRich Healthcare Centers, we are here to answer all of your concerns. While these tips may help many get a better night sleep, other times insomnia can be caused by an imbalance in your bodies chemistry. If these tips are not the solution for you…
Please contact us with any questions you have about insomnia or other health concerns.

 

We are here to help!