Many people in the US suffer from insomnia. While this issue might seem mild at first, failing to address it can lead to serious health effects. For instance, your productivity at work will start to decrease due to poor sleeping patterns. A new study further shows that one in every four Americans has insomnia every year. From these statistics, it’s clear that insomnia is a condition that affects many people yet overlooked. Some of the common effects of insomnia include lack of energy, decreased motivation, and changes in mood. Inadequate sleep can make you feel exhausted and unproductive for the whole day. A good night’s sleep has a positive influence on your physical and mental health. It may seem impossible to get a better sleep when you find yourself awake past midnight, but the following tips should help you.
1. Stick to Regular Sleeping Hours
You can program your mind and body to sleep better by having a specific time for bed. For example, you can set the sleep time based on when you finish your chores or once you feel tired. If you are likely to feel tired at 10 pm, then make it your regular bedtime hour. Irregular sleeping hours are one of the causes of insomnia, and if you can try to change this, then you will be able to manage insomnia better.
As part of regular sleeping hours, reduce daytime naps. If you must sleep during the day, try to make it 30 minutes at most. Long naps during the day can confuse your brain and leave you struggling to sleep at night. You end up feeling groggy after you wake up from deep sleep during the day. Keep yourself busy during the day so that you feel tired and retire to bed early. It is also crucial not to nap late in the day, as it will make it hard to sleep at night.
2. Exercise Daily
Did you know that exercise helps with chronic insomnia? Well, the National Sleep Foundation posits that moderate activities such as walking, cycling, or running, among others, reduce the time you need to fall asleep. The drop in temperature after exercising may promote better sleep. Besides, it fights insomnia by lowering depression and anxiety symptoms. Studies show that exercise is a vital therapy for insomnia and can improve the quality of sleep without side effects.
3. Avoid Caffeine in the Evening
It is so tempting to take caffeine during the day to improve alertness. Caffeine increases energy, performance in sports, and improves focus, and these are some of the reasons that most people prefer it. However, when you consume caffeine in the evening, it will trigger your body system and prevent you from relaxing at night. Caffeine will keep you alert until it wears off from your body. Drinking a cup of caffeine late in the day can keep you awake for 6-8 hours. If you must take coffee at night, use decaffeinated coffee. Alternatively, you can substitute with drinking chocolate or juice.
4. Ensure Your Bed is Comfortable
A comfortable sleeping environment is one of the main antecedents of quality sleep. When your mattress, duvet or bed are not suitable in terms of size or comfort, then it can negatively affect your sleep quality. You need a mattress that is not too hard or too soft. A hard mattress will cause backaches since it affects your sleeping style. The bed has to be big enough, giving you enough space. Change the type of duvet you use depending on the season to avoid too much cold or hot temperatures, which cause discomfort. Regulating the room temperature can also help you to achieve an optimum temperature suitable for sleeping.
5. Use Medication
If after trying out everything you still find it hard to sleep at night, you can try medication. Make an appointment with the doctor to get the best advice and possibly a medication that can help. However, most people prefer using sleeping pills instead of trying other treatments first. We recommend you to try all the natural methods first before settling on sleeping pills. But if everything doesn’t seem to work out, effective pills such as Zopiclone won’t disappoint. Sleeping pills can calm your nervous system within the shortest time and reduce the time allowing you to fall asleep fast.
Conclusion
Sleep is vital in everyone’s life, and you should take the slightest signs of insomnia seriously. A good night’s sleep is imperative to improve concentration, boost our energy, and make us productive every day. However, due to the daily hustles, most people have insomnia. The tips provided above can help you to overcome insomnia and improve your sleep quality. You can use a single method or a combination of several strategies that work well with you.
