At one time or another you have spent many nights waiting for sleep to arrive and then just when you are about to go to sleep, the alarm goes off.
Each night the same thing happens over and again, next thing you know, you are suffering from insomnia.
The last thing you want to do is take prescription medicine but you are so tired and can’t function that you don’t have much of choice. We all wonder why this is happening, why can’t we fall asleep and what can we do to stop this from continuing?
The reasons for the lack of sleep can be due to emotional or physical stress, what you eat before bed times or activities that you did just before going to sleep. It could be that we don’t have a good sleeping pattern. No matter who you are our daily routines include stress, whether it is due to work or home. When you lay down to sleep, the quiet allows your mind to wander. You begin try to solve issues that you may have work, start thinking about all those bills piling up, maybe you are having problems with your marriage or relationship, maybe the kids, etc. All of this will make it hard to shut down the mind and allow you to fall asleep.
To change all this, we have to pay better attention to our habits, what happens when the light is turned off and we are ready to go to sleep. Once you find the problem then you can come up with a solution. Without enough sleep we just don’t function very well. Everything is harder to do, including driving, which can be hazardous to us all.
STRESS
No one has a perfect life without stress or problems. If you know someone like that, then you have to find out how they do it. What we have to do is shut down our minds at night when it comes to these issues. Just as when you go to work and leave the problems at the door, then you should do the same at bedtime. Before going to sleep, start changing your thinking pattern, try not to think about your problems, instead tell yourself how a good night sleep will help you out the next day. It has been proven that a good night sleep allows a person to function better; their mind is clearer allowing them to find solutions to their problems easier.
ACTIVITIES
If you are too pumped up, full of adrenaline, you will not be able to sleep. You will get fidgety, start to toss and turn. Try not to do any exercise before sleep. Even though you may feel relaxed, it won’t be that way when you go to sleep. Exercise at least 3 to 4 hours before going to bed. That way your body has spent that extra energy and you will be able to fall right to sleep.
SPICY FOODS
A little spice makes our food even tastier. Our taste buds enjoy each and every bite we take. However, our stomachs may not enjoy it so well afterwards. The more intense the spice is, the more irritation it will cause your stomach. You will be up all night with indigestion and/or heartburn. Not only that, but when you eat spicy food, it can trigger vivid and wild dreams that can keep you up all night.
ALCOHOL
You go out, party and drink all night. Maybe you stayed home, had a few night caps and feel a little relaxed. It’s true, alcohol does relax you and many people will have a drink or two just before bed. They believe this will ensure they have a good night sleep. That is not always the case. You may find that you fall asleep quickly but you will also notice that you wake up just as fast. You will feel restless and keep waking up often during the night. In the morning, you wake up exhausted, as though you never went to bed and pulled an all-nighter. Try to avoid heavy drinking and if you do have a drink, make sure it’s at least two hours before you go to bed.
CAFFEINE
There is caffeine in a lot of what we drink or eat. The most popular culprits are coffee, tea, soda, hot chocolate and just plain chocolate. Most of us will have our cup of coffee in the morning; we just can’t function without it. However, there are those that drink coffee all day long. They are not aware that caffeine lingers in our bodies for about 12 hours. So if you have a cup of coffee at 5 pm, it will stay in your system until 5 am the next morning. This will definitely put an end to your sleep. Try to reduce the amount of caffeine you have during the day, maybe cut it out completely. If you notice that by doing this, you are able to sleep better, than it was all worth it.
EATING
They say you should not go into the water immediately after you eat, that you should wait at least 30 to 60 minutes. Well the same thing goes for eating before you go to bed. Having a full stomach will not allow you to sleep at all. That uncomfortable feeling will make you nauseous and keep you up all night. You will stay up waiting for this food to digest. Researchers say that you should not eat two hours before going to bed. This will help in making sure you can get a nights rest. By trying some of these tips, it may alleviate your problem. Maybe you can finally get a good night sleep. However, if you find that even after doing all this, you are still suffering from insomnia then you definitely have to see a physician.
It could be as simple as a sleeping pill and/or therapy. Do whatever you have to do to get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night. Researchers have found that not only does this help your body and mind rest but it can also keep you looking young and refreshed. Just as food and water are very important for us to continue living, so is sleeping. During our sleep, our body restores itself and our minds become clearer, allowing us to function and think better the next day. Lack of sleep can cause so many health and mental problems. Make every effort to rest; don’t let this problem continue for a long period of time without treatment.