HEALTH: How to Prevent Insomnia Without Medication 

By Jorge Jefferds November 1, 2014

For many people, Insomnia has caused a lifetime trouble. This condition sometimes starts in the first years of age, aggravating in the adolescence. You know your brain won’t stop managing your memory easily. You think the night is the moment to solve problems, to remember undone things, and to regret for not having finished or achieved a goal. When you are prescribed a medication, you wonder why you have to live overdosed.

Anyway, you’re not alone. According to the CDC, on any given day, as many as one in five adults suffers from an insufficient amount of sleep! Insomnia affects adolescents, adults and the elderly. And as we age, sleep can become even more elusive, so developing good sleep habits when you’re younger can pay off later in life.

What Is Insomnia?

Many people think the term “insomnia” refers to a complete lack of sleep. In truth, insomnia encompasses a host of sleep problems. They include difficulty falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, early morning awakening, and non-restful sleep.

Have you ever heard someone brag that he or she only needs six hours of sleep? While it’s admirable to try to put a positive spin on a negative situation, taking a heroic attitude toward sleeplessness can be bad for your health. Most people need between seven and nine hours of sleep.

Getting insufficient sleep can:

·         Cause fatigue, irritability, and excessive daytime sleepiness

·         Cause weight gain and make it difficult to lose weight

·         Weaken the immune system, making you more susceptible to getting sick

·         Cause elevated blood pressure and can increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease

·         Contribute to chronic pain

·         Exacerbate mental illness, including depression and anxiety

·         Reduce focus and concentration, leading to decreased performance at work

·         Decrease motor function, making driving hazardous

Learn these techniques for Relieving Insomnia without Medication.

The Do’s:

Stick to a regular sleep schedule (same bedtime and wake-up time), seven days a week.

Exercise at least 30 minutes per day most days of the week. Restrict vigorous exercise to the morning or afternoon. More relaxing exercise, like yoga poses to help you sleep, can be done before bed.

Get plenty of natural light exposure during the day. Open your blinds first thing in the morning and get outside during the day. You can even try using a light box first thing in the morning during dark winter days to help your brain wake up and regulate your body’s rhythms.

Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine. Take a warm bath or shower before bed.

Do relaxation exercises before bed, including mindful breathing and progressive muscle relaxation.

Make sure your sleep environment is pleasant and relaxing. 

Your bed should be comfortable, and your room shouldn’t be too hot, too cold, or too bright. If necessary, use earplugs and an eye mask. Be sure your pillow is comfortable.

Associate your bed with sleep and sex only. Don’t work, eat or watch TV in bed.

Go to bed when sleepy, and get out of bed if you’re tossing and turning.

Turn your clock around so you can’t see the time.

Turn off the alert for texts and emails on your phone.

Keep a “worry journal.” If something’s on your mind as you’re trying to fall asleep, write it down on a pad of paper so you can revisit it the next day.

If you’re unable to fall asleep after about 20 minutes, leave bed and do something relaxing (like reading); return to bed later.

Download free screen-dimming software for your computer. Two popular programs are f.lux and Dimmer. These nifty programs help you avoid the stimulation of bright light if you’re using your computer late at night. Better yet: Put the computer away an hour before bedtime!

The Don’ts:

Don’t ingest caffeine after noon. This includes coffee, tea, iced tea, energy drinks and soda.

Don’t have that second glass of wine with dinner. While alcohol is known to speed the onset of sleep, it also disrupts sleep–especially causing arousal during the second half of the night, when the body should be entering deep sleep.

Don’t take other stimulants close to bedtime, including chocolate, nicotine and certain medications.

Don’t eat a large, heavy meal close to bedtime.

Don’t watch TV, use the computer or spend long periods on a mobile device before bed. These activities stimulate the brain and make it harder to fall asleep.

Don’t use your phone, laptop, or other mobile device in bed.

Don’t give in to the urge to nap during the day, being this activity disturbing for the normal sleep/wakefulness pattern.