Insomnia Cures

Lifestyle

Lifestyle cures for insomnia entail both reducing the stress in your life and in adopting more relaxing techniques to help you get to sleep better. Work on reducing the number of commitments you have, and on managing your time so you feel more relaxed overall. Set regular bedtimes --- the same time every night --- and don't use your bed for anything other than sleeping or hanky-panky. Don't eat or drink too much before going to bed and stay away from caffeinated beverages, especially within a few hours of bedtime.

At the end of the day, it's helpful to take a little time to unwind before getting into bed. Practice basic yoga or breathing exercises. Find a book to read --- something fluffy and non-demanding --- and make sure your bedroom is comfortable. If you have any clocks in your bedroom, remove them or turn them away from the bed: noticing the time is liable to distract you. The more relaxed you can be before bed, the easier you'll be able to drift off.

Medication can be both a help and a hindrance to curing insomnia. Some medications contains stimulants, and if you're taking them for another condition, they might be keeping you awake. You can talk to your doctor about switching them for another medication or cutting them out entirely. On the other hand, the doctor might prescribe sleeping pills to help you sleep, or you might consider an over-the-counter medication. Always talk to a physician before taking any medication for insomnia, and be sure to tell him what other kinds of medication you are on as well.

In some cases, therapy might be an effective treatment for cases of sleeplessness. Cognitive therapy, in particular, can teach you different approaches to the problem of sleeplessness, which decrease your anxiety about it and help you relax. Therapy can also teach you muscle relaxation techniques and means of controlling your response to stimulus while you're trying to sleep. In some cases, light therapy has proven effective for insomnia patients --- using a light box can be helpful to "reset" the patient's internal clock and let his body's natural rhythms help him sleep.