How to Deal With Insomnia

Insomnia in the modern world seems to be a growing problem with sufferers struggling to fall asleep at night - and then perhaps waking up every hour to check the bedside clock and countdown the minutes until the morning.

We share some helpful suggestions by sleep experts

1.  Taking off the pressure

Apparently, lying awake at night is not necessarily a bad thing and not abnormal or a sign of poor sleep. 

Research has found that being awake for twenty percent of the time you are in bed is still within the normal range.  Once you realize this, you can change from seeing wakefulness as the enemy and reduce any anxiety about not sleeping a full eight hours every night.

2.  What are your sleep needs?

Try to learn to respect your body's individual sleep needs.  It could be that you don't actually need that often "cast in stone" eight hours.  A large body of research found that seven - not eight - is closer to the average sleep need but of course the hours you might need is highly personal.  We could be a night owl or an early bird.  You might find that ignoring your body's internal clock and how much sleep your body might need in favor of a "one size fits all schedule" can do more harm than good.

If you spend more time in bed than your body needs, you will wake up more and even develop insomnia.  If you only need six hours sleep but are actually in bed for eight, you are very likely to spend more time awake, becoming frustrated and anxious.  

You can test yourself on vacation.  For example, by the second week if you are not using an alarm, you will naturally fall asleep and wake up at times that reflect your real sleep needs.

Be wary of sleep trackers that can create more anxiety and worsen insomnia.  Instead, keep a simple sleep diary to reflect on your overall sleep experience, helping you to identify patterns and improvements.

3.  Focusing on what keeps you up

It could be the level of tension and stress you are feeling during the day.  

It could be that you are constantly overstimulated during the day and then expected to just switch off at night.

Try to work on relaxing more during the day.

Lack of light exposure during the day is another important factor.  Are you spending a lot of time indoors working in an office?  Make the effort to get more bright light exposure- especially  in the morning.  You could find it makes a big difference. 

4.  Concentrating on your breathing

Focus on your breathing as it is - place a hand on your stomach and feeling the breath come and go.  Shifting from control to awareness can reduce tension.

5.  Observing your thoughts

Instead of trying to suppress anxious thoughts, observe those thoughts without judgement.

6.  Visualizing a safe and comforting place

If you can imagine a peaceful environment - perhaps something from your childhood - it can help you to relax and let go of stress.  The sense of ease can make a big difference as to how easily you then drift off to sleep.

Our own piece of advice is H-Sleep Aid Formula

Sleep Aid Formula is a natural product with homeopathic ingredients to ensure that symptoms of sleeplessness are tackled naturally.

Use the Formula by massaging one or two drops on the temples and the back of the neck thirty minutes before bedtime. If you wake up during the night, you can safely reapply.

The ingredients in the Formula are soothing and will relax you and aid in sleeping to help you enjoy a good night's rest safely and naturally.  Sleep will progressively continue to improve with ongoing use.

SOURCES:

New Study Says 7 Hours of Sleep Is Ideal Middle Age (prevention.com)

WomensHealth.gov. http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/insomnia.html. (Accessed, Feb 11, 2021).

http://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Related-Conditions/Sleep-Disorders. (Accessed, Feb 11, 2021).