What to do when you can’t sleep: all about the treatment of insomnia
It is estimated that 3 out of 10 people suffer from some degree of insomnia, having trouble sleeping, sleeping at night or having an early awakening .
There are many reasons why you may be struggling to sleep or sleep during the night, but you fail, ranging from stressful life events such as being fired from work to health problems. Moreover, those periods of short-term insomnia that last only a few days or weeks can turn into long-term insomnia, which is called chronic insomnia.
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Lifestyle changes can help with insomnia
In the case of mild insomnia, which has been a problem for only a few days or weeks, doctors will probably first recommend several lifestyle changes to improve sleep. Rita Auad, M.D., Associate Professor of Sleep Medicine at Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University in Colombia, says she always starts with changes in sleep hygiene, the daily habits you observe, affect sleep.
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Good sleep hygiene - a practice that promotes healthy sleep - includes:
- Stay on sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at about the same time, regardless of whether Wednesday or Sunday.
- Avoid anything that might prevent you from sleeping. For example, caffeine and tobacco, which can stay in your nervous system for eight hours. And do not expect to sleep. Some people think that alcohol can help you sleep, but it actually disrupts your sleep.
- You shouldn’t study too late. Ideally, you should go to the gym more than three hours before sleep, otherwise exercise can interfere with sleep.
- Limitation of daytime sleep - no more than 30 minutes.
- Off electronics at least an hour before bedtime
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - The Golden Standard for Treatment of Chronic Insomnia
If improving sleep hygiene and other lifestyle changes alone do not help with sleep, the next step is cognitive-behavioral therapy to improve sleep and eliminate chronic insomnia. It’s better than medication.Cognitive behavioral therapy aims to teach you methods that will help you relax, control your breathing and mood, slow your brain and sleep. Therapy also includes sleep restriction. Some people have such a misunderstanding that if I can’t sleep, I should spend more time in bed trying to sleep. In fact, you should only be in bed for the time you sleep. The idea is to reduce the amount of time you spend lying awake in bed, you will be more tired and more likely to fall asleep quickly next time.
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Can my insomnia be cured?
Absoluty. However, this may not be easy, as treating insomnia often means improving sleep hygiene and forming habits that are more conducive to good sleep. And these habits can be tricky. But it’s possible. Every little step you take to improve sleep is important.