According to a recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation, almost half of North Americans suffer from insomnia during their lifetime, and out of this, nearly 22% have difficulties sleeping every night.
These statistics might be troubling, but did you know that there are certain habits that might be contributing to, or possibly even causing this problem?
By getting to know the bad habits that could be causing your sleeplessness, you have the power to change them.
Are you constantly trying to force yourself to sleep when your body just isn’t ready?
According to experts such as Nitun Verma, M.D., this could be a big mistake. If your body isn’t tired, you are probably going to end up lying awake for hours, feeling more and more frustrated with every passing minute, and this anxiety is going to keep you awake even longer.
It’s important to go to bed when you feel tired; this might seem easier said than done, but by changing the following bad habits, it won’t be.
1) It’s never a good idea to over stimulate yourself just before you go to bed; otherwise your brain will be whirling away while you’re trying to obtain a peaceful enough state to fall asleep. Turn the television off about two hours before bedtime and read a book or spend some time with a loved one; this will allow your body to slowly wind down from its busy day so that by the time bedtime arrives, you’ll be tired enough to sleep.
2) Turning off bright lights during the few hours that precede bedtime is important, since the body reacts to light and isn’t able to produce melatonin amidst the television’s glare or the bright lights around the house. Melatonin is the chemical that is responsible for the regulation of sleeping patterns, and so it is an important component of a good night’s rest. Turn down the dimmers so that your brain is not only able to reach that calm, restful state that it requires before bed, but also so that melatonin can be released into your system in preparation for the restful period ahead.
3) These days, people do everything from eating meals to watching television in bed, and so it’s no wonder that when they get underneath the covers, they aren’t able to sleep. In order to get the body accustomed to sleeping when you go to bed, make sure that it is only used for this purpose.
4) Lastly, cut out beverages such as coffee, alcohol and just about any other stimulants, in the hours preceding bedtime. Alcohol might make you feel a bit sleepier after that first glass of wine, but once this initial affect passes, you’ll probably end up waking up a few times during the night. Coffee, on the other hand, remains in the system hours after you drink it; this means that you need to stop drinking it in the late afternoon, rather than just before bedtime.
Do you suffer from insomnia? Whether it is a constant struggle or something that pops up a few times a year, the “Train Your Brain” Insomnia program is helping many people suffering from this often crippling problem.
The program is easy, and will work from the very first night – in fact, it will take less than 25 minutes to get you from wide awake to fast asleep, any time of the day. Why continue to struggle when you can Train Your Brain for a sound night’s sleep?
Check out this simple Insomnia program, that will knock you out in 24 minutes, here…
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I was on Zopiclone 7.5 mg (I took half of that) for
3 weeks straight due to jet lag and stress until
my Chinese herbalist told me I needed to stop.
He suggested I immerse my feet in hot water (about
40-50 degrees Celsius) for 15-20 minutes nightly
before bedtime. When the water starts to cool
you just add more hot water. The water should
cover at least your ankles, if not higher. It
worked for me and I am off the medication. Give
it a try. I have recommended it to friends and
It is working for them too.
thats great if that works for u .. i wear socks to bed myself.. works well too … but a good ole fashioned down to earth “Onion sandwich” will indeed knock u out lol… trust me .. i know.. i eat them … np sleeping for me.. and no meds needed either…never have and never will ( hopefully not ) need sleeping aids…
I have had insomia as a side effected of being overmedicated with high blood pressure drugs when the doctors over reacted to a case of “white coat hypertension”. After two years ,and with the help of a heart specialist and a psychiatrist I was able to stop taking three of the four drugs. The Carvedilol was causing the insomia and severe depression. I now take Abien for sleep and Mirtazapine for depression and sleep. Each has a rebound effect ,if you try and stop taking them your sleep problem and insomia gets worse. These are the drugs they gave me for the side efffects of the HBP drugs they overmedicated me with. I was in perfect health at the age of 67 before I went to the doctor in 2008 for a physical. My blood presure at home was good,cholesterol was perfect. I was healthier than most people half my age,never had depression or trouble sleeping. The doctor caused the anxiety that caused my bloodpressure to go up and I have suffered every since and in the process of writing a book about my suicide attempt and “What the Hardin County Doctors did to me.” I am writing this so you won’t make the same mistaake I made in putting to much faith in your doctor as they can and will kill you.
I agree with your points they are important; but the best one I have ever come across is from Osho the Modern Mystic; Now I just tell my body "GO TO SLEEP NOW AND WAKE UP AT 6.30" and my body does it!
I read with Interest “The Onion Sandwich Trick”, sounds good to me, I wil try that tonight. I have always, well, as long as I can remember that is, had a problem with staying asleep.
No trouble with going to sleep, the minute my head hits the pillow I’m off to the land of nod, but as soon as I have had approximately six hours I’m awake. I put this down to being “The Eternal Soldier” (Warrior), If I go to bed at ten o’clock then by four o’clock it’s wakey wakey time.
At the magic hour of waking my brain is “Turned On To Full Power” and it is absolutely no good trying to shut it down.
There is no use trying to do anything but my meditation for at least an hour, and although Meditation is so good, I feel cheated especially when other members of our household sleep the sleep of the dead.
I do everything to not have this problem, I even take a mild dose of Melatonin occasionally, but even that isn’t enough to overcome the “Warrior Syndrome”.
I’ve tried Hypnotherapy and sure that works for a while but just as “The Moon” cycles through its orbit, I begin to experience the same old thing.
So I live with a condition that remains as it has for a whole lifetime, eventually I too will sleep the sleep of no return but until I go to meet my maker much stays the same.
Please don’t feel sorry that I have this problem, we all have something of a burden to carry through our lives, this seems to be mine…..Lol
Response to Jerry Cooke – I’m in the same boat. Dr. has scared me so much with “do you know the signs of heart attack ? stroke ? anyone there able to call 911 for you ? Weekly I’ve had to go in – it’s 200/100 each time. I monitor about 5 times/day at home, normal the 5 days/wk in between seeing Dr., Took 4 mg. med last nite at 10 pm, today at 4 pm I’m 116/77. WHITE COAT SYNDROME.
Here is my secret to sleep. I will introduce it as the last numbered step. These steps (1-4) or tips were my initial attempts to solve the problem (they are useful in themselves and make a great introduction to the final conclusion, step number 5).
1. Stop thinking, dont answer yourself regarding anything. Understand it is time for sleep and then stop.
2. Dont check to see if you are asleep yet (you will know after the fact, hopefully after 8 hours). If you keep checking, you wont fall asleep!
4. Stop watching, listening etc. This might seem contrary to spiritual practice or meditation. Is your intention to sleep, or something else?
5. All of these things (1-4) come to this one simple conclusion (works every time).
DO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO ANYTHING. That is the secret. As you get older and work daily, what are you doing all the time? Paying attention. All day long that is what you are doing regardless the activity. You have somehow forgotten the simplicity and beauty of sleep.
DO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO ANYTHING.
This will help…
C.C.
Taking Magnesium helps relax the body & deep breathing helps too
I watch TV on my massage bed which is right next to my regular bed. As soon as my eyes get heavy I roll over to my bed and still watch TV with my eyes half closed, at that point the TV noise becomes hypnotic which initiate production of melatonin; and my TV is on timer.
We all need to sleep and it would be a very difficult situation if we have problem in sleeping. One thing that I always do to sleep well is to have a comfortable bed, as much as possible the room should be dim and cool, avoid taking any caffeine during bed time, sleeping pills might help but we should not rely on them always as there are many natural methods we can consider. Be involve with physical activities and exercises.
Might not be the right place to post what I have to say, but anyway Thank You for your onging support at Benefits Exercise Seniors. Love Gby!