15 Simple Ways That Cure insomnia
A study by the University Hospital in Copenhagen reports, lack of sleep is the “number 1” cause of the rise in heart attacks in women, the iHOBO health website reports. The good news is that reducing your caffeine intake, cutting back on alcohol, following a healthy diet, and avoiding smoking can all help to prevent you from becoming sleep deprived.
Do you just stay up all night, counting sheep or dozing off every few minutes only to wake up a minute later? If you are looking for a way to get better sleep at night but don’t know where to start then read on!
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. It can be caused by poor sleeping habits. Such poor habits include going to bed to sleep watching television, eating dinner or laptop, drinking coffee or taking sleeping pills.
How you can treat insomnia yourself
Here are 15 ways that might help overcome your insomnia.
1. Establish a Routine
Establishing a nightly routine is key to sleep and relaxation. A study has revealed that establishing a regular bedtime routine can help to wake better. Pre-event routines enable us to get a jump start in a very pleasant manner. An ideal bedtime routine will include 30 minutes of physical activity, drinking a glass of water, and then lying in bed and focusing on doing something interesting for 10 minutes. This assists body and mind to enter into deeply refreshing mode. This is also the ideal time to set your head towards the daily tasks and the out coming day.
With our lives speeding up at such a fast pace, we need to develop new skills and routines to force us to put everything off. It is important to set aside some time for meditation too for a calm and restful sleep. Read good books or magazines and slow down after a hectic day. Find relaxation in the comfortable world around you.
There’s no better place to wind down from a busy day than in bed. Focusing on “The end of day ritual will allow you to focus on tasks right before you go to bed.”
2. Drink Honey 2-3 Times a Day
Honey not only tastes good but it is also beneficial to our health in many ways. It is often referred to as “The Food of Angels”. This natural sweetener is valued for its medicinal qualities. A study has shown that natural honey is a good alterative for sleep disorder patients. Being produced when eaten is a completely different way of consuming artificial drugs. This is because the vitamin natural honey contains is more easily absorbed in the system.
Besides, honey is also a known sleep promoter which is proven to reduce stress by providing energy to the body. Some nutritionists believe that honey is one of the most ideal choices for insomnia sufferers as it can help to relieve stress and enhance relaxation.
3. Avoid Stimulants
There is evidence that suggests that excessive caffeine may interfere with sleep. You may need to consume no more than one cup per day to sleep well and avoid insomnia. Otherwise, the effects of caffeine may deprive you of much needed shut-eye. In short, daily consumption of caffeine may interfere with your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. This is because caffeine can cause dehydration.
By helping you to fall asleep more quickly, caffeine wakes you up throughout the night. In some cases, one cup of coffee can increase the number of times you wake up during the night.
In addition, caffeine interferes with your body’s ability to produce adenosine, a hormone that can help you to fall asleep. It also helps your brain to remain more active. Try to replace every cup of coffee with water, or try decaffeinated coffee in the morning.
4. Do Not Smoke or Vaping
Do you have trouble sleeping at night after you smoke? If you have a hard time falling asleep after you smoke, then it could be because of nicotin which is the stimulant element in the tobacco plant. According to research, smoking disorder is one of the main causes of insomnia. Compared to healthy people, smokers can typically be awake for 1.5 hours longer before sleeping.
The effect that smoking has on insomnia is negative. There are temporary effects of smoking such as shortness of breath, high blood pressure, and a rapid heartbeat. There are also the long-term effect such as cancers and cardiovascular conditions.
If you smoke, you should cut it down more and more, until it disappears completely. Besides that, you should workout and eat healthy. You will recover from insomnia that way.
5. Eat Healthy
Your diet affects whether you sleep well or not. It should promote a healthy weight and good nutrition. A healthy diet provides your body with necessary vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and other nutrients which your bodies need and maintain energy.
A healthy diet can also provide for steady blood sugar levels, which is essential for a good night’s sleep. A 2006 study published in the “Nutrition Journal” found participants who increased their amount of dietary protein could significantly improve the quality and length of their sleep, while those with lowered protein intakes had poorer sleep.
6. Don’t Eat/ Drink Before Sleep
Eating a big meal before bed can trick your body into thinking you are starving because it takes a while for the body to digest the meal. The more you consume, the heavier your digestive system and the stronger your body will have to struggle to process this heavy nutrition. This leads to insomnia at night.
On the other hand, the less nutrition you get from your diet, the less your body has to use. Your stomach has a better opportunity to work on processing this nutrition while you sleep, causing you to wake less often with hunger pains.
Eating late will also trigger a negative cycle of blood sugar regulation. The alerting effect will increase the chances of you eating on unhealthy foods or foods which can increase gastrointestinal disorders. However, dinner should be enjoyed around four to five hours before sleep. It is important to eat calmly and avoid stress.
7. Set a Proper Exercise Routine
Lack of exercise is one of the reason that causes insomnia. A well-tuned work out schedule also helps to reduce chronic headaches. Exercise can improve blood circulation, reduce stress and works like a magic remedy to manage your symptoms in a natural manner. It will help you to improve your mood and sleep without any risk.
Lack of exercise likewise causes obesity. Walking or jogging to get a good night’s rest is the best solution to prevent insomnia. Regular exercise is also a good stress buster. By relieving the stress build up in the mind, we can keep its hormones in balance and prevent its disruptive behaviour.
8. Avoid Stress
Stress is a reaction to outside stimuli. Many of us express stress in different ways and being chronically stressed can affect our health. Circumstances such as serious illness, family problems, and financial problems can cause stress, as well as everyday issues such as school, work, and chores. All these forms of stress can wear on our bodies and affect our ability to sleep.
9. Massage
After a long day at work, it’s hard to find time for yourself. A massage is the perfect way to relax and relieve stress from your muscles. Massages can improve sleep quality because they help you feel more relaxed and less stressed.
It can also release endorphins which make you feel happier, healthier, and less anxious. This means that when you finally go to sleep at night, you’ll find it easier and more refreshing than ever before.
Massages are expensive!? So, what can you do other than massage to keep your body relaxed? Let’s try method no. 10.
10. Meditation
Meditating before bed is also a factor that can prevent or cure insomnia. When suffering from stress insomnia, meditation is believed to be an effective therapy. If meditation is not performed on a regular basis, it is important to start slowly in order to increase effectiveness.
Even just five minutes, it can help to calm down our mind and prepare it for sleep- which is why many people meditate before bed!
11. Warm Shower
Is it time to take a warm shower? If you’re having trouble sleeping, then the answer is yes. A study showed that the average person who takes a 10-minute hot shower before bed falls asleep about 20 minutes faster than those who don’t. The heat from the water causes blood vessels in your muscles, skin, and other tissues to narrow and release tension in your body.
The sound of the water hitting your skin, the feeling of heat cascading over you as you wash away all your worries and stress. Just take some time to enjoy this calming ritual that can help you sleep soundly at night.
12. Turn Off Electronic Devices
The way we live, sleep and think have changed dramatically in the past few decades. Technology has led to a fast paced world where people are constantly on the go. There is no time for rest or relaxation.
For many of us, our mobile phones are a constant companion. We use them to watch movies, play games and even read the news. You might not realize it, but your phone is probably the biggest culprit when it comes to sleep deprivation. The blue light that emanates from your screen can keep you up at night because of its effects on melatonin production.
13. Avoid Bright Lights
During the day, bright colors such as sunlight can interrupt sleep and make the eyes sore and irritated. Activities such as reading, watching television, playing on the computer, and video games, may be the best energizing activities but may require to be stopped. This will help your brain produce melatonin which tells your body it’s time to sleep.
It’s hard to avoid bright lights when you live in a city. We’re constantly bombarded with them, and they have the potential to keep us up at night. But there are some things that can help!
1) Turn off your TV or computer an hour before bedtime
2) Dim the lights in your house
3) Get blackout curtains for windows near your sleeping area
14. Minimize The Noise
If you’ve tried everything you can to try and cure your insomnia but nothing has worked or you’ve only been getting limited results, then you’ll need to analyse the ‘how to cure insomnia’ question in more detail and devise the right solution for you.
Sometimes insomnia can be avoided by keeping your bedroom as quiet as possible. If there is noise coming from any part of your home – from traffic, a pet cat or your neighbours being noisy – then you’re going to find it much harder to drop off.
15. Choose a Good Mattress
A good night’s sleep generally refers to a feeling of comfort and relaxation that comes from a mattress chosen that suits your sleeping style. Nosda Mattress is a way to get your best night’s sleep. It has been scientifically proven that the quality of sleep you have on your mattress impacts how well you feel during the day.
The Nosda Mattress is the best mattress in Malaysia designed with comfort and support in mind, so it can help with insomnia or any other sleeping problems. It is essential for all aspects of our wellbeing – both mental and physical health. It’s also something that is often overshadowed by the hustle-and-bustle of daily life.
Don’t just dream about having a better night’s sleep, make it happen today!
