You don’t need to be an insomniac to know that the inability to fall asleep, or stay asleep, can be a nightmare (no pun intended). You toss and turn for hours, hoping to find the perfect position will ease your mind into slumber. Or you find yourself drifting awake after a small amount of sleep. At school or work the next day, you’re listless and fatigued. If all this sounds depressingly familiar, take heart: here are five ways to tackle insomnia and get some sleep.
1. Bath Before Bed
Turn off your phone, light some scented candles, and soak in a warm bath before you go to sleep. The combination of warm water, silence, and some added scents will relax your body and your mind, and make you more susceptible to dozing off when you get into bed. Don’t take a shower, as this will simply wake you up. The key is to completely relax and immerse yourself – literally and figuratively – in the experience of serenity and tranquility.
2. A Glass of Milk
If you’ve ever felt drowsy after Thanksgiving dinner, you can recreate the biochemical effect with just a warm glass of milk. Milk contains triptophane, which releases serotonin in the body and induces sleep. You can also try vanilla extract or chamomile tea to help you along. If anything, the calcium in a nice glass of milk every night will help your teeth and bones, and help you get a good night’s sleep as well.
3. Noise
Noise sounds counterintuitive to falling asleep, but the right types of noise can lull your conscious mind into a state of relaxation, from which drifting off becomes easy. Many people find the white noise from a blowing fan to be the perfect catalyst – and it keeps the room cool, too, which is also important for relaxing your body to sleep. You can find audio CDs of relaxing and sleep therapy sounds online.
4. Eat Light
Forget the fairy tale stories of characters eating big meals and going to bed right afterwards. Your body expends energy in the digestion of the food you just ate, and that energy will keep you awake while you’re lying in bed. If you must eat before bed, choose a snack with low proteins and high carbohydrates that your body can easily break down without keeping you up.
5. Routine
If you’re having trouble sleeping, it’s important to train your body to sleep. Establish a routine of things you do before bed, and then stick to that routine. Whether it’s exercise, a bath, reading a book, or watching TV until you fall asleep, find a pattern that works for you and stick with it. You can consult with mental health professionals to help you identify any underlying issues keeping you awake and determine a routine that works best for you.
