Just about everyone goes through patches of insomnia now and again. Whether caused by stress, illness, or just too many scary movies, we’ve all had nights of tossing around in bed, staring at the clock, and trying to find a cool spot on the pillow. Some people just can’t get to sleep at all, while others fall asleep for a while, but wake up at 1, 2, or 3am unable to get back to sleep before the alarm.

It’s no fun at all, right? Instead of having sweet dreams and waking up ready to take on the day, you stress yourself out all night and are bleary eyed and exhausted when the alarm goes off. You get up and have no choice but to gulp down a huge mug of coffee so you can drive to work without nodding off. Then you drink more coffee to get through the day, knowing that you’re just going to have the same problem the next night!

I’ve been going through this issue myself for the past couple of weeks, so I decided to do a little research on ways that we can all fall asleep faster, sleep through the night, and (if all else fails) at least use our sleepless time to do something useful.

Before we get started, the necessary disclaimer: This is NOT medical advice. I’m not a doctor. I faint at the sight of needles. I can’t even give blood without passing out. If you can’t sleep for several days in a row and you’re starting to become a danger to yourself and others, go to the doctor!

7 Tips to Prevent Minimize Insomnia

There are many things you can do to set yourself up for a better night’s sleep. Scientists call this sleep hygiene, but you can just call it common sense. Some of these steps are difficult, but the worse you’re sleeping, the more important they become.

1. Limit caffeine intake. Yes, this is hard to do, especially when you’re feeling sleep deprived, but caffeine will just make insomnia worse. If you have to have something to stay awake, drink a bit a green tea, which doesn’t give quite the jolt.
2. Get some exercise. A decent amount of physical activity tires out your body and helps you sleep better. 30 minutes or more a day is ideal, but even a 10 minute walk after dinner will help.
3. Avoid a late meal. Eating a big, heavy meal after 7 or 8pm can cause digestive problems and keep you up. Either eat dinner early, or eat a bigger meal at lunch and a light meal for dinner. Salad is your friend.
4. Limit screen time. The longer you spend looking at computers and televisions, the more likely you are to have insomnia (source). Turn off both a couple of hours before you go to bed. Even though I love television, I know that it interferes with my sleep, so I’m careful about when I watch.
5. Create a sleep routine. Try to do the same routine every night before you go to bed. It can be as simple as brushing your teeth, washing your face, and putting on your bunny slippers. Just be consistent and train your brain to recognize that when you do certain actions, it’s sleepy time.
6. Take a warm shower or bath before bed. Warm water relaxes your muscles and your brain. If you have time to take a nice bubble bath, great. If not, at least try to take a quick shower. As a bonus, it feels great to go to bed all squeaky clean.
7. Not too hot, not too cold. Make sure that you’re comfortable in your bed. You don’t want to be sweating buckets, but you also don’t want to freeze. If you’re turning the thermostat down to save energy at night, compensate with warmer blankets or pajamas.

4 Things To NOT Do When You Can’t Sleep

Now, let’s say that despite your best efforts, you still have insomnia. The following things will only make your situation worse, so avoid them.

1. Tossing and turning. Everyone has had some very long nights where we can’t sleep and instead just lay in bed turning over every 15 seconds. It’s no fun, it builds up your anxiety level and it certainly doesn’t help you sleep.
2. Staring at screens. (see above) I know it’s tempting to flip open the laptop or turn on the TV when you can’t sleep, but resist the urge! Studies show that electronic screens trigger a part of our brain that keeps us awake. Plus, watching television at 3am will just lead to bad infomercial purchases!
3. Eating all the potato chips and chocolate in the house. Sometimes I get hungry in the middle of night and my instinct is to wander over the ol’ Frigidaire and have at it. This is a bad strategy because a full stomach will keep you awake longer, plus a few repeats of this will really start to pack on the pounds.
4. Looking at the clock. Yes, it’s frustrating to see how much time has gone by since you’ve been awake. It’s even worse to think about how little time remains before the alarm goes off! Staring at the clock will only make you more tense, and keep you up longer.

5 Ways to Be Productive and Have Fun With Insomnia

If it’s 2am an you’re wide awake, you have limited options for activity. Unless you have friends on the other side of the world, you probably shouldn’t call anyone. You probably live with or near other people, so you can’t start practicing your drums. However, there are a lot of things you can do to make good use of the time, and hopefully get back to sleep before the night is over.

1. Get out of bed and go to another room. The first thing you should do is get out of bed. I know it’s cold out there, but by moving you avoid building an association between your bed and sleepless nights. Go sit on the couch or in your big fluffy chair.
2. Read a book. Make it a boring book Seriously, reading a book will engage your alpha brainwaves and help you relax. You might find yourself nodding off before you finish a chapter. Just be sure to choose material that won’t upset or excite you, like reading Michael Moore if you’re a conservative!
3. Drink something warm. It turns out that Mom was right, again. Drinking warm milk really does help you sleep. So does herbal tea like chamomile. Have a nice cuppa and you might be snoozing soon.
4. Meditate. If you’ve been meaning to start meditating, this is the perfect opportunity! Doing certain types of meditation might help you relax enough to get to sleep, and you don’t have to sit in the lotus position and contemplate your naval. Why not try listening to some meditation audio like Quantum Mind Power?
5. Work on the idea that’s keeping you up. If you’re like me, your insomnia is mostly caused by too much stuff racing around in your head. If you have an idea, hope, dream, or fear keeping you up, take some action on it. I’ve found just the smallest thing, like creating a quick action plan, or drafting 2 pages of writing, is often enough to give my brain a rest.

Wow. I’m getting a little tired now. Maybe I’ll just shut my eyes for a minute…

Anyway, talk amongst yourself in the comm…..ZZZZZZ

Photos by babblingdweeb, EasyPickle, and bcmom.

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