We’ve all been there – you’re tired and can barely keep your eyes open. You go to bed, and, bam, your brain decides that it’s time to go over all the unpleasant aspects of your life. You eventually drift off just before the alarm wakes you up in the morning.
This is upsetting enough when it happens once in a while. For most people, insomnia is a “sometimes” problem. Usually, they get through the day and then sleep soundly the next night. For others, though, this is a party trick that their brain pulls night after night. It’s not long before they suffer from chronic sleep deprivation.
I can speak from personal experience here. I spent years being unable to fall asleep quickly. I’d get by on four hours and count myself lucky. Things had to change; I was desperate, and I was willing to try anything.
In this post, I’ll go over what worked well for me. If you’re struggling to fall asleep at night, try the following tips.
Skip the Sleeping Tablets
Sleeping tablets are meant to be taken for two weeks at a time at most. They help you fall asleep faster, but they also interfere with the quality of your REM sleep. You could get your full eight hours at night and still not wake up feeling refreshed.
They’re also habit-forming and become less effective as your body builds up a tolerance to them. Getting yourself off the habit of taking them can be a long and difficult road. It’s best not to start down that path at all.
Look for Natural Solutions
If your problem is a racing mind, chamomile tea can be soothing. Include it as part of your nighttime ritual. Have a cup of tea about half an hour before bed.
If that’s not doing the trick, look out for Valerian. I used to take it in tincture form as I found that to be the most cost-effective option. This has the added benefit of also helping you to stay calm during the day.
In the end, though, these didn’t work for me. I was getting so frustrated about not sleeping that the fact that I wasn’t asleep kept me awake. It was then that a friend recommended that I try CBD oil. This proved to be a lifesaver and helped me get my first great night’s sleep in years.
If you want more info on CBD oil & insomnia treatment, read here. For now, let’s get on to other tips.
Put a Bedtime Routine in Place
Your circadian rhythms govern sleep. These can be quite easy to disrupt. Sleeping late on the weekends is enough to throw the whole cycle out of whack. You must get up at the same time every day, no matter what. Work out your bedtime by counting back eight hours from your wakeup time.
Plan a series of steps so that your body knows that it’s time to start winding down. A nice warm bath about an hour or so before bed makes for a good signal. Enjoy it while drinking your chamomile tea.
Ban Electronics
I’m practically glued to my laptop, so this was a tough adjustment to make. About an hour before bed, switch off the TV, your computer, your phone, and so on. Anything that emits blue light, as electronic devices do, can interfere with your sleep patterns.
Wind down by reading a book in low lighting conditions.
Final Notes
Aside from all the above, you also need to ensure that your bedroom is comfortable and restful. Use blackout blinds to eliminate light sources and deaden the sounds from outside. If you institute some or all the tips in here, you should fall asleep in no time.