33% of people have at least a mild form of insomnia. For the uninitiated, insomnia is a medical term that describes one’s inability to get to sleep on a regular basis or stay asleep.
Insomnia isn’t just a condition that robs you of your sleep. It robs you of your ability to live a stress-free, productive life.
If you’re among the millions of people that aren’t sleeping the way you want to, we have good news for you. There are techniques that you can leverage which will substantially improve your ability to sleep comfortably through the night.
Our team has compiled the 9 most effective tips you can start leveraging this week to enjoy less time laying awake and more time dreaming. Keep reading to learn how to overcome insomnia.
1. Go to Bed and Wake Up on a Schedule
One of the most powerful techniques that you can utilize is building consistency into your sleep schedule. Making a concerted effort to train your body on rest/wake times can single-handedly crush your sleep issues and teach you how to overcome insomnia.
Creating consistency in your sleep schedule is as simple as laying in bed and shutting your eyes are the same time every night. You should also set an alarm to get out of bed at the same time every morning.
2. Focus on Sleeping Once You’re In Bed
For millions of people, bedtime means TV or phone time.
It might seem harmless to stare at your screens for an hour or so before your wind down for the night. In reality, the repercussions of making bedtime about anything other than sleep can be damaging.
Habits are very powerful when it comes to getting predictable results from your body.
If your body knows that whenever your back hits your mattress, it’s time to go to sleep, that’s what it’ll do. If your body has been trained to watch TV whenever your back hits your mattress, you’re not going to be able to break that routine without weeks of retraining.
3. Lean on Sleep-Inducing Techniques
There are a number of exercises that you can do in bed to help induce sleep.
We’ve all heard of the “counting sheep” technique which, believe it or not, works for thousands of people.
Other sleep experts recommend opening your eyes and staring at an object in your room until your eyes can’t stay open any longer. Once they fall shut, keep them closed for 10-seconds and repeat the process till exhaustion.
You can read all about various sleep-inducing techniques online and experiment with them to find something that works for you.
4. Don’t Nap
If your body gets rest 2 or 3 times during the day, it won’t be tired at night.
Do what you can to make bedtime the only time you get to sleep, at least during the workweek. This will substantially increase the chance that your body will be ready to snooze come bedtime.
5. Limit Your Food Intake Just Before Bed
Big meals before bed mean big work for your digestive tract. If your digestive system is working hard, your brain is too. This could prevent it from shutting down for the night.
To avoid all of that, try to not eat 2 hours before bed and never drink coffee within 4 hours of bedtime.
6. Try to Exercise Just Before Bed
If you work out regularly, try to work out in the evening an hour or two before you need to go to sleep for the night.
Nothing exhausts your body quite like working out and an exhausted body is one that’s ready for sleep.
7. Invest in a Great Sleeping Environment
People that are comfortable when they’re laying in bed are going to get to sleep a lot more easily. So, try to make your bed as pleasant as possible.
Invest in cool sheets, a good mattress, and great pillows. If your partner keeps you up all night by pulling on blankets and rolling around, start using your own blanket and buy a foam-based mattress that absorbs movement.
8. Try to Deal With Your Problems During the Day
One of the most common reasons why people lay awake at night is because they’re worried about something. If you have something on your mind that’s bothering you before bed, see what you can do to remedy it.
Taking 30 minutes to fix an issue before you snuggle in for the night could save you 2 hours of tossing and turning before falling asleep.
9. Work With a Medical Professional
No matter how many resources some people read, they still can’t shake their sleep issues and learn how to overcome insomnia. If you’re one of those people, talk to a medical professional.
A doctor can prescribe you heavy-duty sleep medication or might recommend more natural ingestible solutions for sleeping.
A psychologist can assist you with getting over mental hurdles that may be making sleeping difficult if not impossible.
Learn How to Overcome Insomnia and Start Taking Your Life Back
People are interested in learning how to overcome insomnia because lack of sleep is wreaking havoc on their lives.
If your life is suffering because of your inability to get sleep, stop delaying and start being proactive in using our tips or talking with your doctor about how you can achieve better sleep.
Our team is focused on getting you the answers to life’s biggest curiosities. If you still have sleep questions on any number of other topics, check out more of the content on our website today!
