What is it?
Insomnia is defined by the quality of your sleep and how you feel after sleeping. It’s not necessarily about the amount of sleep you get. For example, if you’re sleeping a full 8 hours, and you wake up feeling groggy and restless, you may be experiencing insomnia.
What causes it?
Multiple areas of your life may contribute to your insomnia. There are both medical and psychological reasons behind why you’re unable to sleep.
Medical:
- Nasal / sinus allergies
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Ex: Acid Reflux, Kidney Disease
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Chronic pain
- Low back pain
- Neurological conditions
- Ex: Parkinson’s disease
- Restless leg syndrome
- Sleep apnea
Psychological:
- Depression
- Anxiety
What can I do?
Insomnia has so many triggers that contribute to the lack of sleep you’re getting that it’s hard to pinpoint the real reason you’re struggling to fall asleep. Because of this, there are multiple things you can try in order to get the rest you need.
Adopt new sleep habits:
- Have a regular sleep schedule. (And stick to it!)
- Make sure you’re in a dark, quiet, and cool space
- Avoid stressful situations before bedtime
- No screens for an hour before bed
- Avoid taking naps
- Limit that amount of caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine you intake daily
- Avoid eating late
- Exercise regularly
Sleep aids:
If all else fails, there are sleep aids out there that can help you get the rest you need. However, these sleep aids should be a last resort, and not something used regularly.
- Melatonin is a hormone that your body naturally produces at night. This aid is a natural supplement to help increase the amount of melatonin in your body.
- Valerian is an herb that may help you sleep better.
- Unisom
- Sominex
- Advil PM
- ZZZQuil
All in all, sleeping is tough. None of these remedies are going to fix your insomnia completely, but they can help. It’s time to take control and get the rest you deserve. Get out there and sleep well!