Effective insomnia remedies

The first thing to do is to try to work out the root cause of your insomnia, the causes can be broken down into two main categories, physical and emotional.
Stress, anxiety and depression are certainly some of the major emotional problems associated with insomnia.

But your daily routine and physical condition can certainly have an effect on your sleeping pattern, so a good place to start with remedying your insomnia is with the physical remedies.

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Set a regular schedule
Try to set a regular time of going to bed and also getting up in the morning, even at the weekends so that your body gets used to a regular sleep cycle.

Relax before bed
Try to relax before bed by having a warm bath or reading, avoid all vigorous exercising and stressful activities such as gaming. Reading or listening to calm music can be used before bed as a way of training your body to get ready for sleep.

Regulate your bedroom
Make sure your bedroom is a comfortable regular temperature and is not too light, blackout blinds can be useful for this.
Try to make sure your bedroom is not to noisy, you could try earplugs.

Avoid stimulating substances
Caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine are all stimulants that can effect your ability to sleep.

Don't lie in bed awake:
Don't try to force yourself to get to sleep, get up and do something restful like reading or listening to music until you feel tired. Being anxious about not being able to sleep will only make the insomnia worse.

If you are feeling anxious or stressed you can certainly find it difficult to sleep.There are simple relaxation techniques which can help you release the tension of the day and hopefully fall asleep much quicker, and best of all there are no medical effects.

A variety of relaxation techniques help you achieve the relaxation response, including

* deep breathing
* progressive muscle relaxation
* meditation

* visualization
* yoga
* tai chi

It is beyond the scope of this site to go into great detail about these techniques and some take a lot of time and effort before the benefits become evident, but the benefits can be huge. A brief guide to two of the simpler techniques follows.If you decide to investigate the activities further you can make them part of your bedtime routine.

Deep breathing Techniques
Deep breathing is a simple relaxation technique which is easy to learn and can help to relieve tension and anxiety.

If we are feeling anxious or tense we tend to take short shallow breaths which limits the intake of oxygen causing further stress on the body.
Deep breathing exercises can help to stop this vicious circle.

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(New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook)

1. Lie on your back.
2. Slowly relax your body. You can use the progressive relaxation technique we described above.
3. Begin to inhale slowly through your nose if possible. Fill the lower part of your chest first, then the middle and top part of your chest and lungs. Be sure to do this slowly, over 8 to 10 seconds.
4. Hold your breath for a second or two.
5. Then quietly and easily relax and let the air out.
6. Wait a few seconds and repeat this cycle.
7. If you find yourself getting dizzy, then you are overdoing it. Slow down.
8. You can also imagine yourself in a peaceful situation such as on a warm, gentle ocean. Imagine that you rise on the gentle swells of the water as you inhale and sink down into the waves as you exhale.
9. You can continue this breathing technique for as long as you like until you fall asleep.

Progressive muscle relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation is a simple technique to help relieve tension in the body.

1. Lie down or make yourself comfortable.
2. Starting with your feet, tense the muscles as tightly as you can.
3.Hold for a count of 10, then relax for 20.
4. Continue to do this for every muscle group in your body, working your way up to your head.

How much sleep do l need?
Most healthy adults sleep for an average of seven to nine hours a night. As you get older, it is normal to need less sleep. Most people over 70 need less than six hours sleep a night, and they tend to be light sleepers..

In the first stage of the sleep cycle the brain produces slow brain waves called theta waves ,this period lasts around 5 to 10 minutes.and is a light stage of sleep.
This is the time when you are drifting off and if woken you may well swear you weren't really asleep.

Using Sleep Music is a fantastic way of you being able to tune your brain in such a way that it goes very quickly into the first stage of the sleep cycle and goes very deeply, so then your mind can take over as you go into the REM cycle.

One of the elements that can stop people from sleeping well is if they are having problems in switching off because they are so focused on all the things that are going on in their life.
Listening to relaxing Sleep Music can be effective in distracting the brain from other thought and setting the scene for sleep.
While there are no guarantees that this will help cure your insomnia it is relatively cheap to try and can at least be used instead of other distractions before bed.

Before reaching for the prescription drugs with all the complications and side effects these can have it is well worth taking the time to try some of the natural cures for insomnia.

As was mentioned earlier stimulants such as caffeine should be avoided, a good alternative is a glass of warm milk. This is not just an old wives tale there is some science involved, milk contains Tryptophan, which gets converted into serotonin (the feel good chemical) and then to melatonin-the sleep-inducing chemical.

Chamomile . (sometimes known as camomile) has been used for its numerous beneficial effects since ancient Egypt. It is well known as having sleep inducing qualities and it is commonly taken as a tea at bedtime because of this. It should be avoided by people with thin blood or who are taking blood thinning medications because it contains coumarin.

Chamomile makes a pleasant aromatic tea with a fruity flavour, it can be enhanced by sugar or honey.
Chamomile contains glycine, which is known to have a soothing effect on the nerves and this effect is used to promote drowsiness at bedtime.

If you've tried the insomnia cures and treatments listed above, and are still having trouble getting the sleep you need, it is probably time to visit a doctor, but at least you will have tried to eliminate the obvious causes for insomnia and you may be in a better position to tackle life issues such as stress,anxiety,grief or depression.

Signs that you should consult a doctor are

* If you've tried all the self-help strategies and there is no improvement.
* If your insomnia is causing major problems at home, work, or school
* If you're experiencing physical symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath
* If your insomnia occurs almost every night and is getting worse

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