How to Alleviate Insomnia: 6 Tips for Better Sleep

Insomnia is a relatively common sleep disorder that prevents you from getting a sufficient amount of sleep. There are many types of insomnia, chronic, acute, onset, maintenance, and behavioral insomnia of childhood (BIC). At some point in their lifetime, most adults will experience some form of short-term insomnia (also known as acute or adjustment insomnia) that lasts for days or even weeks. However, some people have chronic insomnia, which means that their lack of sleep continues for a month or more.

According to sleep experts, a restful night equates to seven to eight hours of sleep. Those with insomnia typically struggle to fall asleep or have trouble sleeping due to frequent waking in the middle of the night. People with insomnia can also fall into a vicious cycle of waking too early and then failing to fall asleep again; they achieve poor sleep quality in all cases, which leaves them feeling physically and mentally exhausted the next day.

Physical and mental health and medical conditions can all contribute to the sleep problems associated with insomnia.

1. 1. Poor sleep habits: Poor sleep hygiene can affect your ability to achieve and maintain regular sleep. Watching TV and using a computer, smartphone, or other screen devices can expose us to blue light wavelengths, blocking the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps us maintain healthy circadian rhythms. Napping can also disrupt our internal clock and make it harder to fall asleep in the evening.
2. 2. Snacking and drinking before bed: Having a snack or meal before going to bed at night can result in physical discomfort or even produce heartburn or acid reflux, all of which can leave the sufferer feeling unsettled and unable to sleep. Products containing stimulants like caffeine, found in coffee, tea, and some energy drinks, sugar (soft drinks) or nicotine (cigarettes and some vaping products), can all take their toll on sleep. Alcohol may cause the user to wake in the middle of the night.
3. 3. Stress: Mental focus on difficult or troubling issues in our lives—work, finances, family—can keep our minds active and agitated at night and interrupt our sleep patterns. Traumatic events can also hamper our ability to sleep and get rest.
4. 4. Travel and work schedules: Work schedules (and changes to those schedules) can also disrupt our internal clock. Jet lag caused by traveling to different or through multiple time zones can also throw off our circadian rhythms and result in poor sleep quality.
5. 5. Health issues: Medical conditions and the medication used to treat them can interrupt sleep, restlessness, and other sleep problems. Cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, diabetes, chronic pain, and asthma are among the many health concerns that can adversely affect sleep. Sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome both directly impact sleep through interrupted breathing and uncomfortable sensations, respectively. Anxiety and depression can result in sleeplessness or early waking, while the medication used to treat these conditions may have side effects that prevent sleepiness.

While prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids are often used to combat insomnia and facilitate better sleep, their side effects can lessen their total effectiveness, like daytime sleepiness or dizziness. However, there are natural and holistic techniques that can assist in battling insomnia and promote general wellness.

1. 1. Routine exercise. Studies show that people who work out regularly have better sleep quality than those who do not, whether you’re engaging in cardio workouts, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), or another high-intensity exercise. One study revealed that people who did not exercise regularly experienced the most inadequate sleep quality.
2. 2. Relaxation techniques. Physical relaxation techniques can moderate breathing, heart rate, tension, and anxiety at bedtime, leading to better sleep. These techniques include meditation, progressive muscle relaxation—tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups to promote all-over relaxation—deep breathing, yoga, and massage, both with a partner or self-massage.
3. 3. Turn off your phone, laptop, and TV. The blue light that radiates from electronic screens prevents your body from releasing the sleep hormone melatonin, which throws off the timing of your circadian rhythm. In addition, electronic devices tend to keep your mind racing and make it more difficult to wind down into sleep mode.
4. 4. Curb alcohol consumption before bed. Alcohol may assist in falling asleep, but may also cause the user to wake in the middle of the night. Just one alcoholic beverage close to your bedtime can obstruct your sleep cycle, preventing you from getting enough REM sleep and deep sleep.
5. 5. Avoid caffeine and smoking too close to bedtime. Products containing stimulants like caffeine, which is found in coffee, tea, and some energy drinks, sugar (soft drinks) or nicotine (cigarettes and some vaping products), can make it hard to fall and stay asleep.
6. 6. Homeopathic sleep aids. Some natural products can promote deep sleep or reduce instances of insomnia. These products include magnesium, which has been scientifically proven to reduce stress and encourage muscle relaxation; melatonin, a short-term sleep aid helps with sleep regulation; and lavender oil, which has been shown to improve mood and sleep patterns and reduces pain.

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