Most of us have had the occasional sleepless night. While these tips can help you avoid those, the information is to help pinpoint why sleeplessness has become a regular occurrence rather than an occasional problem.
Caffeine: Even if coffee is decaffeinated there is still caffeine in it. Tea and chocolate also contain the substance. The worst offenders are energy drinks. Some people can tolerate caffeine during the morning and still sleep well. Some should avoid it altogether.
Light: If you live in a city you are familiar with light pollution. When the news talks about a meteor shower it’s not even tempting to go outside…you won’t be able to see it. However, your bedroom may also suffer from light pollution. All of the electronic gizmos we have give off light. An alarm clock, DVD player, television, land phone and cell phone can generate enough light to interfere with sleep. Finding a way to lose the lights can help a great deal in ridding you of insomnia.
Sound: There are a lot of sounds in the night. We may no longer have the grandfather clocks that tick loudly and sound off the hour but that doesn’t mean the house is silent. Cars going by, someone playing music or other media loudly either in the house or nearby and just the settling of the house itself can cause problems.
If you can’t find a way to stop the noise from coming into your bedroom, you may want to talk to your doctor about ear plugs or white noise. Putting things in your ears on your own could result in hearing loss.
Exercise: There are two ways exercise can cause insomnia. The first not doing any at all. Exercise helps both in falling asleep and staying in deep sleep longer. The second is exercising too late in the day. Exercise stimulates the body and the brain…something you may not like if you’re trying to go to sleep.
Food: As with caffeine, some foods can lead to difficulty sleeping. Spicy food and those with a lot of sugar can be very problematic. The body has to cope with them and that doesn’t go well with sleep. Spices stimulate and sugar spikes blood sugar.
Lack of Routine: If something upsets bedtime rituals sleep is harder to come by. If you don’t have any little signs for your body to understand that bedtime is near it could encourage insomnia. Each of us is different, so you’ll have to set up what’s right for you. Some suggestions, check doors and windows, look in on kids or pets and personal hygiene routines work well.
If eliminating these problems still doesn’t promote a break in the insomnia, it may be time to talk to your doctor. There are medical conditions that can lead to sleep problems. A sleep study may be required, and medications or equipment prescribed to help deal with them.