How to Beat Insomnia Naturally
Do you find it hard to fall asleep, have difficulties
staying asleep, or are unable to get back to sleep when you wake up in the
middle of the night? You could be experiencing insomnia – a common sleep disorder. Fortunately,
you don’t have to put up with the disorder anymore as there are ways you can
beat insomnia naturally.
Ways of beating insomnia naturally include having a
consistent bedtime and wake time, avoiding long daytime naps, and ensuring that
your dinner doesn’t interfere with your sleep. Also, avoid taking things that
can interfere with sleep, exercise regularly, create an environment that
promotes sleep, and invest in a good mattress.
In this article, I’ll explain the above points in detail.
Read on.
What Causes Insomnia?
As I mentioned earlier, insomnia is a common sleep
disorder that can affect people of all ages. Sometimes, you cannot pinpoint the
actual cause of your insomnia but it could include the following factors:
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Lifestyle factors such as the use of drugs or alcohol
- Underlying health issues such as hormonal problems, heart
conditions, or pain. - Sleep disorders such as sleepwalking, night terrors, or
snoring. - Poor sleeping environment
- Poor sleep routine
- Side effects of the medication you’re taking.
How Insomnia Affects You
Health experts recommend that you should have at least 7
to 8 hours of sleep daily – adequate sleep is important for your mental and
physical well-being. If you have insomnia, you cannot achieve the recommended
hours of sleep. Lack of enough sleep can affect you in the following ways:
- You’re not well-rested in the morning: If you don’t sleep
enough during the night, you wake up feeling tired because you didn’t have a
good night’s rest. - You feel moody and irritable: When you wake up feeling
tired, you tend to become moody and irritable. This can not only ruin your day
but other people’s day. - Insomnia can affect your productivity: Chances of feeling
sleepy during the day after a sleepless night are high. This can affect your
productivity as you are unable to focus on tasks or pay keen attention to
details. - Insomnia can cause health issues: Extended periods of
sleeplessness could lead to substance abuse or mental health issues such as
anxiety disorder or depression. - Insomnia can lead to premature aging: One of the leading
causes of premature
aging is insomnia. When
you don’t get enough sleep your skin’s ability to repair and rejuvenate itself
decreases. This could lead to sagging of the skin and an increase in wrinkles
and fine lines.
How to Beat Insomnia Naturally
At some point, you may experience acute (short-term)
insomnia that lasts for a few days or weeks. You could also experience chronic
(long-term) insomnia that lasts for over a month.
If you are experiencing any kind of insomnia, it’s best
to try and prevent it naturally before trying medication or other solutions.
Below are some things you can do to beat insomnia
naturally:
1. Have Consistent Bedtime and Wake Time to Beat Insomnia
One way you can beat insomnia naturally is by sticking to
a sleep schedule. This means that you make a deliberate effort to go to sleep
at a certain time and wake up at a certain time throughout the week; even
during weekends. For instance, you can decide to sleep at 10.00 pm and wake up
at 6.00 am daily without fail.
Once you stick to a sleep schedule, your body’s internal
clock gradually adjusts to the timing of your bedtime and wake time. You are
thus able to fall asleep more easily when your bedtime comes.
2. Avoid Long Daytime Naps
Another way of beating insomnia naturally is by avoiding
long daytime naps. If you take long naps during the day, it can interfere with
your sleep at night. For instance, if you take a 2-hour nap during the day, you
might not be sleepy by the time bedtime comes, leading to partial
sleeplessness.
If you must take a daytime nap, it’s best to limit it to
no more than half an hour.
3. Ensure That Your Dinner Doesn’t Interfere With Your Sleep
What you eat for dinner, how much you eat, and the time
you eat dinner can interfere with your sleep, leading to insomnia.
So, it’s best to ensure that your dinner doesn’t
interfere with your sleep. Here are some things you can do to ensure that your
dinner doesn’t interfere with your sleep:
- Avoid eating heavy meals close to your bedtime: Suppose
you eat a heavy meal close to your bedtime. In that case, you may feel too full
to fall asleep. It’s, therefore, best to avoid eating heavily close to your
bedtime. - Avoid eating spicy foods before bedtime: If you eat spicy
food before your bedtime, the food can cause indigestion and discomfort that
can prevent you from falling asleep. - Have early dinner daily: The best time to have dinner is
at least two or three hours before you go to bed. This gives your body enough
time to digest the food before you sleep, thus preventing sleeplessness.
4. Avoid
Taking Things That Can Interfere With Sleep
Some things interfere with sleep leading to insomnia. If
you want to beat insomnia naturally, it’s best to avoid taking such things.
Some of the things that can interfere with your ability to fall asleep include:
- Nicotine: If you are a smoker, it’s good to know that the
nicotine in cigarettes is a stimulant, and can therefore cause you sleeplessness.
Interestingly, after smoking, the nicotine can remain in your body for eight
hours or more, increasing your chances of insomnia. - Caffeine: If you love coffee, it’s best to avoid taking
coffee at night. The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant and can remain in your
body for eight hours or more. So, if you have to take coffee, take it earlier
in the day so that it doesn’t interfere with your sleep at night. - Alcohol: Taking a nightcap before you sleep can interfere
with your sleep. Alcohol has sedative and stimulant effects that can
make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. If you must take alcohol,
limit it to one serving and take it at least four hours before you go to bed.
5. Exercise Regularly to Beat Insomnia Naturally
If you are experiencing insomnia, one of the best ways of
beating it naturally is to start exercising regularly. According to experts,
you can improve your sleep duration and sleep quality within four weeks of
regular exercise. It’s good to note that regular exercise doesn’t beat insomnia
immediately – you have to keep at it.
For best results, finish your exercise at least three
hours before your bedtime. The reason is that if you exercise just before going
to bed, the exercise can act as a stimulant, leading to sleeplessness.
One of the best exercises that help to gradually beat
insomnia naturally is aerobics. The reason is that doing aerobics regularly can
improve your mood, vitality, and quality and quantity of sleep.
6. Create an Environment that Promotes Sleep
If your sleeping environment doesn’t promote sleep, the
likelihood of experiencing sleeplessness increases. Here are some ways you can
create an environment that promotes sleep:
- Ensure the bedroom is quiet: Noises of barking dogs,
passing traffic, or dripping water, can cause sleeplessness. If your
environment is noisy, you can try wearing earplugs to cut out the noise and
improve your quality of sleep. - Ensure the bedroom is dark: Your body releases a
sleep-promoting hormone (melatonin) at night. If your bedroom has too much
light, your body delays the release of melatonin, leading to sleeplessness. So,
if you are experiencing insomnia, ensure your bedroom is dark so that there is
no delay in the release of this hormone.
7. Create a Sleep-promoting Bedtime Ritual
If you suffer from insomnia, you can beat it naturally by
also creating a sleep-promoting bedtime ritual. Such a ritual/s relaxes your
body and promotes sleep. Some of the sleep-promoting bedtime rituals you can
create include:
- Taking a relaxing, warm bath
- Reading an interesting book
- Listening to soft/soothing music.
- Meditation
8. Reserve the Bed Only For Sleep
It’s tempting to study, work, use the phone, or watch
movies in bed. However, doing such things in bed can lead to insomnia as they
keep your brain alert – the brain doesn’t, therefore, pair the bed and sleep.
So, reserve the bed only for sleep by doing the following things:
- Keep your phone away: It’s best to keep away all your
digital devices at least an hour before your bedtime. Doing so enables your
brain to produce melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone. - Don’t work from bed: As I have stated, the bedroom is for
sleeping only. So, if you have some unfinished work, don’t carry it to bed.
Finish it in another room and go to bed when you are through.
9. Invest in a Good Mattress
Did you know that an uncomfortable mattress can cause
insomnia? Now you know. You see, an uncomfortable mattress can give you pains
and aches that make you wake up at the night. Waking up at night could lead to
insomnia.
It’s therefore good to invest in a good mattress and
bedding that make your bed comfortable for a good night’s sleep.
Experts recommend that you buy a new mattress after 7 to
10 years. There are numerous mattresses to choose from. Just ensure that
whatever mattress you go for is comfortable so that it doesn’t give you
insomnia.
Final Thoughts
The importance of a good night’s sleep can’t be
overemphasized – it improves your brain’s performance, health, mood, and
quality of life. If you experience insomnia, you can beat it naturally using
some of the things I’ve outlined above.
If you can’t beat insomnia naturally, it’s best to
consult a medical practitioner to know if the insomnia is from underlying
issues.
