Tips on how to deal with insomnia

Difficulty sleeping or also called insomnia, usually attacks many people with rest at night. People who have difficulty falling asleep usually have difficulty closing their eyes until morning, often wake up or cannot sleep before falling asleep.

Insomnia is a condition when a person is constantly struggling or cannot sleep at the right time, even if they have the opportunity and enough time to rest. The first step in treating insomnia or difficulty is determining the reasons for this situation.

Understand the causes and how to overcome them

Some causes of insomnia include psychological problems, stress and anxiety. In addition, insomnia can be caused by medical problems such as asthma, depression, joint pain or taking certain medications.

Here are tips for overcoming insomnia.

Relaxation

Before going to sleep, you should relax tense muscles. You can try yoga or muscle relaxation movements such as pilates, which provide a feeling of comfort and calm, facilitating sleep.

When you can't sleep, instead of turning your body over and over, which is more stressful, try to get up to do anything that can relax you. Identify and perform rituals before bed that make you calmer, like reading a book, taking a hot shower, and listening to light rhythmic music. Appropriate relaxation techniques for insomnia caused by anxiety, stress and depression.

Positive thinking

Continuing positive thinking can help you manage problems better which can sometimes cause insomnia. Positive thinking is a part of cognitive-behavioral therapy in psychotherapy. Positive thinking can help find a way out of insomnia.

Choose the type of food and drinks carefully.

It is best to avoid alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea, and non-alcoholic drinks which generally contain caffeine in the afternoon. All of these drinks can prevent you from sleeping at night. Milk or hot drinks can be a calming choice.

In addition, also avoid smoking before going to bed. Nicotine content can prevent you from sleeping. You should also not eat complex carbohydrate foods before bed. This food group will overload the digestive system, making rest difficult for the body.

Anticipate changes in travel and work hours

Traveling to another part of the world with a very different time difference forces the body to adjust its sleep time for a long time. Changes in work schedules, such as night work, also increase the risk of insomnia.

Rearrange your schedule. It's best to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Avoid napping, because this can prevent you from sleeping at night. It is wrong to assume that you can replace lost sleep hours by sleeping longer on weekends. This will further disrupt your biological clock.

Create a comfortable room.

Make sure your bedroom is only used for sleeping and having sex. Place desks, computers, and TVs outside the room. Set a comfortable room temperature, not too cold or too hot. One hour before going to bed, you can start reducing the light in the room.

Avoid placing the clock on the side of the bed. Looking back at the clock and realizing how many hours you have tried to sleep will add to the frustration.

You who are pregnant or have back pain can sleep in a lateral position while putting a pillow between your legs or under your knees. Choose a pillow that is not too high, so as not to cause a stiff neck when you wake up.

Change lifestyle

In addition to sleep habits, lifestyle changes can be made with a healthier and more regular diet. Giving enough time to exercise at least 2-3 times a week can also be a good way to improve sleep quality. Also make sure to actively move every day and reduce bad habits such as smoking.

Do not take sleeping pills unless needed

Medications to treat insomnia should only be used occasionally. Remember that sleeping pills are a temporary solution because they do not resolve the root cause of insomnia. In the long run, the continuous use of sleeping pills can make the body dependent and cause various side effects.