Having sleep issues can ruin your day and your life if it persists. Sleep deprivation is no laughing matter and can result in a number of issues, including some severe health issues if it’s severe. There are a number of reasons you might not be able to sleep and there are a number of ways you can fix it. All of which will be explored in this article.
Sleep is important and I am sure that all of you understand that. You wouldn’t be reading this if you didn’t. Sleep makes up half of all time and makes sure that your brain and mind are ready for the following day. If you have a high-performance job, you need to make sure you’re revitalized and ready to use your head. If you’re sleep deprived, you could be in serious trouble and some people have lost their jobs over it.
If you’re having trouble falling asleep, you first need to stop stressing. That will only make things worse. Also, realize that this can be fixed and is not a permanent issue. If you’re generally concerned about it, go and see your GP. Nonetheless, this article will aim to help you fix your sleep issues, saving you a trip to the clinic. If you’re keen to help yourself, continue to read this article.
5 Ways to Help You Sleep
To start off, we will discuss the ways you can use to help you sleep at night. These have already been discussed in previous articles about sleep quality. They are also basic methods that have been backed up by science and general public thoughts. Don’t try and perform all of them as there are too many. However, you should aim to include a select few into your bedtime routine to make sure you get the best sleep possible.
If you’re suffering from insomnia or any other critical problem, you should consult your GP and see if they can suggest any other treatment. However, if you are consistent and keep to a schedule, you can help fight it with these simple tips.
1) No Screens before Bed
One of the most important things you need to do before bed is to move away from any blue light. The brain is like a clock and works with the day cycle. This is why you tend to wake up when the sun rises and begin to get sleepy as it gets darker. Your brain is conditioned to move into sleep mode depending on the level of lighting in your environment. This is why you need to move away from blue light as the evening approaches, as this can throw off the brain and trick it into thinking it’s still day.
Blue light is emitted from many things but as modern technology develops, it has been found that phones and laptops emit blue light and can ruin your sleep schedule. This is why you should cut out screens from your routine a few hours before bedtime, so your brain has time to adjust to the dimmer light. With consistency and a large delay in blue light, you will feel naturally tired and want to sleep.
2) Perform a Relaxation Technique
Meditation and relaxation techniques are incredibly important if you want to get to sleep. The entire body needs to feel relaxed when it goes to sleep and thinking too much is an issue many insomnia patients experience. I, myself, am a thinker (hence why I’m a writer) and this can keep me up at night. It is important in these situations to relax and calm the mind. This can be done with a range of techniques.
Meditation is the first that comes to mind but there are loads. You can try breathing techniques or even take a bath. In fact, the relaxation of temperature change is a proven method to fall sleep. So if you’re having trouble sleeping, you should try to take a warm bath 2 hours before you hit the sack.
3) If you’re to Struggling to Fall Asleep, Get Out of Bed
This might seem like a weird one and a little counterintuitive but it works. Many people will struggle to fall asleep and just lay there and stress about it. Instead of lying in bed and accepting your fate, get up and sort it out. If you feel you are not able to fall asleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed and move to a different location. If you stay in bed awake, this can start to condition the brain to associate wakefulness with your bed, which is a delay combination.
Try performing a relaxation technique or do something that is mentally easy. Something like reading or listening to music. These can help you forget about trying to sleep and can let you fall asleep naturally.
4) Get into a Routine
Getting into a sleep routine is a powerful way to sort out your sleeping troubles. You need to be able to set a specific sleep time as well as a specific wake time. Then, once you have set those, you need to stick to them no matter what. It is very important to train your body into know when it is time to sleep. In addition, waking up is just as important, so setting an alarm and waking up on the dot can be very helpful. This should also be followed over weekends and avoid hitting the snooze, as this can damage your sleep quality.
5) Exercise during the Day
Exercise is very important for our health, including sleep health. Exercising during the day is a great way to conquer your sleeping troubles and to keep yourself fit in the progress. Exercise can use up excess calories and spend the energy that you may have built up in the morning. When night time comes, you’ll feel more relaxed and ready for bed.
However, don’t try to exercise right before bed as this can prevent you from falling asleep. The dopamine and adrenaline will still be rushing around the body, preventing you from relaxing. Avoid exercise in the evening altogether.
Why Might You Be Struggling to Sleep?
So now that you know the methods to use to help yourself sleep, it can be helpful to know what might be causing your sleep struggles. There are a million reasons why you might have trouble sleeping and identifying a cause can lead to action and prevention. Below are a few common reason why you might be unable to sleep.
1) Overthinking
Thinking too much or overthinking is one of the largest causes of sleep deprivation. I have suffered from this before when I was back in college, worrying about my papers and exams. If you go to bed thinking of something you did in the day or of something you have to do the following day, your brain won’t let you rest. Your head is going to be spinning with ideas and you won’t be able to relax.
There are several techniques to stop yourself thinking. One that I used to do was write all my ideas or thoughts on to a piece of paper and then either leave it (if it’s a good idea) or bin it (if it’s a negative idea). This would usually clear my head and let me sleep. As a said, there are a range of other techniques you can use.
2) You Oversleep
This is very common with individuals with active or stressful lifestyles. Oversleeping because you had a late night is an excellent way to prevent yourself from sleeping the following day. If this continues you can start to fall into a backwards routine of falling asleep in the early morning and the waking up in the late afternoon. Not only do you feel more tired but you miss half the day, ruining your schedule.
This goes back to setting an appropriate routine and sticking to it. If you have fallen into this cycle of going to bed late and waking up early, you need to snap out of it.
3) You’re stressed out
This relates to overthinking but is related to stressing. Statistically, stress is the number one reason behind short-term sleep issues and can be amplified if you have a messy room. This is a common problem with student or with individuals who have professional jobs that require a lot of attention. If you’re stressing about something you need to take a moment and relax. Trying relaxation techniques at this point is a clever move and could help your mine rest, leading to you drifting off to sleep.
Conclusion
Millions of people around the world struggle with their sleep. It is one of the most important aspect of life and prevents you from having a bad day. Some people will have short-term sleep problems that can be fixed easily, whereas, some others might be more severe and will need professional help from a GP. With some of techniques above, you can begin to help yourself and learn to sleep better and longer. These are all basic techniques that have been mentioned in other articles and we urge you check those out as well.
Read more about Insomnia – Explanation, Causes, and Treatments.
