8 Easy Strategies to Combat Insomn

Although there can be many reasons for insomnia, ranging from anxiety to medical disorders, many of us experience difficulty sleeping at some point.  An all-too-common solution is to turn to prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids.  Of course, the problem with this strategy is dependency – your insomnia can worsen when you stop taking the drug.  Moreover, many of the more powerful prescription sleep aids come with side effects, such as a morning drug “hangover.”  Here are some simple behavioral and cognitive techniques that you can try when you can’t sleep.


Behavioral Strategies:


1. Get Into a Routine. 

Sleep experts argue that when it comes to sleep, try to stick to a routine – going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.  If you lay in bed awake for an hour before going to sleep, consider going to bed an hour later.  Also, if you had a bad night’s sleep, don’t try to play “catch up” by sleeping ten hours the next evening.  Stick to the routine.


2. Cut the 

Caffeine.  This is obvious, but don’t drink caffeine or alcohol before bedtime.  Years ago I realized that caffeinated drinks after 3pm kept me awake, so I cut them out.  Also, it’s not a good idea to eat before going to bed.


3. Get Up. 

  If you can’t sleep, rather than laying in bed ruminating, get up and read or listen to soothing music.  TV and Internet is probably not a good idea, as it tends to stimulate more than relax.


4. Healthy Eating and Exercise. 

Regular exercise and a healthy diet will make it easier for you to fall asleep.  Too much sugary food or salty snacks can throw off your metabolism and make sleep more difficult.



Cognitive Strategies


5. Stop the Voices. 

All too often, difficulty sleeping is due to overactive cognitive processes – worrying about work or about one’s health, or being obsessed with the fact that you are having trouble sleeping.  It’s ironic that thinking about insomnia can cause insomnia.  Try to “turn off” or ignore those worrying voices in your head.  Realize that your active mind is a big part of the problem, and that you need to calm down your cognitive processes in order to sleep.


6. Consider Segmented Sleep.

 Recent research has called into question our belief that 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is the norm.  Historians and sleep experts noticed that in centuries past it was common to sleep in segments – sleeping for 3 or 4 hours, rising and engaging in some tasks for about 2 hours, and returning to sleep for another 3 hours or so.  In fact, our ancestors used to wake in the middle of the night, pray, talk, have sex, or even visit the neighbors before returning to their “second sleep” of the night.  Just realizing that 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is not the norm may put your mind at ease if you awake in the middle of the night.  Get out of bed and try reading or writing letters for an hour or two and return to bed.  Read more about segmented sleep here.


7. Meditation and Relaxation. 

Sleep experts suggest that deep breathing, meditation, or other relaxation techniques can help to calm down your metabolism and make it easier to sleep.  Focus on your breathing.  Take a meditation class.


8. Talk It Over. 

 Finally, sharing your insomnia with partner, family, and friends can help you.  Talk over your worries and concerns.  A supportive person may help put your mind at ease.  You might also realize that you aren’t the only one with sleep problems, and that you are in good company.  Maybe you can work on a sleep strategy with a partner.

The key is to realize that much of our trouble sleeping is of our own making and inside our heads.  Make an effort to use these cognitive and behavioral strategies to overcome your insomnia.