5 Tips To Fight Chronic Insomnia

If you’ve experienced a night of sleeplessness, you’ve probably experienced a sort of indescribable madness. Sleep deprivation is the underlying cause of many health problems such as heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, the list goes on. Sleep is essential to our wellbeing and has a massive impact on the way we feel about ourselves and the world around us. If you struggle with insomnia, you’ve probably tried everything…meditation, reading boring books, listening to nature sounds. But maybe you’ve tried everything and you’re still awake through the entire night! Maybe you hear the people you live with begin their days while you’re still lying awake from the night before.

You might be panicking. We’re here for you. Here is what you can do:

1. Be Open About What’s Going On.

First things first: you need to be open about this to the people it will affect. Coworkers, relatives, children, partners, friends, you name it. It may be difficult to be this transparent and vulnerable, especially since insomnia is so normalized in our world and it seems as though “everyone has it.” But you need to take your health seriously, and your peers should want you to. Though insomnia is seen as common, it doesn’t change the fact that consequences of extreme and chronic insomnia can be detrimental.

2. Taking Your Insomnia Seriously.

Now that everyone knows what’s going on, schedule a doctor’s appointment. Again, you may face ridicule, invalidation or worse, the age-old “have you tried melatonin?” Respond accordingly and be sure to include as many details about your experience as possible. Your doctor may recommend things like better “sleep hygiene.” Take the advice they give and try natural tactics, like getting ready for bed an hour earlier than you usually do. Or cutting down on sugar and caffeine. Start meditating. Stress to your doctor that you would like them to refer you to a psychiatrist. (A psychiatrist will evaluate you and prescribe you something that may work immediately!) You also may find out that sleeplessness is caused by something deeper happening in your life, and a psychiatrist will help you navigate what those issues may be, and where you go from there.

3. The Power of Stretching.

This sounds so simple, but it works and is so, so good for you. Stretch in the morning and night. Floor stretches are best. One is laying on your stomach and placing your forearms on the ground beneath you, lifting your upper body up. You turn your head to each side, imagining that sand is falling from head to chin on each side. Hold your head turned to each side for about 15 seconds. Inserting stretching into your everyday routine will destress you, so this way, you’re killing two sleepless birds with one stone.

4. Eliminate Your Stressors.

If your main problem is stress, you need to take some things off your plate. At least while you figure out what is going on with your sleep. Laying there going over the endless number of tasks you must do, people you must see, and problems you have to solve, could be the root of this entire problem to begin with! Take a few things off your list, and find things that relax you… like, truly relax you.

5. Create A Space That You Want to Sleep in.

If your bed isn’t a place you want to be, how do you expect to want to curl up and sleep peacefully there? Not only should your bed be comfortable, so should the room your bed is in! Your room should be the closest thing to your oasis that you can get. And we get it, having your dream bedroom might not be possible right this second. But creating a space where you feel most comfortable is.

Sweet Dreams!

Love,

The Balancing Act