It seems like sleep should come naturally.
But when it doesn’t, you might quickly find yourself pleading, “Help me sleep!”
It can be a frustrating, unnerving experience to have insomnia, characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep.
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You might lie awake for hours in bed at night.
What are the reasons why you’re able to’t sleep?
Are there tried-and-true ways to help you to sleep better tonight?
Let’s explore these issues and discover the help you oughta sleep.
How to Get a Better Night of Sleep
What Is Wrong With My Sleep?
But is this a reasonable standard?
As we mature, our bodies change and our sleep seems to likewise deviate from the ideals of childhood.
Life, in a sense, gets complicated.
As a result, we may not enjoy the sleep we knew in our youth.
Indeed, even the timing of our sleep may shift.
Some of our expectations regarding our sleep might be slightly misguided.
In fact, people who fall asleep in less than five minutes may be “pathologically sleepy.”
This means that they are so sleepy that they fall asleep quicker than might be normal.
Some sleep researchers believe that it might be normal to be awake some during the night.
When people sleep in a group in close quarters, there is more time spent awake during the night.
This makes sleep a more fluid concept.
Time may be spent chatting, eating a snack or engaging others around you.
It actually may benormal to wake upat night.
If there are no consequences in daytime function, however, this may not be the case.
Many people get back to sleep easily and are unaffected.
The problem begins when our poor sleep compromises our lives.
Your desire to sleep will be greatly diminished if you are trying to sleep at the wrong time.
Imagine lying down three hours before your normal bedtime.
The chance of you being able to fall right to sleep is pretty slim.
This has to do with thecircadian rhythmof our bodies.
A very common cause of difficulty sleeping relates to stress and the intrusion of stimulating substances and activities.
You may have trouble falling asleep the night before a big test or presentation.
This is calledacute insomnia.
It usually passes when these stressors resolve.Similarly, stimulants such as caffeine and evennicotinecan disrupt your sleep.
Additionally, late-night aerobic exercise might rev you up and provoke insomnia.
For those who have chronic insomnia, the bedroom space may become a trigger for insomnia through conditioning.
Thesleep environmentis meant to be comfortable and facilitate sleep.
It should becool, quiet, and free of distractions.
Ideally, you would not allow a television or pets in your bedroom.
Bed partners may be disruptive and some people choose to maintain separate sleep spaces for this reason.
Another common cause of difficulty falling asleep is the activities that precede your bedtime.
If you have mastered these changes, you may be compelled to look at other options.
For those who have difficulty with insomnia, there are a handful of options to help you sleep.
One treatment option issleep restriction.
It can also be useful to observe a behavioral change called stimulus control.
Stimulus control helps break the association between your bedroom and not being able to sleep.
There are other non-medication options that might be helpful.
Some people find benefit with the use ofaromatherapy, although research studies may not support its use.
This can be incorporated into your bedtime rituals and make it easier to relax and transition into sleep.
Finally, you may find yourself turning to over-the-counter medications to help your sleep.
One of the most common is a naturally occurring hormone calledmelatonin.
It is sold in many pharmacies and herbal supplement stores.
It can be highly effective if you have insomnia related to a poorly timed circadian rhythm.
There arediagnostic teststhat can be helpful for assessing your sleep problems, with special tests for insomnia.
The other benefit of speaking with a healthcare professional is that you could discuss the use ofsleeping pills.
There are two major classes of prescription medications that can help you sleep:benzodiazepinesand nonbenzodiazepines.
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