Fight insomnia: 10 solutions to sleep better
Fight insomnia It is no chimera. If you suffer from problems sleeping, it is very possible that this is a source of problems that is stealing time (the one that takes you to fall asleep) and health. Taking into account the value of these two elements, it is worth asking what can be done to remedy this situation.
How to fight against insomnia and start sleeping well?
Since we know that sleeping problems are quite widespread, today we have decided to address this problem. Here are some tips that may be useful.
1. Eat well
It is no use reaching the bed dragging a tiredness produced by a lack of calorie intake. One of the solutions for insomnia can be in the food: it is important to eat well, since a lack of calories below the minimum levels increase the levels of cortisol , the stress hormone.
In addition, it is worth eliminating or moderating a lot the consumption of coffee or other exciting drinks and doing the same with foods full of artificial sweeteners. Instead, it is advisable to consume foods rich in the amino acid tryptophan such as dairy, eggs or whole grains, as this helps produce serotonin, a powerful relaxant. For example, you can take a natural yogurt one hour before going to sleep. Foods with a moderately high carbohydrate index can also go well.
2. Get some moderate exercise
It is not easy to get rid of the rule of exercise: this point appears in virtually all listings to lead a healthy life. However, this type of recommendation has its reason for being: it has been proven how aerobic activity improves the quality and quantity of sleep.
That's why it's a good idea go for a run for one hour a week. Of course, try to do this at a time close to noon and never after eating, so that you do not join with digestion or with a time when you will take a little while to go to sleep.
3. To combat insomnia, stay away from the screens and the intense light
All of us follow some activation rhythms called Cardiac rhtyms . These rhythms are affected by the reception of light and, therefore, exposing yourself to light sources at times when you are supposed to be sleeping (or getting ready to sleep) creates sleep problems: the body believes it is daytime and we have many hours of activity ahead.
Since the use of electronic devices has become widespread, you have probably become accustomed to using computers, televisions or telephones minutes before going to bed. Bad idea: the light projected so directly on our body creates sleep problems by affecting the levels of melatonin , the hormone used to regulate our circadian rhythm. Interestingly, the frequency of blue light is what most affects us in this regard. The best you can do is try to use dim light during the last hours of the day and try to stay away from the screens.
4. Do yoga
There are some studies that suggest the usefulness of yoga when it comes to combating sleeping problems, even in cases of chronic insomnia, so it may be a good idea to follow a series ofrelaxation exercises to help combat stress levels.
You can consider this as an investment of a few minutes a day that will make you feel better and also help you save the time you take to fall asleep. Try to do these exercises in the last moments of the day to relax the muscles and adjust your hormone levels to the calm that will come right after.
5. In touch with the temperature
Make sure that the room you are going to sleep in is at adequate temperature . The tremors and the postures collected that causes the cold cause the muscles to remain tense, and this makes it difficult to sleep. Knowing how not to get cold feet: if necessary, use socks to fight insomnia at bay (although this does not sound too epic).
6. Do not worry too much trying to fall asleep
Once the time to sleep has come, forget about following instructions. The old trick of counting sheep jumping a fence does not seem to be very effective in dealing with insomnia, so do not complicate your life with it. At the same time, concentrating on not having stressful thoughts is very difficult, since it makes us have a busy mind and that, in a context in which we try to relax, can cause stress to be maintained. When you are in bed, you do not need to worry about the goal of getting to sleep, if you see that it does not help you.
7. ... or yes, worry a little
If you are one of those people who have to be thinking about something all the time, another possibility is to test your brain tired to convince you that the best thing you can do is going to sleep . At least, this is the conclusion reached by a study in which people with insomnia went to sleep earlier if they performed stressful mental operations trying to sleep.
8. Sleep without interruptions
Sleep eight hours, but eight hours in a row . The dream follows cycles that happen very slowly, and this process, which is what helps our body to recover and grow, is interrupted every time we wake up. It is not worth sleeping a little at night and napping very long.
9. Learn to differentiate between what works for you and what does not
Do not believe too much of the previous points. Every person is a world , and there are some tips to combat insomnia that may be more useful than others. Since you will be practicing every day, try to look at what helps you and what does not help you, experiment, and learn what is the logic by which your lack of sleep is guided.
10. Find out about the type of insomnia you have
These tips are generic, but the way to fight insomnia is different depending on whether it is chronic or not. In addition, there are many disorders associated with sleep that you might be confusing. If you have reached a point where these episodes are repeated a lot, it is worth looking for personalized attention in a professional.
