Wide awake at 3 A.M.? Use these helpful strategies

There are few things as troublesome as not being able to get the amount of sleep you need. If you’re one of the people that has a habitually hard time falling or staying asleep, then it’s more than likely that you’re dealing with insomnia. Although one of the most common sleep disorders, it is no less bothersome and destructive. When it goes away for long enough, chronic sleeplessness will cause you to experience increasing levels of fatigue. You may feel more irritable, experience gastrointestinal upset, and have trouble concentrating at work or daily tasks. Coupled with the heightened likelihood for poor coordination, insomnia can make you more prone to accidents. Driving can be truly problematic, as you may struggle estimating distances and your responses may be slower than normal, making you a hazard for both yourself and anyone else on the road. Moreover, if you’re struggling with anxiety, panic or depression, insomnia typically exacerbates symptoms. You may even find that you’re becoming hyper-focused on sleeping and get worried and fearful as the night closes in.

If you’ve been struggling with getting proper sleep for a while and feel like you’re at your wits end about what to do to remedy the situation, here are some of the things you can try that are likely to help you get some much-needed shuteye.

Visualize to get bored

One of the best ways to get yourself to fall back to sleep is to help your mind tire itself out enough that it needs sleep. When you can’t snooze you’ll notice that all too familiar feeling of being filled with energy, only it feels exhausting rather than animating. This is because dealing with insomnia can leave you feeling tired but wired, in that you feel like you could fall asleep at any moment but you never actually do. Becoming bored is one of the easiest ways to make sure you fall asleep and stay so. However, if the popular counting sheep strategy is too impersonal and causes your mind to wander and reach worries and concerns that keep you up at night, the solution is to think about something that’s closer to home.

For example, you can try and think about a project you once had, or try and take a mental trip to another city. The key is to imagine everything in as much detail as possible. Think about every step of the process, from packing your luggage to walking out of your home, then taking a long drive. It may sound too convoluted to work but just give it a try. You’ll notice that it’ll help considerably.

Sleep hygiene

Often the problem with insomnia is related to things you do before bed that impact your ability to sleep well. For this reason, it’s important to take sleep hygiene into consideration. Bad habits can be the cause behind your sleeplessness and once you address them, you’ll be able to sleep like a baby. Some of the things you can be doing wrong are:

• Inconsistency: If you go to bed at wildly varying times each night, you may be setting yourself up for failure. It may be difficult in the beginning but when you’re struggling with insomnia you need to establish a routine and stick to it. And yes, that includes the weekends. Until you fall into a consistent sleep pattern, you can’t afford to take any chances less it disturbs the rhythm you’ve managed to create.
• The right gear: You need to make sure that your bed is comfortable and that your pillow isn’t causing your neck and shoulders to become sore. When you choose PineTales Pillows you’re certain to get a product that’s going to help you. Their cushions are appropriate for people struggling with chronic pain and those who have recently undergone surgery. This is due to their special property of helping promote muscle relaxation and reducing inflammation, helping promote peaceful, restful sleep. Their pillows are also appropriate for all sleeping positions, whether you’re a back, side or stomach sleeper, so you don’t have to strain yourself in a position that’s unnatural to you and would only cause further delay in your sleep.
• The atmosphere: You should make sure that the temperature in your room is adequate. When it’s too hot or, you’ll be tossing and turning all night. You should also make sure you avoid spending too much time on your phone or computer before setting off to bed. The blue light emanating from the screens can mess with your circadian rhythm and make it harder for you to get to sleep.

Manage anxiety

Insomnia can aggravate the symptoms of anxiety but anxiety is in turn one of the chief causes of sleeplessness. Have you ever experienced waking up in the dead of night with your mind and heart racing and try as you might you just can’t fall asleep because the intrusive thoughts won’t leave you be? Unfortunately, this is a fairly common manifestation of an anxiety disorder.

When insomnia is one of the symptoms of your anxiety, you may have to reverse its effects by adopting a different psychology from becoming bored, becoming happier. Take a few deep breaths and try to replace the unwanted thoughts with pleasant ones. If it doesn’t work from the first moment you try it, don’t give it. Panic is pesky and particularly annoying to get rid of once it’s settled in, but not impossible. You should try and focus on only one happy thought, and this can be a random occurrence, something nice you hope happens in your life or even a memory. Reminiscing about a place that made you happy, whether a library, a forest, a friend’s house or the like can help ease your mind and put your worries at rest.

It may not seem like a huge deal to an outsider, but insomnia can actually cause a lot of problems in the lives of sufferers. Even rare bouts of insomnia are going to have a negative impact on your general well-being and leave you struggling to perform your daily activities. But with a little bit of help it’s not impossible to overcome its effects and get the respite and relaxation you deserve.