Financial worries? Insomnia Remedies
Insomnia Remedies
Many people are suffering serious sleeping troubles at the moment, with the financial turmoil causing people to be either unable to get to sleep at all, or waking up after just a couple of hours, and unable to get back to sleep. Try these at-home remedies, they may help you get the sleep you really need. Try to turn off your mind
Keep yourself from rehashing a stressful day of financial worries by focusing your thoughts on something peaceful and enjoyable. Also play some soft, soothing music as you drift off or some environmental noise, such as the sound of a waterfall, waves crashing on a beach, or the sound of rain in a jungle. The only rule: Be sure it's not intrusive or distracting.
The herbal approach Help for insomnia may be as close as the health food shop. Valerian.
This is the best-studied herbal sleep aid. Research shows that extracts of the root not only help you fall asleep faster but also improve sleep quality. Try taking this herb 30 to 45 minutes before bedtime. The typical dosage is one 150- to 300-milligram capsule standardized to 0.8 percent valeric acid.
Use this when the other methods described below just are not working.
Kava kava.
When insomnia results from stress and anxiety, this herb is particularly effective. Studies suggest that kava kava promotes sleep by acting upon the brain's emotion centers and by relaxing muscles. Taking one or two 400- to 500-milligram capsules an hour before bed should help you get the sleep you need.
Chamomile. A bright, daisy-like flower, chamomile has an age-old reputation for calming nerves and gently aiding sleep. Drinking one or two cups of tea before bed will help soothe you into sleep.
Melatonin
The "jet lag" remedy is also very effective for many people. One tablet before bed, and away they go!
Don't spend too long in bed
As you grow older, your body needs less sleep.
Experts agree that there is no "normal" amount of sleep for an adult. The average is 7 to 8 hours, but some people operate well on as few as 5 hours, while others need up to 10 hours. The key is to become what experts call an efficient sleeper. Go to bed only when you're sleepy, advises Edward Stepanski, Ph.D., a sleep specialist who was formerly the director of the Sleep Disorders Service and Research Center at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. If you can't fall asleep in 15 minutes or so, get up and do something pleasantly monotonous. Read a magazine article, not a book that may engross you. Knit, watch television, or do a puzzle. Don't play computer games that excite you or perform goal-oriented tasks such as the laundry or housework.Whatever you do do not not read the newspaper, or watch the TV news. When you feel drowsy, go back to bed. If you can't fall asleep, repeat the procedure until you can. But remember: Always wake up at the same time in the morning.
Say no to a nightcap Avoid alcohol at dinner and throughout the rest of the evening, suggests Dr. Stevenson. And don't fix a so-called nightcap to relax you before bed. Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, but it also disrupts sleep. In a few hours, usually during the middle of the night, its effects wear off, your body slides into withdrawal, and you'll wake up
Eat a light snack before bedtime Bread and fruit will do nicely an hour or two before you hit the hay, says Sonia Ancoli-Israel, Ph.D., a psychologist and a professor in the department of psychiatry and research director of the Sleep Center at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. So will a glass of warm milk. Avoid sugary snacks that can excite your system or heavy meals that can stress your body. Use common sense.
If you're older, don't drink a lot of fluids before bed, or bathroom duty might call in the middle of the night.
Learn and practice relaxation techniques The harder you try to sleep, the greater the chances you'll end up gnashing your teeth all night rather than stacking some Zzzs. That's why it's important to relax once you're in bed. "The one problem with insomnia is that people often concentrate too much on their sleep, and they press too hard," Dr. Stevenson says. "The key to successfully falling asleep is to reduce your focus and avoid working yourself into a frenzy." Biofeedback exercises, deep breathing, muscle stretches, or yoga may help. Special audiotapes can teach you how to progressively relax your muscles. Here are two techniques that many people have have found particularly successful:
Slow down your breathing and imagine the air moving slowly in and out of your body while you breathe from your diaphragm. Practice this during the day so that it's easy to do before you go to bed. Program yourself to turn off unpleasant thoughts as they creep into your mind. To do that, think about enjoyable experiences you've had. Reminisce about good times, fantasize, or play some mental games. Try counting sheep or counting backward from 1,000 by 7s. Sounds silly, but many people swear by this.
Some people use the same images each night to relax and fall asleep. It can be any happy memory,or peacefull images. Over and over repeat them. Not only should you fall asleep quickly, but you will be relaxed.
"Insomnia can often be caused by stress," says Dr. Stevenson. "You get into bed, and you're nervous and anxious, and the nervous system is aroused, and that impairs your ability to sleep. Soon, the bedroom becomes associated with sleeplessness, and that triggers a phobic response." You can change that by making the bedroom as comfortable a setting as possible. Redecorate with your favorite colors. Soundproof the room and hang dark curtains to keep out the light. Buy a comfortable bed. It doesn't matter whether it's a coiled-spring mattress, a waterbed, a vibrating bed, or a mat on the floor. If it feels good, use it. Wear loose-fitting sleep clothes. Make sure the bedroom's temperature is just right—not too hot, not too cold. Be sure there's no clock within view that can distract you throughout the night
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