Going back to sleep… Again!
Health Fitness

Going back to sleep… Again!

It’s 2:00 am in the morning and you’re awake wondering if you’ll ever sleep again! You lie in bed, staring aimlessly at the ceiling. You close your eyes. Any. You can not sleep. You roll over, hit the pillow, and take a deep breath. You close your eyes again. Any; now what?

If this scenario seems to fit into your nightly routine, you need these tips. First, get up! Get up, get out and move.

Of course, this sounds like you’d be doing the opposite of what you’re really trying to accomplish, but really, it’s getting your mind moving. If you put your mind back into gear, it is as if you are awake again. Once you’re awake, your mind will start to slow down until eventually you feel tired again and can fall asleep…again.

When you wake up, it’s also important that you don’t turn on bright lights or do anything that requires too much brain power (school or work related stuff). Instead, turn on a dim lamp and read a book without incident (one you’ve previously read or even a manual).

Don’t turn on the television either. It could overstimulate your brain and wake you up too much. Try turning on the radio instead. Definitely don’t go into the computer… the blue light from the screen can definitely perk up your brain and there goes another sleepy night.

Other tips for insomnia are to practice meditation or visualization. Imagine something repetitive, like sheep jumping over a fence over and over again. This prevents your brain from wandering and you will eventually go back to sleep.

If that doesn’t work, another tip for insomnia is to have a light snack. Sometimes if you are hungry, your stomach will keep waking you up until you give in to its desire to eat. Are there foods that can help reduce insomnia?

Yes!

It will help if you eat something that contains the natural reactant serotonin; such as milk, fruit, crackers, turkey, peanuts, or other types of nuts. It is much easier to fall asleep with something in your stomach.

If that still doesn’t work, try going to bed later. There is nothing worse than forcing yourself to be tired, when you clearly are not. So go ahead and stay up a little later, but do something to “wind down” like yoga or light reading.

If none of these suggestions for getting back to sleep work, then your last hope would be to adjust the temperature in your bedroom. If your body is too hot, you’ll wake up to take the covers off or something, but at the same time, if it’s too cold, you might wake up shivering; enough to keep you awake for many hours. So go get a blanket, turn on a fan, or readjust your thermostat.

Take a deep breath. Relax.

Going back to sleep doesn’t have to be difficult; It’s as easy as closing your eyes.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *