How to fight insomnia

From newvision.co.ug

If you are suffering from insomnia, there are many steps you can take to change behaviours and lifestyle to help you get to sleep.

Wake up at the same time each day. It is tempting to sleep late on weekends, especially if you have had poor sleep during the week. However, if you suffer from insomnia you should get up at the same time every day in order to train your body to wake at a consistent time.

Eliminate alcohol and stimulants like nicotine and caffeine. The effects of caffeine can last for several hours, perhaps up to 24 hours, so the chances of it affecting sleep are significant. Caffeine may not only cause difficulty initiating sleep, but may also cause frequent awakenings. Alcohol may have a sedative effect for the first few hours following consumption, but it can then lead to frequent arousals and a non-restful night's sleep.

Limit naps. While napping seems like a proper way to catch up on missed sleep, it is not always so. It is important to establish and maintain a regular sleep pattern and train oneself to associate sleep with cues like darkness and a consistent bedtime. Napping can affect the quality of night-time sleep.

Exercise regularly. Regular exercise can improve sleep quality and duration. However, exercising immediately before bedtime can have a stimulant effect on the body and should be avoided

Limit activities in bed. The bed is for sleeping and having sex and that's it. If you suffer from insomnia, do not balance the chequebook, study, or make phone calls, for example, while in bed or even in the bedroom, and avoid watching television or listening to the radio. All these activities can increase alertness and make it difficult to fall asleep.

Do not eat or drink right before going to bed. Eating a late dinner or snacking before going to bed can activate the digestive system and keep you up

Get all your worrying over with before you go to bed. If you find you lay in bed thinking about tomorrow, consider setting aside a period of time -- perhaps after dinner -- to review the day and to make plans for the next day. The goal is to avoid doing these things while trying to fall asleep.

http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1438677/fight-insomnia

Why Brits Aren’t Getting Enough Sleep

By Kate Samuelson

A study of 13 countries has shown that those living in the United Kingdom are the most exhausted, with more than a third of Brits (37%) feeling that they do not get enough sleep.
Americans are the fourth worst sleepers on the list, following Ireland and Canada, with 31% feeling under-slept. France, Turkey, Indonesia, China and Spain are among the countries that are better slept, suggesting that insomnia is more common in the English-speaking nations.
The survey, which was conducted by insurance company Aviva, also revealed that only half (51%) of parents say they make sure their children sleep enough and that 44% of British adults feel too tired to exercise. Women are more affected by this than men, with 52% of females feeling they are too tired to exercise, compared to 35% of males.

But why are Brits in particular so under-slept compared to other nations?
Dr Neil Stanley, an independent freelance sleep expert for over 34 years, suggested it might be a cultural thing. “One reason why the U.K. has such a problem with sleep is because we’ve created a 24-hour society more than any country in Europe,” he explained.
“We have overnight television, supermarkets like Tesco are open all night and 10-15 years ago our government passed a law saying pubs could open for 24 hours a day. This is in stark contrast to Paris, which has been closing down music clubs in residential areas, Switzerland – where it’s hard to get a meal past 10pm and it’s forbidden to flush the toilet between midnight and 6am in some neighbourhoods, and places like Germany and Austria, where shops close early.”

According to Dr Stanley, having such a 24-hour society makes it harder for Brits to switch off at night. “We feel we should be functioning 24-hours a day, but we’re not a 24 hour country – it gets dark and cold here,” he said. He compared the English tendency to work long, late hours with the out-of-hours restrictions imposed by German firm Volkswagen, which prevents staff from sending emails from half an hour after the end of the working day.

“If you’re paid 40 hours a week you should work 40 hours a week, but we are always connected – even though last thing you should go before bed is work,” he said. “The essence of the problem is that Brits see sleep as disposable – as the thing to do after you’ve done everything else. There is so much evidence that poor sleep is bad for many aspects of physical, mental and emotional health; the world would be a nicer place if we had more sleep.”

Dr Stanley compared Britain’s 24-hour culture with U.S. cities including L.A. and New York, but added that “if you’re in the Midwest, by 9pm there’s no one in restaurants – they’ll have already had their meal and gone home.” He criticized the presidential candidates’ boasts about not needing much sleep – with Hillary Clinton saying she didn’t need any more naps, and Donald Trump claiming he only needs to sleep for three to four hours a day. “The mindset is that sleep is for wimps,” he said.
Sleep is like height, Dr Stanley explained, and it’s genetically determined. Anywhere between three and 11 hours can be considered normal – it’s all about getting the right amount for you, but you can’t train yourself to survive on less. “If at 11am you’re feeling wide awake then you’re getting enough sleep, but if you’re tired then you’re not,” he added. “It’s that simple.”

http://time.com/4548883/brits-not-sleeping-enough/

HEALTH MATTERS: Don’t let sleep disorders keep you up at night

By Dr David Cohn

  Do you have a hard time falling asleep? Do you often wake up in the middle of the night? Do you feel tired during the day?

   Good sleep is essential to good health. Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia, or restless legs syndrome can ruin a good night’s sleep and lead to a number of health problems.

   If you find yourself having difficulty falling asleep or sleeping through the night, or feel tired in the day despite getting an adequate amount of sleep, you may have asleep disorder.

   The Sleep Centre at University Medical Centre of Princeton, which is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, provides a full-range of services to diagnose and treat sleep disorders in adults and children.

   Your daily health and performance are linked to your quality of sleep.

   You might think of sleeping as “down time,” but the fact is your brain remains active during sleep, and passes through several sleep stages. Certain sleep stages help ensure you have energy and are alert the next day. Without passing through the sleep stages, your reaction times when awake can be slow. Your focus, memory, and decision-making skills can be compromised, too.

   A number of chronic diseases and conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity are linked to sleep disorders. Lack of adequate sleep can contribute to the onset of these diseases, and make them hard to treat.
In addition, lack of sleep can affect your mood. Of course, people tend to be irritable if they don’t get enough sleep, but continued lack of sleep can contribute to chronic depression or other mood disorders.

   The National Institute of Health (NIH) estimates that 40 million adults in the United State have a sleep disorder, most commonly insomnia, sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome.

   One of the most common sleep disorders is insomnia. When insomnia strikes, you may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. You might be up all night, or up too early in the morning.

   Sleep apnea is another common sleep disorder, affecting 12 million to 18 million U.S. adults, according to the NIH.

   Your breathing may stop while you sleep, or become very shallow. Sometimes you may not breathe for up to 60 seconds at a time, and breathing pauses may occur more than once every minute.

   The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive — your airways become blocked, obstructing your breathing. When the airways reopen, you may snort or make choking sounds.

   People with sleep apnea also tend to snore loudly. However, snoring in and of itself does not mean you have sleep apnea.

   Additionally, restless legs syndrome is a common disorder that causes you to want to move your legs. An achy or creeping feeling may be present. Restless leg syndrome can make falling asleep and staying asleep difficult.
Signs you may have a sleep disorder include:

   • Difficulty falling asleep, consistently taking 30 minutes or more

   • Repeatedly waking up in the night, with difficulty falling back asleep

   • Waking up too early

   • Sleepiness in the day, frequent naps or nodding off

   • Being told you make sounds when you sleep: loud snoring, snorting, gasping, or choking sounds

   • Waking with a feeling of breathlessness or heart racing

   • Being told you stop breathing for short periods while you sleep

   • Uncomfortable sensations in your legs at night that interfere with sleep

   • Leg twitches or other abnormal movements during sleep

   A sleep study is typically the first step in diagnosing a sleep disorder. Because most people aren’t aware of their breathing or movement when sleeping, conducting a sleep study can help identify problems.

   A polysomnography test can assess your brain waves, your blood oxygen level, your heart rate and breathing, as well as eye and leg movement. Your sleep stages are monitored and any disruptions are noted.
Polysomnography is a painless and noninvasive test, usually performed overnight at a sleep centre. The measurements help doctors diagnose sleep disorders. For example:

   • Brain wave measurements can show exactly when sound sleep is disrupted

   • Blood oxygen levels, heart rate and breathing rate can reveal sleep apnea

   • Leg twitches or other abnormal movements that disrupt sleep can be observed

   All of these disorders are treatable, with solutions ranging from changing your sleep habits, to medication, to a device known as a CPAP to improve breathing during sleep.

   For patients who are unable to spend the night at a sleep centre, home sleep studies are often available.

   Although sleep needs vary by person, research indicates that most adults need at least seven to eight hours of quality sleep each night. The NIH estimates that one-third of Americans get fewer than seven hours of sleep nightly.
For a good night’s sleep, try these tips:

   • Have a sleep schedule — go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time each morning

   • Make your sleep area dark and relaxing

   • Use your bed only for sleeping, not for reading or watching TV

   • Get rid of distractions in the bedroom, such as gadgets and electronic devices

   • Avoid large meals before bed

      Make time for relaxation before you go to sleep

   • Avoid naps after 3 p.m.

   • Avoid caffeine and nicotine throughout the day

   • Avoid alcohol before bed

   Good sleep is essential for your health and well being, and sleep disorders are treatable. With proper diagnosis and treatment, you can sleep soundly.

http://www.centraljersey.com/lifestyle/health-matters-don-t-let-sleep-disorders-keep-you-up/article_802c90d4-96f1-11e6-ab26-3393e41bc8de.html

Why Listening to Music Before Bed Can Beat Insomnia

By Victoria Williamson

In our hectic world, a good night’s sleep is worth its weight in gold when it comes to improving physical and mental well-being. Much more than a basic method of energy conservation, sleep is a state during which muscle and bone are generated and repaired, and memories and learning systems are updated. Sleep also allows the body and brain to clear out the toxic by-products of the day’s waking activity that might otherwise build up and cause harm. In short, good sleep is a cornerstone of human health.
Sadly, not all of us are blessed with the bounty of a good night’s slumber after a long and often tiring day. Around 30 per cent of adults experience chronic insomnia at some point in their life—where sleep is disrupted for more than a month. Estimates are even higher in older populations and those who experience regular stress.
Insomnia can be devastating, and has been linked to cognitive deficiencies—such as memory lapses, psychological problems including mood and anxiety disorders, and long-term health concerns including obesity and dementia. The most severe cases of chronic insomnia can even increase the risk of mortality.
The cost of insomnia goes well beyond just health. According to the National Sleep Foundation, insomniacs are two to four times more likely to have an accident—with over 72,000 traffic accidents a year in the U.S. alone linked to sleep deprivation. Insomnia also costs U.S. companies an estimated $150 billion in absenteeism and reduced productivity, every year.
Given our need for regular and deep sleep, it is no surprise then that people with insomnia often reach for the medicine cabinet. Pharmacies in the U.K. regularly dispense more than 15.3m prescriptions for sleep aids. But this is not the safest route to a good night’s slumber, as the use of over the counter and prescription sleep aids can lead to harmful side effects, dependency and withdrawal.

Music for sleep?

Research has shown that listening to “self-selected” music—music of your choice—can actually shorten stage two sleep cycles. This means people reach restful REM sleep – the restorative part of our sleep - more quickly.
In the study, students who listened to 45 minutes of music before bedtime for three weeks saw a cumulative positive effect on multiple measures of sleep efficiency with similar effects reported in older citizens in Singapore. Following all this evidence, the NHS now recommends "listening to soft music"” before bedtime as a method to prevent insomnia.
With all this in mind, our research unit, along with colleagues from the Sleep and Cognition Laboratory at the University of Lincoln and Goldsmiths, University of London, has embarked on a new music sleep project, to find out what people listen to when they are nodding off—and why people believe music helps their sleep.

The first phase of our music sleep survey has been completed by 651 people, who have told us a great deal about the music that helps them to sleep. We discovered the top rated composer of sleep music in our sample is Johann Sebastian Bach. He was followed by Ed Sheeran, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Brian Eno, and Coldplay.

Aside from those few top rated artists, there was an enormous variety of individual choices—with 14 different genres and 545 different artists named. And it is this data that will give us the basis to examine the features of effective sleep music. Using computer programs we will be able to pin down the consistent musical features that support sleep among these many diverse musical sounds.

Face the music

We also found out a lot about the reasons why people are turning to music in the first place. And they are varied. In our research, people highlighted the importance of music for blocking disruptive external (such as traffic) and internal (like tinnitus) sounds, for filling uncomfortable silences, and providing a sense of companionship and security.
This suggests that a one size fits all approach to music for sleep is unlikely to suit all insomniacs, because people are tuning into so many different types of music for so many different reasons. The next step for our research will be to expand our survey to cover as many populations and cultures as possible. We will then test the music that people report to be consistently effective at different stages of sleep using advanced sleep recording techniques.
Our aim is to develop personalized music selection technology, combined with advice on music sleep strategies, as a complete package for people who need to restore their sleep to normal for the sake of their health, quality of life and well-being.
Until then, the best advice we can offer when choosing music to put you to sleep is to trust your own musical choices over generic “sleep” playlists. You know best what you are looking for in a bedtime track—based on what you like and what you need from the music at the time. And in the near future we will be armed with the necessary evidence that will allow us to move from this “instinctive approach” to a more informed and optimized application of music as an effective aid in the battle against insomnia.

http://europe.newsweek.com/music-insomnia-sleep-better-sleep-sleeping-habits-health-wellbeing-scientific-511280?rm=eu

The One Thing That Helped Me Overcome My Lifelong Battle With Insomnia

by Leigh Weingus

Meditation pro Light Watkins’ new class A Meditation Expert’s 14-Day Guide to Creating a Daily Practice kicks off this week, so we’re taking a closer look at the transformative power of meditation and how it changes people’s lives for the better through personal stories. 

"I can't sleep."
I've uttered those three little words way too many times. As far back as I can remember, I was knocking on my parents' door at 3 a.m. to anxiously declare that I couldn't fall asleep. I was worried about monsters, I was anxious about school and my friends, and I was especially nervous about the minutes that marched on while sleep seemed to get further and further away.
As the years passed, the reasons for my sleeplessness started to change. Soon I was worrying about going to college, flunking finals, and eventually leaving my whole life behind in California to move to New York City. Once I got to New York, I was staying up until the early hours of the morning worrying about adult things like my job and money. Sometimes I seemed to be up for no reason at all, and the only thing I was worrying about—just like when I was a little kid—was the fact that morning kept getting closer, and I was nowhere near falling asleep.
I couldn't burst into my parents' room anymore, but I still wanted some acknowledgement that I couldn't sleep in those silent, lonely hours. I would roll over and, against the advice of sleep professionals, take out my phone to desperately fire off a few text messages to friends in hopes that they were awake and would respond to me.
Trust me, they never were.
I eventually had to face the fact that something had to change. I was anxious and massively exhausted. My days seemed to be controlled by how tired I was, but the second my head hit the pillow my mind would start racing with irrational worries.

So I decided to do some research.

Despite how alone I felt in my insomnia, the internet told me otherwise. In fact, according to the National Sleep Foundation, one in three people have at least "mild insomnia." I also found a ton of tips for getting better sleep—like avoiding blue light before bed (yep, that's exactly the kind of light our phones emit), cutting out caffeine, and getting out of bed when insomnia strikes—so I decided to give them a try.
Regardless of how perfect my sleep hygiene was every single night, my insomnia didn't get any better. And cutting out coffee didn't seem to do anything but make me miserable and grumpy.

Finally, I started poking around the meditation space.

I have notoriously resisted meditation, and that's probably because I have such an anxious mind. Why would I want to sit alone with my own thoughts? I even skipped savasana for the first few years of my yoga practice, which as a devoted yogi is a pretty embarrassing thing for me to admit.
But there was so much interesting research about meditation. According to various studies, meditation eases anxiety, increases happiness, and helps you sleep. Since nothing else was working, I decided to explore meditation as a possible cure for my insomnia. I went to classes, used apps, did traditional seated meditations, and even meditated while I was running.
While meditating regularly seemed to make me more productive at work and generally less anxious, the sleepless nights persisted.

Then, I had an "aha" moment.

One afternoon while reading Thich Nhat Hanh's How to Relax, I came across this passage:
When you're in bed and unable to sleep, the best thing to do is to go back to your breathing. Resting is almost as beneficial as sleeping, and you'll know you're doing the best that you can. Bring peace to your breathing and your body so you can rest.
For some people, getting out of bed and reading a book for a few hours while sipping warm milk is what makes them finally fall asleep. For me, it was these words. They provided me the much needed comfort that "resting is almost beneficial as sleeping," which somehow made the sleepless hours of the early morning seem less scary. More importantly, this passage reminded me that I don't have to be sitting up straight to meditate. I can just lie in bed and breathe.
Now, whenever, I can't fall asleep, I simply lie there and meditate. I focus on my breath. And more often than not, I drift off to dreamland within a few minutes.
Don't get me wrong, my insomnia isn't gone. There are still nights when I'm so focused on my anxious thoughts that no amount of breathing will do the trick. But these days, those nights are few and far between. And that's everything.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-27043/the-one-thing-that-helped-me-overcome-my-lifelong-battle-with-insomnia.html

Why a lack of sleep makes us depressed: Expert reveals what YOU can do about it

By Alice Gregory

Historically, insomnia has been thought of as secondary to other disorders such as depression. 

The idea was that you became depressed – and that your sleep got messed up as a consequence. 

This might involve difficulty falling asleep, excessive time awake at night or waking up earlier than hoped.

This may make sense to those who have experienced depression and found that thoughts of distressing events such as of a deceased loved one, or previous failures, keep them awake at night. 

The possibility that depression leads to insomnia is also consistent with research in which I have been involved.

We found that adults with insomnia were more likely than others to have experienced anxiety and depression earlier in life. 

HOW SLEEP AFFECTS YOU 

Over the past decade or so it has become increasingly clear that disturbed sleep often comes before an episode of depression, not afterwards, helping to do away with the notion that sleep problems are secondary to other disorders

This is not too hard to relate to either – just think about how you feel after you have slept poorly. 

Perhaps you feel tearful or snap at those around you. 

The literature seems to back up the idea that our ability to regulate our emotions is reduced after a bad night’s sleep. 

Insomnia has also been shown to predict depression defined according to diagnostic criteria.

WHY DOES POOR SLEEP LEAD TO DEPRESSION? 

To give just a few examples, let’s start by thinking about our behaviour. 

I, for one, am more likely to cancel an evening out with friends or an exercise class after a poor night’s sleep. 

This could be part of the problem, as such events are exactly those that may help to keep depressive symptoms at bay.

If we think about what happens to the brain when we miss sleep, there are clues as to why sleep and depression are linked. 

One study on this topic focused on an area of the brain called the amygdala. 

The amygdala - an almond-shaped structure located deep in the brain - is believed to play an important role in our emotions and anxiety levels

This is an almond-shaped structure located deep in the brain that is believed to play an important role in our emotions and anxiety levels.

It was found that participants who had been sleep deprived for approximately 35 hours showed a greater amygdala response when presented with emotionally negative pictures when compared to those who had not been sleep deprived. 

Interestingly, links with parts of the brain that regulate the amygdala seemed weaker, too – meaning that the participants were perhaps less able to control their emotions. 

Such findings could help to explain how poor sleep may actually cause difficulties such as depression.

INHERITED INSOMNIA

Over the years, my own work has taken a behavioural genetic perspective in an attempt to understand the links between poor sleep and depression. 

From my twin research and work led by others it seems that poor sleep and insomnia symptoms could be, to some extent, part of the same genetic cluster.

This means that if we inherit genes which make us susceptible to insomnia, we may also be vulnerable to depression. 

When trying to explain the link between sleep and depression, I’m also intrigued by recent work on the immune system and depression. 

Studies have found that those suffering from, or at risk of, depression may show high levels of inflammation in their bodies. 

Their immune systems appear to be in hyper-drive as if they’re fighting infection or healing from injury. 

When we disturb or restrict sleep we may also experience inflammation, so perhaps inflammation could also help to explain the link between sleep and depression.

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

It has been proposed for some time now that by improving sleep we can perhaps prevent or treat depression. 

Recently, data have started to emerge from studies suggesting that this may indeed be the case.

For example, researchers at the University of Oxford in collaboration with the psychological therapy provider Self Help Manchester evaluated whether an online treatment for insomnia reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

They advised people with these difficulties to take steps such as keeping a consistent wake time, getting out of bed when they can’t sleep, and challenging beliefs that a bad night’s sleep is incapacitating.

They found that both anxiety and depression symptoms were reduced after insomnia treatment. 

Other groups are currently looking at whether by improving our sleep we can reduce other types of psychiatric difficulties, too. 

But even before this work is complete, the take-home message from research to date is clear: we need to begin to prioritise our sleep.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3835951/Why-lack-sleep-makes-depressed-Expert-reveals-combat-sleeping-problems-prevent-blues.html

Struggling to sleep? Five tips for insomniacs

By Sarah Shearman

On World Mental Health Day, our panel of experts discuss techniques that can help poor sleepers catch some extra Zzzs and be productive at work.

Build your own bedtime routine

In the same way routines like bath, book and bedtime can help children get to sleep, night-time rituals can help adults nod off, too. Clinical psychologist Dr Courtney Bancroft suggests creating a “buffer zone” for bedtime. “Get your head and body in a space where the brain is signalling it’s OK to go to sleep and rest,” she says.
Dr Annemarie Luik, a researcher at the University of Oxford, specialising in solutions for insomnia, agrees that it helps to wind down at least an hour before bed, doing relaxing activities like reading, knitting or listening to music. Exercise and screens before bed should be avoided as they wake you up, she says.
While it may seem counterintuitive, insomniacs should try going to bed a bit later, says cognitive neuroscientist Dr Simon Durrant. “In the first part of the night you get most of your deepest sleep and once you’ve had sufficient deep sleep, you are much more likely to wake up,” he says.
Keep your room dark and cool, invest in a good-quality mattress and pillows and avoid eating and diuretic drinks such as coffee, tea and alcohol before bed. While a night cap might help you nod off it is “almost guaranteed to wake you up in the small hours,” he adds.

Don’t try to sleep on your worries

Worrying about failing to fall asleep makes it even harder to nod off. “Sleep is a natural biological process that can’t be controlled and battling against it could be likened to an endless game of tug of war, which only wakes you up more,” says Dr Guy Meadows, founder of the Sleep School.

There are various techniques for getting any worries, stresses and anxieties that hamper sleep under control. Bancroft tells his patients to write a worry log and schedule a time to deal with them. “We are much better equipped to problem solve during the day when our minds are at peak performance than in the middle of the night when our brains are sleepy. Reminding yourself of this can be extremely helpful and can put your mind at ease,” he says.
Luik recommends keeping a pen and notebook next to the bed to write down any worries. “Say to yourself you can deal with it tomorrow. One bonus of writing it down is that you can’t forget it anymore either, it is on your list,” she says.

Try mindfulness techniques

Simple mindfulness exercises, like focusing on breathing can help with insomnia, says Kat Dunn, a writer and editor at Mind. “Keep your focus on the present moment and relax ready to sleep again in the night,” she says.
Meadows agrees: “Noticing things objectively and without judgment in the present moment – like the touch of your duvet on your toes or the gentle movement of air in and out your nose – can actually promote sleep,” he says.
Rest is the best bridge to sleep, so meditation, which helps the body rest, is worth trying, says Charlie Morley, Hay House author and teacher of mindfulness meditation. He recommends the 4-7-8 Breath technique, which involves inhaling through the nose for the count of four, holding your breath for seven seconds and exhaling through the mouth for eight seconds.

Get out of bed

Contrary to popular belief, lying in bed is not always conducive to sleeping. “Most insomniacs aren’t resting. They are lying there in total torture or mental agitation,” says Morley. When this happens, “get out of bed and cool down your mind”, he suggests.
Luik recommends the 15-min rule. This involves getting out of bed if you have been awake for about 15 minutes and doing something relaxing in dimmed light in a different room. “Just guess the 15 minutes, don’t start looking at the clock,” she adds.
However, Meadows says staying in bed is fine if you practise a bit of mindfulness. “Giving yourself permission to be awake allows natural sleep to emerge.”

Seek professional help

“If you are experiencing severe sleep problems for a long time do seek treatment,” says Luik. Since the effects of medication are often temporary, cognitive behavioural therapy is the recommended treatment for insomnia. A GP may be able to recommend a local therapist, but there are limited numbers in the UK, she adds.
Professionals can also help with tackling the route causes of insomnia, says Dunn. “If worrying and anxiety is getting in the way of you living life as you’d like, you can always talk to your doctor about what support and treatment might be available,” she says.

https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2016/oct/10/struggling-to-sleep-five-tips-for-insomniacs

Time to bid farewell to insomnia: 5 ways to help you sleep easy

By Sanchita Sharma

Sleeplessness makes you tired, irritable, depressed and overweight, it also make you ill. Erratic sleep schedules because of work, travel or lifestyle can cause heart disease, insulin resistance that leads to diabetes, and frequent infections because of lowered immunity even if you are otherwise healthy.
If you struggle to nod off or get up frequently in the night for no apparent reason, here’s what you need to do to get the sleep that’s been eluding you.
No gadgets at bedtime
Smartphones, tablets, laptops, televisions and digital gadgets emit a blue-light wavelength that affects your body’s levels of melatonin, an essential hormone that kicks in the sleep cycle.
Melatonin, which controls your sleep-wake cycle, is regulated by light and is released when it gets dark to wind you down and prepare the body for rest. Light, including backlit screens, disrupts its release and keeps you alert. This will not only make it harder for you to nod off but also lower the quality of rest when you finally sleep.
Get some exercise
Regular exercise improves sleep quality as long as you don’t do adrenalin-pumping work-outs too close to bedtime. A post-workout burst of energy can keep you awake, so aim to finish vigorous exercises at least two hours before you head for bed.
Chronic sleeplessness adds to weight by making you eat more and choose foods that are higher in fat and sugar. Exercise also helps ward off junk food cravings triggered by short nights’ sleep and counters the effects of chronic lack of sleep, reported a recent study.
Go for comfort
Like Goldilocks, you will have a tough time sleeping in mattresses that are too soft or too hard, so get one that’s just right for you. Microscopic dust mites and other allergy triggers in bed linen, pillows, blankets, duvets and mattresses can make you sniffle and sneeze, which again affects sleep quality. Keep your bedroom free of dust, wash bed linen in warm water and air pillow and mattresses regularly.
Pillows that are too cushy or too flat can give you a stiff neck, so choose one that supports your neck in a neutral position. If you sleep on your side, you will breathe best when your nose is aligned with the centre of your body. Avoid sleeping on your stomach as it twists the neck.
Mild low back pain may not wake you but can disrupt deep, restorative sleep. Placing a pillow between the legs lowers stress on the low back. Those who sleep on their back can tuck a pillow under their knees to help ease the pain at night.

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Get a schedule
Adopt a sleep pattern. Go to sleep and wake up at about the same time every day, including on weekends, to set your brain and body on a regular sleep-wake cycle. Over time, it’ll help you fall asleep quickly, sleep soundly through the night and get up at the same time. Going out in natural light within a few minutes of getting up further helps regulate the body’s biological clock.
Start winding down about an hour before bedtime by reading a book, listen to music, or taking a shower. Avoid activity other than sleep and sex in the bedroom so that your brain associates the space with rest and relaxation. It’s best to not use the phone, laptop or watch television in the bedroom, so step out if you can’t avoid use.
Most people sleep best at room temperature between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius.
Eat right
Big dinners and rich meals late in the evening stress the digestive system and make it hard to get high-quality sleep. Try to have your as early as possible, at least three hours before you go to bed.
Dinner should be your lightest meal, so opt for vegetables, complex carbohydrates like lentils or dairy foods instead of oily curries and meats. Do not snack in bed.
Alcohol makes you sleepy, but keeps you up after the initial effects wear off. People who drink a lot at bedtime get up frequently through the night and have less restful sleep.
Nicotine is a stimulant, like caffeine, and keeps you from falling asleep.
Winding down and other bedtime rituals help most people fall asleep faster and get better quality sleep. However, if your insomnia persists for more than four weeks, it may well be a symptom of an underlying physical or mental disorder, such as depression, diabetes, acid reflux, asthma or arthritis, so it’s best to get medical opinion to rule out the cause.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/health-and-fitness/time-to-bid-farewell-to-insomnia-5-ways-to-help-you-sleep-easy/story-1tGRG9DzQzebIQSs5bChGK.html

5 Apps and Websites To Bust Your Insomnia

By Robyn Banks

Insomnia is a bitch. It plagued me during my time at university, and many of my friends too. Although I had always had problems sleeping, the long grind of the school day would often wear me out enough to see me getting a few good hours each night. Not so at university – days with only one or even no lectures stretched out endlessly, and with nobody phoning home if I didn’t turn up to lectures, gone was the motivating fear that got me out of bed each morning in the past. The prospect of managing my own time, which had seemed like heaven in my first term, had become a living hell. Bedtimes got later, and mornings became later, until I was essentially nocturnal- living whole months at a time in the miserable dark, unable to access any daytime facilities. Sound familiar?

The NHS mental health system may be in tatters, but if the doctor can’t help you like they couldn’t help me, here are a few tricks to bust your insomnia and get the good night’s sleep you need.

1. SLEEPYTI.ME

This very simple website is the first step to making sure you get enough sleep. It uses average human sleep cycles to suggest when you should get up if you go to bed at a certain time, and vice versa. It’s super quick, which was a big win for me when I blearily fell in to bed at some ridiculous hour and calculated through the fog that I would probably have to set some kind of alarm. Tap the ‘I’m going to sleep button’ and up comes a list of alarm times which should see you waking up during REM sleep, instead of that sinking sand of deep sleep which is so hard to pull yourself out of. With one simple site you can hugely reduce your chances of accidentally oversleeping. No more morning (or afternoon) tears!

Sleepyti.me

2. SLEEPBOT

This app, available for iPhone and Android, will track your sleep patterns overnight by recording audio and detecting your movement. The next morning you can see how long you slept, when you were in REM and when you were in deep sleep. It even comes with a handy ‘smart alarm’ which will wake you up when it detects enough sound and movement to conclude you’re in REM. Over time it will track the average amount of hours you sleep at night, and if you’re a sleep talker the audio recording feature can be a simple source of amusement. My favourite feature of this app, however, is the button you hit each night that says ‘going to sleep’. The background changes to a deep purple, and if you use your phone again after hitting the button the app will call you out on it. Something about saying goodnight to your tech in this way is innately soothing.
Sleepbot for iPhone
Sleepbot for Android

3. LEECHBLOCK

This browser add-on has been a favourite of students trying to complete papers for years. After a time of having insomnia, bed came to seem like a bad place to me. A place full of misery, stress and tossing and turning. Here to help me with my not-going-to-bed were sites like facebook, twitter and imgur, which could hook me in for long hours at a time. Leechblock will prevent you from accessing certain websites within certain time periods, and it helps beat procrastination whether you’re avoiding an assignment or avoiding bed time. If you know when you want to go to bed but have problems sticking to it, there’s nothing like being blocked from most of the internet to give you a kick
Leechblock

4. FLUX

We’re often told to put away our tech a good hour before we sleep, as the blue light from phones and computer screens can trigger a similar reaction in our brains as blaring sunlight and leave us wired all night. In today’s world, putting away our computers and picking up a dusty old hardback isn’t always that easy. Flux will automatically dim your computer screen and increase the warmer colour tones while reducing the blue tones between sunset and sunrise, combatting the insomnia-inducing blue light effect. It’s also much easier on the eyes in a room with a bedside lamp or other dim light. The colour change can seem unusual at first, but once you’re used to it it’s the return of the glaring blue when you turn it off that seems unusual and leave you thinking “how did I ever get to sleep after this?”
Flux

5. SLEEP WITH ME PODCAST

This is my favourite insomnia busting site of all time. It’s not to everyone’s taste- my best friend swears his voice is like nails on a chalk board to her- but it’s helped me infinitely. This podcast consists of bed time stories for adults, from really boring recaps of game of thrones episodes in which Scooter, the narrator, describes how nice Daenerys’ household vases are to the superdull series about a team of superheroes waiting patiently to save the world at some unspecified time in the future. The stories are funny, silly and exactly the right amount dull- interesting enough to take your attention away from your racing insomnia thoughts, but dull enough to soothe you in to sleep. Scooter’s gravelly, dulcet tones are inherently calming and his stories have no real plotline or end, meaning whenever you fall asleep you can be sure you won’t miss anything important. For years I have been the most incurable and miserable insomniac, but since discovering this podcast bed time has become an enjoyable part of my day. Even if you can’t fall asleep, the stress and panic is subdued by the enjoyment of listening to a silly story. Every night I get in to bed, put on a podcast and focus on my breathing. I rarely make it to the end of a story.
Sleep with me podcast

https://thenorwichradical.com/2016/10/06/5-apps-and-websites-to-bust-your-insomnia/