Trouble sleeping? THESE teas can help you sleep better

From timesnownews.com

There are several teas that can help you sleep better and these are obviously the ones that are non-caffeinated or are herbal teas. Consuming caffeinated teas can mess with your sleep and give your trouble sleeping. Here are a few teas that can help you sleep better

New Delhi: Sleeping can sometimes be difficult and sometime, you might have to resort to different ways to fall asleep, such as yoga or meditation or even a sleep schedule. Food is another way that can help you to sleep better. There are several foods and beverages that has been used since ancient days that helps you to sleep better and also helps to fight stress, insomnia or anxiety.

There are several teas that can help you sleep better and these are obviously the ones that are non-caffeinated or are herbal teas. Because consuming caffeinated teas can mess with your sleep and give your trouble sleeping. Here are a few teas that can help you sleep better.

1. Green tea: Known for its health benefits, this tea can help you to sleep better, however, make sure you choose the non-caffeinated one. Green tea can help rescue stress and fatigue. It can improve the quality of your sleep because of the presence of epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) in it.
2. Lavender tea: Lavender tea is known to help you relax and also promote sleep. The tea is also known to reduce stress and anxiety. When your stress reduces, you tend to sleep better.

Lavender tea.       Photo : iStock

3. Chamomile tea: Known for its sedative effects, this tea can help you sleep better. The faint smell of the tea can help to improve sleep quality and also promote relaxation.

4. Magnolia tea: This tea contains honokiol and magnolol, both of which are known to promote sleep. The tea is made from the barks, stems and buds of the plant. This tea can also help if you're suffering from insomnia.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

https://www.timesnownews.com/health/sleeping-disorders-insomnia-stress-anxiety-trouble-sleeping-try-these-teas-can-help-you-sleep-better-article-93078553

 

What Causes Insomnia During Pregnancy—And How Can You Manage It?

From forbes.com

It’s something pregnant people hear over and over again: The first couple of months after a baby is born are not the best for sleep. And that knowledge can make pregnancy insomnia, or disturbed sleep during pregnancy, feel particularly difficult.

If you’re dealing with pregnancy insomnia, you’re not alone. Most common during the third trimester, pregnancy insomnia affects around 64% of pregnant people.

If you’re having trouble sleeping during pregnancy, creating an action plan to manage it is one of the best ways to give yourself relief. Below, we’ve put together a guide to everything you need to know about pregnancy insomnia, from its causes and how long it lasts to how to treat it.

                                                                              Getty Creative

What Is Pregnancy Insomnia?

Whether you’re pregnant now or thinking about getting pregnant, you may be wondering how pregnancy insomnia is actually defined. The short answer is that pregnancy insomnia is very similar to regular insomnia—it’s just insomnia that happens when you’re pregnant.

“Pregnancy insomnia can include having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or getting quality sleep,” explains Shannon Clark, M.D., an OB-GYN and member of the Clinical Advisory Network at Lansinoh. “This can lead to daytime sleepiness, shorter periods of time sleeping altogether and poor sleep quality.”

What Causes Pregnancy Insomnia?

According to research done on insomnia during pregnancy, the condition is commonly caused by:

• Anxiety disorders
• Mood disorders
• Breathing-related sleep disorders (like sleep apnoea)
• Restless leg syndrome.
• GI symptoms (like reflux, indigestion)
• Urinary frequency

However, there typically isn’t just one cause of insomnia in pregnancy, Diana Kolettis, M.D., a maternal foetal medicine physician at Tufts Medical Center, confirms. “Pregnancy is a physically and mentally stressful time. Mental stress from a pregnancy complication, or simply the anticipation of a new member of the family, can lead to difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.”

Discomfort, particularly at the end of the pregnancy, can be a big factor too. “As the pregnancy enters the late second and third trimesters, the gravid uterus—or ‘baby bump’—makes finding a comfortable sleeping position very difficult, leading to frequent wake-ups,” says Dr. Kolettis.

Hormonal changes are also thought to be a contributing factor, according to Amy Roskin, M.D., an OB-GYN and chief medical officer at Seven Starling. While more research needs to be done on this topic, studies show that hormonal changes may be to blame for increased risk of restless leg syndrome, a big cause of insomnia in pregnancy.

How Long Does Pregnancy Insomnia Last?

The duration of pregnancy insomnia will vary from person to person, and the answer to this question has a lot to do with what’s actually causing the pregnancy insomnia in the first place.

“Someone in their third trimester, for example, might have sleep difficulties from symptoms like heartburn or pelvic/abdominal pressure from the increased size of the baby,” says Dr. Roskin. “This might be different from first trimester symptoms that might disrupt sleep.”

Additionally, according to Dr. Kolettis, pregnancy insomnia can actually last into the postpartum period. In fact, research shows that postpartum insomnia could affect around 33% of people.

How Do I Manage Pregnancy Insomnia?

There are a number of treatment options available for treating insomnia in pregnancy. While medication is one of them, doctors typically recommend trying behaviour modification methods first.

“Developing a night-time routine is very important,” says Dr. Kolettis. She suggests establishing a bedtime and out-of-bed time each day and sticking to it as much as possible. “Turn off all screens one to two hours before bed, and don’t scroll if you wake up in the middle of the night,” she adds. “Get an old-fashioned clock for your nightstand with a soft glow. Keep your bedroom dark and cool and avoid caffeine.”

There is also some research to support the idea that cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, can help with pregnancy-related insomnia, especially between 18 and 32 weeks.

If your insomnia is later in the pregnancy and related to discomfort, working on changing your sleeping position or location can help. “Many pillows can be helpful in propping up the back or knees, and some women opt to sleep in a recliner chair towards the last few weeks of the pregnancy,” says Dr. Kolettis.

Finally, while you should always talk to your doctor before taking any medication in pregnancy, it is an option. Benadryl is generally considered safe, and some of the most commonly prescribed medications for pregnant people struggling with insomnia are hypnotic benzodiazepine receptor agonists like zaleplon, zolpidem and eszopiclone.

Complications of Pregnancy Insomnia

While not common in otherwise healthy people, there can be some complications associated with pregnancy insomnia.

“It is important to talk about your symptoms with your doctor if you’re experiencing pregnancy insomnia,” says Dr. Kolettis. “Chronic insomnia could be a symptom of other medical conditions such as obstructive sleep apnoea and certain mood disorders like depression and bipolar disease. Moreover, restless sleep can also worsen these conditions, so your doctor will take your specific medical history into consideration when assessing your symptoms.”

Additionally, some research shows that if pregnant people sleep less than six hours a night in the last month of their pregnancy, they may be at risk for longer labour, c-section, preterm delivery and worse labour pain. While some poor sleep during pregnancy probably isn’t anything to worry about, it is important to weigh potential risks with your doctor so they can help you come up with an action plan.

Does Pregnancy Insomnia Hurt My Baby?

In the vast majority of cases, pregnancy insomnia will not cause any complications for the baby. “The foetal sleep cycle is not determined by maternal sleep cycles, thus the foetus will continue to get the rest that they need,” explains Dr. Kolettis.

However, a 2020 study did find that sleep deprivation during pregnancy can occasionally be associated with an increased risk of the baby developing obesity or having high blood pressure, and having a higher BMI as the they grow. It’s important to note that other factors, such as gestational diabetes, could also contribute to these issues, and pregnancy insomnia does not always result in a baby developing weight issues or high blood pressure.

Additional risks of pregnancy insomnia include preterm deliveries and c-section deliveries, as mentioned above.

When to Call the Doctor

You should always stay in touch with your doctor if you’re dealing with pregnancy insomnia. “Tell your doctor at your prenatal care visits that you’re having trouble sleeping,” suggests Dr. Kolettis. “You can prepare for your visit by keeping a sleep diary and bringing it to your appointment. Each morning, write the time you went to sleep and your quality of sleep the night before.”

Having this information can help your doctor assess your symptoms to determine the proper treatment plan, explains Dr. Kolettis. While insomnia in pregnancy usually isn’t something to worry about, it can lower a pregnant person’s quality of life and comes with risks, so it’s important to be open with your health care provider about it.

https://www.forbes.com/health/family/insomnia-during-pregnancy/ 

'I Have Chronic Insomnia—Here's Everything I Do When I Can't Sleep'

From parade.com

Writer Ramona Reed shares what works 

I've had chronic insomnia since I was a child. My earliest memories are of me laying in bed trying to fall asleep. I would make up stories, trace the patterns of my wallpaper with my fingers, or create shadow puppets of dinosaurs on the walls for hours before I was finally able to fall asleep. One of my biggest issues? After a whole day of feeling groggy, I finally felt awake at bedtime.

Mornings were a very frustrating time in my house growing up. I don’t know if I’ve ever woken up energized or excited. If left on my own, even as a very young kid, I could sleep until noon. But often, I wasn’t allowed to sleep in after 10 a.m.—so I would find odd places to nap throughout the day, little nooks and corners that felt safe.

I felt like I was in fight or flight mode in the mornings as a child. I remember having meltdowns because I was so confused. I would also feel physically sick and nauseated. I would get chills and feel like I was going into shock if I was abruptly woken up.

Unfortunately, none of these symptoms were ever looked into. From the outside, I just looked like a lazy kid who was bad in the mornings and lacked self-discipline since I chose to stay up too late every night—which of course was far from the truth.

Once I got to college and I was able to have a more flexible morning schedule, I felt a lot more rested. But I still struggled with nightmares, restless legs, ADHD procrastination and chronic pain.

As an adult, my insomnia comes in waves. I’ll have months of restful sleep, and then suddenly it’s back. It’s definitely tied to my stress and physical health. I notice when I’m under more stress, it’s harder to fall and stay asleep. 

When I’m having flare-ups from my chronic health conditions, pain usually keeps me awake. I'm autistic and I also have ADHD and dyspraxia, a neuro-developmental condition that affects gross motor control and spatial awareness. I didn't find any of that out until the year I turned 30, in 2020, and my insomnia journey is tied to that discovery.

When going through the various ADHD and autism traits, my therapist mentioned sleep disturbances. While I've always had a variety of sleep issues, I thought everyone had difficulty sleeping. I thought it took everyone an hour or more to fall asleep, and that waking up four times during the night was typical.

Knowledge is so valuable. Now that I have a name for these things, I can let go of the internalized message, and realize that it’s not anything that’s my fault. It’s just how my brain and body work.

When I can’t sleep, here are five things that I’ve found help most:

Supplements

I take a few different supplements. One I frequently take is Sleep & Recover by Nature Made, and it's the only one that's ever worked for me. It's a lower dose of melatonin with a blend of l-theanine and magnesium. 

When I have restless legs due to low dopamine, I take five drops of Anima Mundi's Happiness Tonic drops. It's a blend of Muncuna, Albizia bark, Rhodiola root, Ashwagandha root and St. Johns Wort that really helps me fall asleep. However, too much of it makes me energized and wide awake, and it took some trial and error, but now I can say it works really well for me.

A Weighted Blanket or Eye Mask

Having a weighted blanket really helps me. Being autistic, I have sensory issues. A big one I experience is with any vibration. I can acutely feel vibrations from any car outside, kitchen appliance, air conditioning, etc. So the weighted blanket helps that sensory issue from becoming overwhelming.

When I don’t have my weighted blanket, a weighted eye mask is also helpful. Just feeling that extra pressure helps me relax the muscles in my face.

Breathing and Mindfulness Techniques

I also have PTSD, and often when it’s dark and the distractions of the day are gone, my mind relives or tries to analyse events in my life that were traumatic. One way I help to stop this is six-four-six breathing. Breathe in for six counts, hold for four, exhale for six counts. Focusing on the repetition helps, as well as the physiological effects of slowing down your heart rate.

If that doesn’t work, I have two different techniques to stop ruminating.

I tell myself, “Now isn’t the time to worry about this.” I make a specific time the following day to sit down in a journal or talk to someone and work it through. Just knowing that I’ve got that specific time set aside helps with the rumination. I’m listening to myself and not pushing aside the fear I feel, I’m just being firm with my boundaries.

If that doesn’t work, I try to ground myself to stop the spiral. I list every silly nickname I’ve ever given my dog. Listing is a great technique that helps you focus on something else. I find the sillier the list the easier it is to lose interest in what you’re ruminating on.

Acceptance

Acceptance is a major thing. I don't let myself feel guilty for having a different sleep cycle. Growing up, I was shamed for needing extra sleep. Now, I know that it's not my fault. I'm not lazy—my brain just works differently, and that's okay.

I know that stressing over how little sleep I’m getting, or how long I’m laying in bed waiting to fall asleep, only makes my insomnia worse.

Sometimes, acceptance looks like leaving the bed if I'm just laying there not sleeping for hours. I just let myself be okay with being awake. I write or read for a while, maybe drink some tea until I start to feel sleepy again. I tell myself it’s perfectly fine if I need to take a nap or sleep in late during the day. It’s not a sign of failure or laziness—it’s just what my body needs.

I also set meetings for later in the day. If I have an alarm set for early morning, I spend the entire night waking up every hour to make sure I didn't sleep through it. Now, I schedule any important things mid to late afternoon so I know I won’t sleep through it. This obviously won't work for everyone—but if you're able to, I highly recommend it.

Finally, listen to your body. Do what's best for you. I'm such a big advocate of doing anything you possibly can to make your life more comfortable. Use your vacation days or weekends to rest, and take naps without guilt. Do something that creatively engages your mind like painting, making collages or putting together puzzles—something for your brain to have fun working out so you don’t focus on the stress that comes with insomnia. Spend time outdoors, collect cool rocks, sit on the ground and make a flower crown. Let your inner child feel some joy. All of that affects how well you sleep, too. 

Finally, listen to your body. Do what's best for you. I'm such a big advocate of doing anything you possibly can to make your life more comfortable. Use your vacation days or weekends to rest, and take naps without guilt. Do something that creatively engages your mind like painting, making collages or putting together puzzles—something for your brain to have fun working out so you don’t focus on the stress that comes with insomnia. Spend time outdoors, collect cool rocks, sit on the ground and make a flower crown. Let your inner child feel some joy. All of that affects how well you sleep, too. 

https://parade.com/health/chronic-insomnia-patient-journey

Can You Cure Insomnia Through Exercising Regularly?

From ndtv.com 

Here's everything you need to know about the benefits of exercising if you have insomnia. We also discuss exercises that reduce insomnia symptoms

Yoga has been proven helpful in reducing insomnia symptoms

Insomnia is one of the most commonly known sleeping disorders. This sleeping condition causes a severe lack of sleep. Someone who suffers from insomnia is unable to sleep properly. An insomniac (a person that suffers from insomnia) may have trouble falling asleep, trouble sleeping for long durations, might wake up sooner than they should, etc.

The severity of insomnia can influence the treatment being used. In many cases, an insomniac may be prescribed therapies and techniques that improve mental health and the sleeping cycle. Some insomniacs may require sleeping medication. Many studies have also shown improvement in insomnia symptoms through exercise.

Exercising regularly has various benefits for our bodies. Exercising has been proven an effective treatment for various other sleeping disorders as well. In this article, we identify if exercising can cure insomnia. We also discuss how can exercising cure insomnia. Further, we outline some simple exercises that can be incorporated into one's routine to improve insomnia symptoms.

Can exercising regularly cure insomnia?

Exercising may be a solution for insomnia. However, we must understand the other factors. Exercising may be helpful in curing insomnia if the severity is low. In some cases, exercising may cure severe insomnia. In addition to this, other factors can influence the improvement.

An unhealthy diet, lack of routine, excessive drinking, and various other lifestyle factors may subdue the positive effects of exercising. If you wish to incorporate exercise into your routine, you must also be mindful of other factors.

How does exercising improve insomnia symptoms?

Here's how exercising can improve symptoms of insomnia:

1. Boost happy hormones

Exercising helps improve the production of happy hormones in the body. The release of serotonin and dopamine can help relax the mind which promotes better sleep.

2. Improve digestion

Indigestion may be one of the reasons for lack of sleep or poor sleep. Indigestion may be caused due to unhealthy food or unhealthy eating habits.

3. Alters body temperature

When we exercise, our body temperature increases. As the evening progresses, the temperature starts to cool down. Our body's temperature also reduces when we are sleeping. This cooling of temperature may send signs of sleeping to the brain.

4. Improves mood disorder symptoms

Suffering from insomnia may even lead to other diseases. Insomnia may cause mood disorders such as depression, anxiety, etc. Exercising helps lower and cure mood disorders.

What are some exercises that improve insomnia symptoms?

Here are some easy exercise regimes that have been proven to cure insomnia:

1. Yoga

Yoga has been proven one of the best workout regimes to cure physical and well as mental ailments. Yoga helps cure insomnia and various other sleep disorders.

2. Breathing exercises

Breathing exercises also help reduce symptoms of insomnia. These exercises require no experience and can be performed by all ages. 

3. Walking

Walking is another easy yet effective solution to insomnia. Walking promotes better sleep by improving digestion and elevating mood.

4. Meditation

Meditation is one of the most effective exercises if you wish to cure insomnia. Meditation requires some practice. However, it provides long-term relief.

In conclusion, exercising may be a helpful tool in improving if not curing insomnia. Along with these exercises, you are encouraged to talk to a doctor to help you understand what might work best for your symptoms. Eat a healthy diet, avoid recreational substances and follow a routine to improve insomnia symptoms.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

https://www.ndtv.com/health/can-you-cure-insomnia-through-exercising-regularly-3149056

A Doctor Shared How He Was Able to Beat Insomnia for Good

From menshealth.com

Dr. Karan Raj explains the changes he made to his daily routine in order to get a decent night's sleep 

Surgeon and medical vlogger Dr. Karan Raj, whose videos on dealing with stress have blown up on TikTok, has just offered up advice which is sure to be equally useful for many people: how to overcome insomnia. In a new video on his Youtube channel, Raj shares his own experience of struggling with insomnia, and breaks down the tactics he used to finally be able to get a good night's sleep.

Firstly, in order to help combat the stress and tension that he encountered during his first year as a doctor, Raj practiced a series of deep breathing exercises to lower his heart rate and blood pressure before bed: inhaling through the nose for 4 seconds, holding his breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds.

Then, he had to tackle another obstacle: revenge bedtime procrastination. This is the decision to sacrifice sleep for leisure time because your daily schedule is so packed. "It's tempting after a long hard day at the office to just put up your feet and scroll through your phone until your eyes get heavy, or watch an episode of Stranger Things," says Raj, "but often one turns into two turns into 10, and TikTok rabbit holes can go on until the early hours and before you know it it's 1 a.m. and you have to get up in five hours."

Scientifically speaking, the light being emitted by your phone or TV screen at night may also be tricking your brain into thinking it's still daytime, and so Raj started scaling back his use of screens in the hours leading up to bed, exchanging them for "low-stimulation" activities like reading a book. Using the same principle, getting 5 to 10 minutes of direct daylight first thing in the morning can help to boost you and reset that body clock.

In terms of his diet, Raj recommends limiting your coffee intake after 2 p.m. as caffeine is, in his words, "literally an anti-sleep drug." He also tries to avoid late-night snacking and advises waiting at least 90 minutes between your last meal of the day and going to bed in order to avoid indigestion or acid reflux, which can disrupt your sleep.

https://www.menshealth.com/health/a40633702/insomnia-cure-doctor-explains-karan-raj/

What to Do When Insomnia Makes You Afraid of Sleep

From aarp.org

By 

Christina Ianzito, AARP

 

 

Is anxiety about sleeping keeping you awake at night? Here are 5 expert tips to reduce the stress

“I live in fear of going to bed,” says Jenny Verdery, 55. She’s not afraid of the usual suspects like nightmares, critters or prowlers. She’s afraid of what often won’t visit her at night: sleep.

For the past few years, Verdery has frequently awakened in the middle of the night after dozing for two or three hours. Then she can't fall back to sleep. 

“It’s been devastating,” says Verdery, a yoga teacher in Washington, D.C. “It’s definitely kept me from feeling good.”

Her doctor thinks it might be related to menopause, but that hasn’t been confirmed. Meditation hasn’t helped, nor have yoga and breathing exercises.

About a third of Americans suffer from at least periodic insomnia, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). In most cases, the sleep issues resolve on their own. But when insomnia lasts for a month or more, it’s considered a chronic condition that affects about 1 in 10 of us. For Verdery and others who sometimes struggle at night, the stress can create a sleep-disrupting cycle: Lying awake night after night creates anxiety about falling asleep, which exacerbates insomnia.

“This is something I see in almost all my patients with insomnia,” says Joshua Tal, a clinical sleep and health psychologist in New York City. Poor sleep is often a reaction to stress, he explains, and then the problem starts to spiral.

“If you have a couple of bad nights, then the first thing that happens is you start to worry, Will I sleep tonight? But if you’re worrying, then your body is going to keep you awake,” he says. “It’s thinking, Where’s the bear? But the bear is sleep itself. And so it becomes self-perpetuating.”

HOW AGE CAN TRIGGER SLEEP ANXIETY

Just the simple fact of aging itself can start the wheels of anxiety in motion. “As you get older, you get multiple awakenings throughout the night,” which can lead to the anxiety-insomnia spiral, says Raj Dasgupta, M.D., an AASM fellow and spokesperson.

Age-related reasons for sleep disruptions include menopausal hormone shifts associated with discomfort or restlessness; prostate issues for men that lead to more frequent trips to the bathroom; pain from chronic conditions, which can be more common in our later years; and certain medications that can cause sleep problems, such as high-blood-pressure meds (including beta-blockers) and antidepressants. Your health provider will also want to rule out apnoea, a condition in which breathing stops or is constricted briefly as you sleep.

Our circadian rhythms also shift as we get older, especially past age 60, when our bodies tend to want to go to bed and wake up earlier; those new bodily rhythms can conflict with our established lifestyles.

Another culprit: caffeine. It can take up to 10 hours to completely clear caffeine from your bloodstream, and half of what you drank in that coffee is often still circulating six hours after consumption, according to the Cleveland Clinic. And we metabolize food more slowly as we age, says Michael Breus, a sleep specialist and clinical psychologist based in Manhattan Beach, California. To make sure caffeine isn’t affecting your sleep, avoid caffeinated drinks after noon, Breus suggests.

Many of us turn to a glass of wine or beer in the evening for its sedative effect, but alcohol backfires, too, says Jennifer Mundt, assistant professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“While it may help you feel sleepy at first,” she notes, “it will result in poor-quality, disrupted sleep as the alcohol is metabolized.” According to the Sleep Foundation, two drinks for men or one drink for women can decrease sleep quality by 24 percent.

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INSOMNIA

The cornerstone treatment for sleep anxiety is cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), which addresses a patient’s habits and thought patterns. With the cognitive part of CBT-I, the therapist — one who specializes in sleep — explores your sleep-related anxieties. When clients tell Tal they’re afraid they’ll never sleep well again, for example, he challenges their assumptions and helps them reframe their fears.

“I ask clients, ‘Is it true that, after a bad night, you won’t sleep well the next night?’” Then he points out what science says: “You’re actually more likely to sleep well the next night. But it’s the anxiety that makes it worse.”

Elaine Harris has experienced this phenomenon. A retired French teacher in Chicago, Harris, 86, struggled with sleep for decades. She would often wake up in the middle of the night and grow increasingly anxious, thinking, How am I going to get through the day on four or five hours of sleep?

Last year, Harris started working with Mundt, who begins by asking her patients to keep a sleep log and to record sleeping times. Over a period of seven or eight months, she talked with Harris about her sleep-related anxieties and stressors, while gradually helping her develop a healthy sleep routine — the behavioural part of the CBT-I program.

It sounds counterintuitive, but sleep therapists often improve your sleep by restricting it. The object is to create so much sleep deprivation that you conk out and sleep through the night without awakening. Once you start sleeping for a solid block of time, say midnight to 6 a.m., the next step is to hit the sack earlier, in 15-minute increments, until you reach a schedule where you are tired enough to fall asleep — and stay asleep — but are not exhausted when you wake up, Breus says. (Forget about melatonin supplements: They don’t usually help with sleep anxiety, Tal says.)

One big thing you can do if you’re anxious about sleep is to simply stop trying. “If you can’t fall asleep within a ballpark of 15 to 20 minutes,” Dasgupta says, “then you should leave the bed and do things that are non-stimulating in dim light, and only come back to bed when you’re ready to sleep.” That helps to strengthen the cues that the bedroom is for sleeping.

Despite some setbacks, Harris now gets about seven hours of sleep a night. She goes to bed at the same time every night, and if she wakes up, she goes to another room to read. This allows her to “get away from the anxious thoughts” associated with her bedroom, she says. She’s also learned not to check the time when she gets up with her book, to avoid triggering her anxiety.

“It’s not always a great night’s sleep,” she notes, “but I’m not nervous about waking up anymore.”

DO-IT-YOURSELF WAYS TO ADDRESS SLEEP ANXIETY

When Elaine Harris underwent CBT-I, Medicare and a supplemental insurance plan covered her treatment. Medicare covers sleep therapy (it’s billed the same as any cognitive behaviour therapy), but there’s a catch: Many mental health providers don’t accept it. Private health care plans may cover CBT-I, but it can be tough to find a specialist in-network, and a high deductible can make going out of network too expensive. If insurance won’t cover CBT-I, try these strategies:

1. Get a guidebook. Two thorough options for CBT-I guidebooks include End the Insomnia Struggle: A Step-by-Step Guide to Help You Get to Sleep and Stay Asleep, by Colleen Ehrnstrom and Alisha L. Brosse, and The Insomnia Workbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Getting the Sleep You Need, by Stephanie Silberman.

2. Skip the sleeping pills. Sedatives such as benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium) and Z drugs (Ambien, Lunesta) are meant to be used short-term, Tal says. Benzodiazepines are addictive when used long-term, and improper use of sleeping meds has been associated with more frequent falls, confusion and other complications.

3. Try simple stress-busting tricks. Common steps for reducing sleep anxiety include moving your clock so you can’t check the time, and turning off TVs, computers, cellphones and other devices about 30 minutes before bedtime in order to reduce exposure to blue light (and prevent you from reading stressful headlines).

4. Add weight. In a study of 120 insomnia patients with major depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder, those who used a weighted blanket for four weeks reported significantly reduced insomnia. Pressure from the blanket may help lower your heart rate and slow your breathing; the weight also helps reduce tossing and turning.

5. Try online tools. Explore online guides like Path to Better Sleep: A free CBT-for-insomnia program developed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; or Go! To Sleep: A six-week course from the Cleveland Clinic that uses CBT principles to address anxiety and insomnia ($40).   

https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2022/insomnia-fears.html

Facing anxiety or insomnia? Sleep with your pet to avoid such problems

From news18.com

Having a pet can bring immense joy to the owner and family members. Millions of people across the world enjoy their companionship and often take their pets out for a walk, love to play with them and even talk to them. Many times people even sleep with their pets on their beds or couch. Although it may be done out of love, did you know that sleeping with your pet has a wide range of mental health benefits? Yes, you read it right!

1. Deeper sleep

Sharing your bed with your pet, according to various studies, helps you relax and boosts the flow of oxytocin, which can have a significant impact on how deeply you sleep. Sleeping with your dog promotes brainwaves and syncs your heartbeat, allowing you to enter the deepest stage of sleep, REM.

2. Reduces depression 

Researchers have suggested that spending even a few minutes each day with your pet increases the serotonin hormone which is a ‘feel-good’ depression-fighting hormone. A good connection with your pet increases the flow of the love chemical (oxytocin) as well.

Sleeping with your pet has a wide range of mental health benefits

3. It increases your sense of security

A study conducted by Taylor & Francis Online found that sleeping with a pet improves sleep quality for women. Having a dog or cat can give pet owners a sense of purpose and security, which can be beneficial in combating mental health issues.

4. It reduces stress

As per the Human Animal Bond Research Institute’s survey, 74% of pet owners claimed an improvement in their mental health because of pet contact. Furthermore, the report stated that the most stressed-out dog parents visit their doctors 21% less frequently than non-dog parents.

5. Recovers insomnia

It also reduces anxiety and stress and contributes to a healthier mood and sleeping environment. Dr Neha Dutt, a counselling psychologist also highlighted the points mentioned above. She says that pet owners are less likely to seek sleep medication.

https://www.news18.com/news/lifestyle/facing-anxiety-or-insomnia-sleep-with-your-pet-to-avoid-such-problems-5548159.html