subject: How I Have Dealt With Insomnia And What You Can Do Today [print this page] I have been suffering with a sleep disorder for over 4 years now. In the beginning, it seemed very serious to me. I now have my condition more under control that I did before. I didn't think I would get any relief. I am probably now guilty of taking a good night's sleep for granted, but I do have memories of how it feels to suffer from insomnia and feel tired all of the time.
By sharing my personal story and experience of suffering with insomnia and how I overcame the problem, I hope I can help someone else. Here are my helpful tips:
It's important to try not to fight sleeplessness too much. In the very beginning, I had a habit of lying in bed and worrying or becoming too excited about something going on at the present time of my life. I had a habit of continually telling myself to stop worrying and thinking or I definitely wouldn't get any sleep. I still have this problem from time to time but no where near as bad. Rather than telling myself to stop thinking so much, I pursue the ideas in my head and try reason and think each thought through. By getting a little closure to each issue, I am able to eventually fall asleep. This may take several hours though.
When you are tired from not getting sleep the next day, don't take a nap to compensate for lost sleep. Steer your mind clear of laying down in bed and napping. If you do take a nap, you will probably have another poor night's sleep. Try and make it through the day, you will be better off when it comes time to go to sleep.
Beginning at noon every day, don't drink anymore caffeinated beverages. While many people love to have a cup of coffee after dinner, I wouldn't advise it. If you start to cut your caffeine out by 12 noon, you will be able to see how much caffeine does affect your sleep. Caffeine stays in a person's system for quite a while.
I also advise staying physically and mentally active. By doing hobbies, socializing, or taking walks, you will find these things actually do help with getting a good night's sleep as well. Watching TV or browsing the internet isn't quite mentally tiring enough, and may cause even more restlessness.
While I have seen quite a number of helpful hints on the TV and in magazine articles, there have been very few of these which actually helped me and my insomnia. Of course, you can try them and see if they work for you. Try my tips and see if they help your insomnia. I believe insomnia is in our heads, and by slowing down our thinking process or thinking things through, we can succeed at getting a restful sleep most every night. I also suggest keeping a positive attitude. By allowing yourself to get frustrated, you are increasing your insomnia habit to stick around.
