Anyone who has suffered from insomnia understands just how bad it can be. Suffering from a lack of sleep, or finding you can’t sleep isn’t just frustrating, it can also cause problems during daylight hours as well.Yes, there is the frustration from lying awake, trying to fall asleep, or trying to get back to sleep after haven woken up through the night. That kind of sleeplessness can be simply infuriating.

But, insomnia can also affect you through the day, by preventing you from concentrating, by causing irritability or aggression, or by affecting your relationships with friends and family.

So, what’s the cure?

INSOMNIA CURES

Unfortunately, there is not one insomnia cure that works for all insomnia sufferers. Due to the fact that insomnia can be caused by any number of factors, it would be impossible to have one insomnia cure.

Of course, there are sleeping pills. Some insomnia sufferers rely on sleeping pills to deal with their sleeping problems, but this is not a great idea in the long-term, and it doesn’t work towards dealing with the underlying problems causing the insomnia.

Here are some helpful steps that you can take towards finding a cure for your insomnia:

• Find Out More: If you think you may have insomnia, one the first things to do is find out more about insomnia symptoms and insomnia causes.
• Identify The Cause: Now you know more about insomnia and its causes, work out what may be causing your own particular sleeping problems.
• Are you taking any medication?
• Are you drinking too much alcohol?
• Do you have stress in your life?
• Do you have anxiety or depression?
• Do you have an illness or sleep disorder, such as restless legs syndrome or sleep apnoea?
• Are you suffering from emotional or physical pain?
• Are there any environmental factors that are affecting your sleep?
• Are there any lifestyle factors that may prevent sleep, such as too much screen-time or working late at night?
• Have there been any disruptions to your sleep schedule, in the form of shift changes or jet lag?
• Have you developed bad sleeping patterns, such as napping or sleeping in?
• Make Changes: Now you know what may be causing your insomnia, work out your role in the problem, to then make changes where possible. This can include improving your daytime habits and sleep environment.
• Tackle Stress: If stress or anxiety is at the root of your insomnia, look at ways you can tackle these issues. That could mean making changes at work or at home, or speaking to a professional.
• Learn Sleeping Techniques: Look into ways to fall asleep or return to sleep, without having to resort to sleeping pills.

HOW TO FALL ASLEEP

Take a look at these sleeping techniques and see if any work for you.

• Force yourself to stay awake: While it may sound counter-productive, research has shown that when some insomniacs force themselves to stay awake, it results in them falling asleep faster.
• Ditch the clock: Watching the clock will only make you more frustrated as you try to fall asleep – so get rid of it!
• Stay cool: Lying a cool, dark room can help ready your body for sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends a bedroom temperature between 15°C and 20°C.
• Take a warm shower: By warming up your body in the shower, then stepping into the cool of your bedroom, the rapid temperature decrease slows down your metabolism faster, preparing your body for sleep. A shower has the added benefit of being relaxing, and can be part of your sleep routine.
• Listen to music: Research has shown that listening to classical music – or any music with 60 to 80 beats per minute – before bed can help lull you to sleep.
• Try progressive relaxation: Slowly tense and relax each muscle in your body, starting with the toes and working all the way up to your head and neck. Tense your muscles for at least five seconds, and then relax for 30 seconds, and repeat.
• Breathe using the 4-7-8 method: Keeping your tongue behind the ridge of your upper teeth throughout the exercise, exhale out through your mouth fully, inhale through your nose to a count of four, hold your breath to a count of seven, exhale out your mouth to a count of eight. Repeat three more times.