How To Fall Asleep Fast
The inability to initiate sleep or inability to have a quality sleep at night — is only a symptom, not a malady in itself. It is usually a sign of some underlying issues. While medication is frequently , it is best to discuss with a sleep specialist or your physician first. Insomnia, is in fact, best dealt with the inclusion of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT involves correcting misconceptions about sleep and the patient is taught few simple methods that can improve ability to sleep.
8 Common Misconception about Sleep
Napping during the day can make up for the lost sleep at night. This can actually make the situation worse. You should continue daily routine as usual. Go to bed at a sensible time. This is to avoid creating a cycle where a person sleep during the day and awake during the night.
Spending longer time in bed can make one feel rested. Wrong! Rest is okay, but it does not equal sleep. Something very important happens inside our body when we sleep. Sleep enables the secretion of important chemicals that strengthens the immune system. Also, sleep enables our brain to archive and organize information.
My sleeping ability is lost.
Nobody really lose the natural sleeping ability. Melatonin, a hormone that plays a big role in sleeping, can still be produced by the pineal gland in the brain. Inability to sleep is due to factors that affect sleeping patterns.
My insomnia is because of aging.
This is a general mistaken belief. Older people needs as much sleep as younger people. However, due to illness, inactivity, depression, or medication, many older people tend to sleep during the day. This causes wakefulness during the night. In addition, most older people alter their biorhythm so that they sleep earlier and wake up earlier. There is nothing alarming with this per se unless it becomes a cycle and could lead to sleep deprivation.
Biochemical imbalance is the cause of my insomnia.
If you’re not really sure, simply use the words “chemical imbalance”. There are a number of reasons that causes insomnia. Have a professional help of the doctor to assist you in identifying the root cause so that it can be dealt with appropriately.
Having a 7 or 8 hours of sleep is a must.
The truth is, sleeping requirement varies from person to person. Some are okay with 5 hours of sleep and some needs 8 to 9 hours a night. The duration is not very crucial as long as this does not cause lethargy during the day and does not affect your daily routine.
I should like to sleep like my friend so and so…
You shouldn’t compare your sleeping habits with someone else. There are people who are light sleepers and some are just effortless champion sleepers.I must try harder when I can’t sleep. Lying in bed awake and “trying hard” to sleep is almost a sure way to stay awake. The secret is to control your thoughts and relax.
Some types of insomnia are resolved when the primary cause is taken away d or wears off. In general, its treatment focuses on identifying the cause. Once determined, this cause can be properly addressed or treated. In addition to the treatment of the cause, both behavioral (non-pharmacological) and medical treatments may be used as adjuvant therapies.
Behavioral Treatments of Insomnia
The behavioral or non-medical approaches are to be practiced at home together with other treatment (such as treatments for psychiatric disorders or underlying medical and other medical treatments.
Four of the most important of these non-medical techniques are stimulus control, relaxation techniques, sleep hygiene, and sleep restriction.Stimulus Control. This refers to techniques employed to assist sleep initiation. Such techniques are applied to induce an environment conducive to sleep. Some very simple steps include:
Use the bed only for sleeping and having sex, not reading, working, eating, watching TV, or other activities that stimulates the mind.
Go to bed only if you are ready to sleep.
Noise and lights should be turned off around and inside the bedroom.
Getting up every morning at the same time is a good way to avoid over-sleeping.
If you haven’t fallen asleep after 30 minutes after settling for bed, get up and do some relaxation techniques until you are prepared to sleep again.
Relaxation Techniques. This can be a physical relaxation or a mental relaxation.
Physical Relaxation.
When you are worried about not being able to fall asleep, certain muscles in the body become tense and oftentimes painful, thus interfering with sleep. This is where physical relaxation methods can help. This technique is intended to teach individuals how relax their body and how to have power over relaxation and tension.
Find a peaceful, quiet place where you can practice the following for thirty minutes:
Lie absolutely still until you find the most relaxed position. Now tense up the muscles in your legs and arms deliberately, as tightly as you can. Hold this tension for a minute or so then let the muscles relax slowly, first from your legs, and then the arms.
Let the whole part of your body feel as calm as it possibly can. Take a five- minute rest then repeat the process twice more.
At the last part of the session, concentrate on the sensation of your muscles. Let them go as limp as possible and relax them for the rest of the workout. Make your breathing steady and slow as you relax.
Mental Relaxation.
Since worry and stress, not excluding the worry of not being able to fall asleep, are oftentimes the cause insomnia, many individuals have discovered that mental relaxation techniques can assist them to feel less worried, thus making them sleep better. Unlike the physical relaxation technique, this technique emphasizes controlling over psychological aspects of anxiety before trying to relax your body.
Just like the physical relaxation technique, this method also necessitates finding a quiet, peaceful place to practice for thirty 30 minutes:
First, find the most comfortable position in order to relax your body. Next, empty your mind from all thoughts. Concentrate on one particular object within the room or on a particular aspect of the room.
After sixty seconds, sit up, and then walk around for awhile. Then go back to your position and repeat the process again.
This time, think of a particularly jolly time that you really enjoyed. If you cannot conjure a memory right away, find a picture of a beautiful scenery or some exotic place. Focus on imagining yourself being in this place for five minutes.
Then, feel the sensations of the muscles in your neck, and then the muscles of your arms, then your legs, as they slowly become relaxed. After a few minutes, rouse yourself up and walk around the room for awhile. Repeat the process.
Sleep Hygiene.
This is one of the components of behavioral treatments for insomnia which includes simple steps that can alleviate initiation and maintaining sleep. It consists of the following approaches:
Get as much sleep as possible then rouse yourself from bed. Over-sleeping is not advised.
Regular sleep schedule should be maintained.
Forcing sleep should be avoided.
Caffeinated beverages is prohibited in the evening or late afternoon.
Drinking alcohol before to going to bed is prohibited.
Smoking is prohibited, especially in the late afternoon.
Bedroom environment should be adjusted to induce sleep.
Going to bed hungry should not be done.
Resolve anxiety and stress before settling for bed.
Exercise on a regular basis, but not 4-5 hours before going to bed.Sleep Restriction. This is a technique wherein the time spent in bed should be for sleeping only. Many sufferers of insomnia may linger in the bed after waking up hoping to compensate for the lost sleep. This can disrupt the circadian rhythm and worsen the problem of initiating sleep at night. Sleep logs are employed to record the actual sleeping time each night, and the time spent in bed is slowly decreased to the actual time spent sleeping. Thus, shortening the total time spent just lying around in bed. This process gradually eliminates over-sleeping over the span of time. It also enhances the urge to sleep and increases the quality of sleep.
