What to do when you CANNOT SLEEP?

"Who suffers from insomnia?" It is a question that is asked often, between friends and acquaintances. Nowadays many people suffer from insomnia and, consequently, they have many problems to face the day, because sleep is important for our body. It has happened to all of us that we cannot sleep satisfactorily. One-tenth of the adult population and one-fifth of those over 65 suffer from insomnia, which is why insomnia is one of the most common complaints heard by the general practitioner. With this article from Psychology-Online we will see what to do when you can't sleep, suggesting in particular 15 effective guidelines for a good sleep.

Index

1. What is insomnia?
2. Types of insomonia
3. 15 effective sleep guidelines

Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by the inability to sleep during a reasonable time of night; it is more of a symptom than a disease, and it can manifest itself in many acute or chronic conditions. In the vast majority of cases it does not depend on an organic disease, but is the expression of a functional disorder that is almost constantly identified with a state of imbalance emotional.

According to the MDE, the diagnostic criteria for insomnia are:

• Type of disorder: difficulty falling asleep and / or staying asleep; feeling of a little relaxing sleep.
• Frequency: three or more times a week.
• Severity: time to fall asleep greater than 30 minutes; waking time during sleep greater than 30 minutes.
• Effects: significant alteration of emotional, cognitive, socio-occupational functioning during the day.

Insomnia is that feeling of being sleepy, but not being able to sleep.

In the classification system of the DEM there is also talk of primary insomnia to define that form that does not seem to have a cause of a medical or psychic nature, called psychophysiological insomnia in the ICD classification. There are circumstances in which, on the contrary, insomnia is associated with pathologies of a medical nature: in these cases we speak of secondary insomnia. Finally, another subtype of insomnia is the paradox, so called because the paradox is that people who suffer from it have the sensation of sleeping poorly or even not sleeping, when their ipnic pattern is practically normal.

What to do when you can't sleep because of nerves? In the next section we will see 15 things to do when you cannot sleep due to insomnia.

Unfortunately, for many people sleep is a luxury, and even when they manage to achieve it in some way they feel it is insufficient or inadequate. The inability to sleep is one of the worst experiences that can be experienced in life: insomnia, in fact, it not only has negative effects at night, but also affects the quality of life daytime. In this article we explain all the consequences of not sleeping.

People who suffer persistently from this disorder often complain of being depressed during the day, of being tired and poorly concentrated, and complain of difficulties in the workplace, family and Social.

How to sleep if you can't? The practical advice is always limited and often imprecise, because only one therapeutic action aimed at individual problems and people can be really effective. However, by following these 15 guidelines, it is possible to make a certain profit. Next we will see how to fight insomnia naturally through 15 tricks to sleep well:

1. Interrupt continuity: To promote sleep, it may be useful to draw a clear distinction between the activities of the day and the typical inactivity of the night hours. The first of the tips to sleep better and faster is to pause and make a difference when you start the routine before going to sleep.
2. Rest at a specific time: Keeping a schedule as fixed as possible to go to bed and wake up is useful to guarantee a restful sleep and ensures that you can face the day with the necessary energy.
3. Adequate lighting- the bedroom should be as dark as possible; Avoid exposure to strong light when you get out of bed at night by choosing soft lighting.
4. No nap- If you have trouble falling asleep at night, you shouldn't take a nap; if necessary, the afternoon break should not last more than 30 minutes.
5. The environment should be quiet- Too noisy, warm and bright environments adversely affect sleep quality.
6. What to do in bed? Sleeping or having sex are the only recommended activities, because for those who suffer from insomnia it is important learn to associate sleep with bed; In bed you should not watch television, eat or discuss stressful topics.
7. Animals are not allowed in bed: during the night, dogs and cats should rest in a room other than the bedroom, so as not to compromise our rest.
8. Eat in moderation: at dinner you should not eat heavy foods with high amounts of protein; meals that are too large are negative for normal digestive and metabolic processes, so it is better to prefer a light meal based on carbohydrates and dairy.
9. Avoid alcohol: Another of the important guidelines to combat insomnia is not to consume alcoholic beverages: The experts in sleep medicine recommend not overdoing it with alcohol before going to bed, as it adversely affects duration, depth, and cycles of the dream.
10. Too much adrenaline delays rest: doing sports at the end of the day is one of the actions that can make sleeping more difficult; you should avoiding strenuous physical activity before bed, that is, in the 3-4 hours that precede the night's rest.
11. Do not take stimulants: caffeine, in all its forms, should not be drunk in the 4-6 hours preceding sleep; only 150 mg are sufficient to disturb the quality and duration of sleep.
12. No Smoking: smoking has a stimulating action on the Central Nervous System, hindering sleep; therefore, avoiding nicotine when sleeping or during nighttime awakenings makes it easier for you to rest. In this article we explain the effects of nicotine on the nervous system.
13. Relax and unload- Relaxation is vital to a restful sleep and there are many ways to relax, such as some types of sweet gymnastics (yoga and t'ai chi), progressive relaxation, meditation, mindfulness, but also a quiet walk could be effective.
14. Herbal remedies: There are also remedies for insomnia due to anxiety. There are numerous herbs that facilitate sleep, and to find the best one it is best to consult a herbalist; a fairly common example can be the infusion of passionflower.
15. Keep a sleep diary: Another of the tricks to sleep well is to compile a sleep diary. It is important because it allows you to have all the information about your type of insomnia; a basic measurement by which to begin your behavior change program.

In this article we explain more about how to sleep fast and deep.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to What to do when you can't sleep, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

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