A peaceful night’s sleep is all that we need to function the next day. However, not everyone is able to enjoy this perk. Yes, you heard me right! Not everyone can enjoy a peaceful sleep (Insomnia).
What is insomnia?
One of the common sleep disruptors is known as insomnia which is a common sleep disorder in people.
Insomnia is characterized by;
Difficulty in sleeping
Frequently waking up while sleeping
Unable to sleep at night
Waking up early and inability to go back to sleep
Feeling exhausted and irritated throughout the day
Causes of insomnia
A few weeks ago I heard a renowned neuro physician in Islamabad talking about the causes of insomnia. Some of the highlighted causes are;
Neurological problems
Mental health issues
Physical illness
Medication
Sleep disorders
Poor sleeping habits
If you are suffering from insomnia and spend your nights staring at the roofs, don’t worry you are not alone!
How to deal with migraines?
Several thousand people are migraine sufferers around the globe. However, you can try a few things to deal with insomnia, including;
1- Regulate your light exposure
There is this defied connection between light exposure and sleep trouble. Light exposure directly affects the functioning of your brain and hormonal levels. Daytime bright light exposure plays a role in the regulation of circadian rhythm as well as it helps to improve the quality of sleep. It is advisable to ensure two hours of sunlight exposure for better sleep quality. However, the light has the opposite effect during nighttime.
Blue light exposure can trick your body systems into perceiving night as day and generating the signal as daylight ultimately affecting your sleep quality. Due to these effects, it is recommended to limit the exposure to blue light by;
Reducing the screen blue light on the laptop or computer screen
Turn on eye comfort mode on your cellular devices.
2- Limit daytime naps
Though it is recommended to take shorter naps in the daytime to improve your brain functioning, prolonged irregular naps can be another cause of sleep problems. Taking irregular or prolonged naps during the daytime can confuse your body clock and can affect your nighttime sleep quality. Thus, it is recommended to limit your daytime nap duration to a maximum of 30 minutes so that you can enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep.
3- Control your caffeine consumption
Caffeine, an active component is tea and coffee can also affect your brain activity. Caffeine is known to enhance your focus and cause a sudden boost in energy. Increased caffeine levels in your blood can add to your sleep trouble. Particularly, for people who are caffeine sensitive, it is recommended to limit your caffeine consumption to enjoy a peaceful sleep.
A friend of mine was having trouble sleeping and she went to a renowned physician at Prof Tariq Memorial Neuro Clinic in Islamabad, who told her to skip caffeine consumption. This ultimately helped her to fund a better sleeping routine.
4- Pay attention to what you eat
Eating habits can affect the way you sleep. If you go to bed with an empty or overfilled stomach, you will get trouble sleeping. So, for better sleep, you should eat a moderate amount of food and that too a few hours before you go to bed.
5- Monitor your room environment
Your surrounding environment can help you to have better sleep. Your environment includes the lights, noise, temperature, and furniture in your room. Thus, to avoid sleep troubles, make sure your room is a tech-free zone and has the optimal condition best-suited to you.
6- Be consistent with your sleep schedule
Your body can work on a set loop and can align its functioning with sunrise and sunset. If you are not being consistent with your sleep timings, you are more likely to experience sleep difficulties. You can wake up and sleep at different timings, particularly on weekends, this can surely affect your body’s circadian rhythms. If you are having trouble sleeping it is recommended to sleep and wake up at the same time for days unless your body becomes habitual.
7- A Melatonin supplement might help
Well, there is an effective tip to increase your sleep quality, a melatonin supplement. Melatonin is the sleep hormone that can help to regulate the sleep pattern. Sleep hormones can help your body relax and fall asleep. It is the most commonly used sleeping aid.