{"id":1397912,"date":"2022-03-24T08:44:37","date_gmt":"2022-03-24T12:44:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1397912"},"modified":"2022-03-24T08:44:38","modified_gmt":"2022-03-24T12:44:38","slug":"home-cures-for-insomnia-to-help-you-get-some-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/home-cures-for-insomnia-to-help-you-get-some-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Home Cures for Insomnia to Help You Get Some Sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhome-cures-for-insomnia-to-help-you-get-some-sleep%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1397912&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>For as long as Doug Seibold can remember, he\u2019s had a rocky relationship with sleep. \u201cWhen I was young, I struggled to fall asleep, but as I got into my twenties, I started to have real issues with \u2018terminal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/insomnia\/guide\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">insomnia<\/a>\u2019 \u2014 when you wake up before dawn, or in the middle of the night, and can\u2019t fall back to sleep. This plagued me for decades,\u201d says the 59-year-old Chicago-based book publisher.<\/p>\n<p>He says he tried numerous fixes: limiting caffeine in the afternoon and beyond, limiting alcohol and late night eating, creating a comfortable sleep space, and sticking to a consistent bedtime and wakeup time. \u201cBut terminal insomnia remained a problem, especially during springtime, as the days lengthened, or during periods of high stress,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<div>Millions share Seibold\u2019s experience with sleep trouble. Thirty-five percent of adults in the United States report getting less than seven hours of sleep per night on average. That\u2019s the amount that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says we need to enjoy the best health and well-being.<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>And here\u2019s where it\u2019s important to clarify: Many of us occasionally experience a night of poor sleep or a temporary bout of insomnia (acute or short-term insomnia), which is the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, or waking too early, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Short-term insomnia can be triggered by a life-altering event, stress, physical reasons, or something else that\u2019s temporary in nature, says <a href=\"https:\/\/demanddeborah.org\/providers\/zeeshan-khan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zeeshan\u00a0Khan, DO<\/a>, a pulmonologist who is the medical director of the Deborah Institute of Sleep Medicine at Deborah Heart and Lung Center\u00a0in Browns Mills, New Jersey. It\u2019s normal if this happens to you on occasion; and usually, when the disruption that triggers the sleepless ends, the sleep problem starts to subside, too.<\/p>\n<p>But if you\u2019re losing sleep at least three times a week for three months or longer, that&#8217;s considered chronic insomnia, says Dr. Khan. \u201cAnd unfortunately, chronic insomnia just becomes a vicious cycle where it stays persistent over time.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-wrapper ad-wrapper--audience ad-container inline-widget inline-widget--right-rail _hold-size\"><\/aside>\n<div>Chronic insomnia is a risk factor for conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to the CDC.<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>If you\u2019re having trouble sleeping, it absolutely warrants a discussion with your doctor. She can help you determine if there\u2019s something more serious going on with your health that\u2019s disrupting your sleep and needs to be addressed, such as undiagnosed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/sleep-apnea\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">sleep apnea<\/a>, other medical conditions, or psychological stress, Khan says. A doctor can also investigate what else might be triggering your sleeplessness, such as a new medication or a recent life change.<\/p>\n<p>Discuss your daily and nightly routines with your doctor, and whether the following insomnia solutions alone might help you get back to sleep, or if another approach like cognitive behavioral therapy or medication might be needed, too. (If your sleep troubles are chronic, by definition, sleep hygiene strategies alone will likely not resolve the issues.)\u00a0Even if you do need additional treatment, practicing good sleep hygiene (by following these good-sleep practices) is still important.<\/p>\n<p>So, whether you\u2019re following these get-back-to-sleep tips on their own or along with other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/insomnia\/what-when-you-cant-sleep-all-about-insomnia-treatments\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">insomnia treatment<\/a>, here are some at-home, no-prescription fixes that can help your slumber.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>1. Follow a Routine<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cKeep a consistent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/sleep\/insomnia\/resetting-your-clock.aspx\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">sleep schedule<\/a>,\u201d says Khan. \u201cIt\u2019s very important to go to bed and wake up on a consistent basis, because the wake-up time is the anchor to the circadian rhythm [which regulates the body\u2019s 24-hour sleep-wake cycle].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It may be tempting to lie in on the weekends or sleep less during a busy workweek, but Khan says if you want to get adequate sleep in the long run, don\u2019t vary your amount of time in bed by more than 30 minutes in either direction.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>2. Follow the 2-Activity Rule<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThe bed is meant for only two things: sleep and sex,\u201d says <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.northwell.edu\/find-care\/find-a-doctor\/eeg-epilepsy\/dr-sanjeev-vithal-kothare-md-11378496\" rel=\"noopener\">Sanjeev V. Kothare, MD<\/a>, the codirector of the pediatric sleep program and the director of pediatric neurology at Cohen Children\u2019s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York.<\/p>\n<p>All other activities (watching TV, working on your computer, texting on your phone, eating) should be done in a different room. That way, your brain will associate being in the bedroom with sleep. If you can, keep devices out of the bedroom entirely, he adds. \u201cBlue light emanating from your computer or your phone tells the brain to stay awake, plus the content revs up your brain.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>3. Keep the Mornings Bright<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>When it is time to wake up, open the blinds and make sure bright sunlight hits your eyes, Dr. Kothare says. Or get a light box, which you can program to mimic the sun\u2019s light inside (look for one that is at least 10,000 lux). Kothare recommends a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usa.philips.com\/c-p\/HF3332_60\/golite-blu-energy-light\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Philips GoLite Blu<\/a> energy light.\u00a0Use it soon after waking up for at least 30 minutes for the most benefit.<\/p>\n<div>According to the AASM, light therapy helps with circadian rhythm problems, such as delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (when you fall asleep and wake up later than you want to), jet lag, and shift work disorder (when you are required to be awake when most people are sleeping).<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>4. Don\u2019t Stay in Bed if You\u2019re Not Asleep<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If you find yourself lying in bed awake for more than 15 or 20 minutes, get out of bed and go to another room, Khan says. Staying in bed may send the unhelpful message to your brain that your bed is a place to lie awake and struggle with sleep rather than sleeping quickly and soundly, feeding a vicious cycle that contributes to insomnia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo something relaxing that does not entail using technology,\u201d Khan says. A book (the kind where you turn pages) might do the trick. Then return to bed when you feel sleepy.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>5. Don\u2019t Watch the Clock<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Seibold says that not checking the clock when he woke up in the middle of the night helped him get back to sleep faster. Checking the clock sets up a process called psychophysiological insomnia, in which worrying about being able to sleep makes it hard to fall asleep, Kothare says. It\u2019s better to be \u201ctimeless\u201d in your awareness, he adds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wanted to prevent, as much as possible, thinking about what time it might actually be, since awareness of time was a stressor for me,\u201d Seibold says.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>6. Try a Relaxation, Meditation, or Mindfulness App<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div>Research shows that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/sleep\/can-mindfulness-improve-your-sleep\/\">mindful awareness training can improve sleep<\/a> for people who experience insomnia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s especially helpful for people who struggle with racing thoughts when their heads hit the pillow, Khan says. \u201cIt can help people think about the moment and not get caught up in all these other thoughts that unfortunately, a lot of people are having right now, between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/infectious-diseases\/covid-19\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">COVID-19<\/a> and the current state of the world.\u201d<\/div>\n<p>Other techniques, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/sleep\/insomnia\/tips\/guide-to-relaxation.aspx\">progressive muscle relaxation<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/meditation\/ways-meditation-can-help-you-cope-with-coronavirus\/\">meditation<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/yoga\/\">yoga<\/a>, can have the same effect, helping you turn off wandering or disruptive thoughts when you\u2019re trying to sleep, Khan says. A simple way to try one of these techniques is to use an app that guides you through the practices. He recommends <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.headspace.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Headspace<\/a>\u00a0(which draws on mindfulness and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/alternative-health\/living-with\/ways-practice-breath-focused-meditation\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">meditation techniques<\/a>) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sleepio.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sleepio<\/a> (which is designed specifically for people who struggle with insomnia).<\/p>\n<h2><strong>7. Watch What and When You Eat<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cToo much sugar and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/diet-nutrition\/diet\/good-carbs-bad-carbs\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">complex carbs<\/a> can make it difficult to sleep at night,\u201d says <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.drnicoleavena.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Nicole Avena, PhD<\/a>, a Surf City, New Jersey\u2013based assistant professor of neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. So can eating too close to bedtime.<\/p>\n<p>A healthy, balanced diet with adequate levels of B vitamins can help you sleep well, says Dr. Avena. \u201cThe vitamins help regulate the level of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/amino-acids\/guide\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">amino acid<\/a> tryptophan in the body, which in return helps produce sleep-inducing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/melatonin\/guide\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">melatonin<\/a>.\u201d Milk, tuna, turkey, chicken, and oats are all food sources that regulate tryptophan in your body, she adds.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>8. Watch What and When You Drink or Smoke<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div>The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) recommends avoiding caffeine and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/drugs\/nicotine\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">nicotine<\/a> late in the day and alcohol before bed, all substances that can disrupt sleep.<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Alcohol may make you feel drowsy, but it prevents you from getting deep, restorative sleep throughout the night, Kothare says. And caffeine\u2019s stimulating properties linger in the body for up to eight hours (or longer) after it\u2019s consumed.<\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/marijuana\/medical-marijuana-cannabidiol-cbd\/\">Cannabis<\/a>\u00a0is an increasingly popular sleep aid, but it may have the opposite effect, especially for heavy users. A study published in December in <em>Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine<\/em> found that users experienced both shorter sleep and longer sleep than nonusers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s possible that the stimulant properties of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/marijuana\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">cannabis<\/a>, affect some heavy users, leading to shorter sleep, says <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/stmichaelshospitalresearch.ca\/researchers\/karim-ladha\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Karim Ladha, MD<\/a>, an anesthesiologist and an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, who was one of the researchers. Heavy users are more likely to have preexisting insomnia. \u201cThere are likely strains of\u00a0cannabis\u00a0that can be used to help with sleep, but our study highlights that it is also possible for\u00a0cannabis\u00a0to be detrimental for sleep,\u201d says Dr. Ladha. The bottom line, he says: \u201cWe need more research to determine how we can ensure that patients get the therapeutic benefits of\u00a0cannabis\u00a0without experiencing harms.\u201d<\/div>\n<p>Doug Seibold found gradual relief over the years in what he calls a \u201cfake it till you make it\u201d approach to sleep. If racing thoughts coursed through his mind, he would turn his attention back to calming memories from his past. \u201cI did everything I could to remain as relaxed and unmoving as I possibly could \u2014 as though I were still asleep,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Even though the doctors we spoke with suggest limiting your sleepless time in bed, Seibold found that staying in bed worked for him. Following a routine when it came to sleep helped, too. Now he struggles with falling asleep only about once every month or even two. \u201cThe consistency I\u2019ve gradually established in my sleep routines has had a really positive effect on that struggle,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For as long as Doug Seibold can remember, he\u2019s had a rocky relationship with sleep. \u201cWhen I was young, I struggled to fall asleep, but as I got into my<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":505,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1397912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1397912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/505"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1397912"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1397912\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1397912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1397912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1397912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}