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Everyone experiences sleeplessness occasionally. Even those blessed with good sleep genes sometimes toss and turn all night. You might find it difficult to fall asleep at times, but it's usually not a major concern. Perhaps you became engrossed in something and missed your bedtime, consumed too much caffeine that day, or simply had one of those nights when sleep is elusive for no particular reason. In most cases, if you endure this period, you'll soon return to your normal sleep patterns.
However, when insomnia becomes chronic, it should be taken as a warning sign. If you find it difficult to fall asleep or maintain quality sleep several times a week for months, this is not a simple problem. Chronic insomnia can severely reduce your quality of life. It can be a sign of depression and make sleep feel like a burdensome task rather than a form of rest. The more difficult it is to fall asleep, the worse your mental health becomes.
Like most problems that become easier to solve once you identify their causes, treating insomnia works the same way. Stress, irregular sleep patterns, poor sleep habits, mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, physical ailments and pain, medication effects, neurological abnormalities, and various sleep disorders are all common causes of insomnia. Many people experience insomnia due to a combination of these factors.
Common symptoms of insomnia include:
That feeling of heavy eyelids in the afternoon—we've all experienced it, right? On days when you haven't had enough sleep and struggle to stay awake at your desk, a solution comes to mind: 'A short nap might quickly restore my energy...'
Generally, napping for a short duration can have positive effects. Brief naps of about 15-30 minutes are known to boost energy, reduce stress, and improve mood. (Of course, napping for more than an hour is not recommended!)
Unfortunately, if you have sleep apnea or insomnia, even that short nap might have the opposite effect. Naps aren't always beneficial for people with certain sleep disorders. In fact, napping can worsen symptoms and unintentionally trap you in a cycle of sleeplessness, making your condition worse. When someone with insomnia takes a nap, it perpetuates the pattern of nighttime sleeplessness. The more sleep you get during the day, the less tired you feel at night, which can exacerbate insomnia symptoms. Ultimately, if you give in to the desire to sleep during the day, the cycle continues.
For people with insomnia, establishing a regular sleep schedule focused on nighttime is important. Avoiding naps helps build up sleep debt, which aids in getting quality sleep at night. Avoiding naps is one of the simple lifestyle habits for treating insomnia.
The saying "the best things in life are free" perfectly applies to morning sunshine. A balanced diet and good nutrition keep our bodies healthy. Surprisingly, exposure to sunlight has similar positive effects.
Our bodies are designed to function according to the sun's rhythm. When the sun sets, our bodies produce melatonin, the sleep hormone, and when it rises, production of this hormone decreases.
Many modern people spend all day indoors. They consider outdoor activities special occasions and, even during breaks, often choose to spend time in front of the TV rather than going outside. However, research shows that getting sufficient sunlight significantly helps improve physical and mental resilience, increases productivity, and enhances mental health. This has effects in preventing depression and improving sleep quality.
Have you ever taken melatonin supplements to help you sleep at night? Melatonin is known as the sleep hormone and plays a key role in regulating our body's circadian rhythm. Without sufficient melatonin, it takes longer to fall asleep, you wake up frequently, and it's difficult to get quality sleep. If you take melatonin supplements, doses of about 1-5 milligrams are generally considered effective.
Even without supplements or medication, there are foods that naturally increase melatonin levels. If you're struggling with insomnia, consider including these foods in your diet:
Try including these foods in your dinner menu. Drinking warm (caffeine-free) herbal tea before bed also helps with quality sleep.
The power of music is remarkable. Have you noticed how upbeat music makes your body respond and dance without even realizing it? Conversely, quiet and calm music can help settle your mind and make it easier to fall asleep. In fact, gentle sleep music has the effect of calming the autonomic nervous system, slowing breathing, and lowering heart rate and blood pressure, which improves sleep quality.
Many insomnia sufferers associate their bedroom with frustration and anxious nights. Music can counteract these negative associations, stop anxious or restless thoughts, and bring about the physical and mental calm needed for sleep. For some people, quiet classical music serves this purpose, while for others, natural sounds like wind or water, white noise, or various types of meditation music or ASMR might be more suitable.
If you're wondering how to find the right sleep music for you, download the Alarmy app. Alarmy is a sleep and wake-up app used by over 2.5 million global users. Alarmy provides dozens of verified sleep sounds including natural sounds, ASMR, white noise, and meditation. More than 120,000 users daily get help falling asleep with the sleep sounds provided by Alarmy.
Practicing good sleep habits not only helps treat insomnia but also makes your daily life easier and more efficient. Neglecting sleep management increases the risk of various health problems and can shorten your lifespan. It can also cause depression. If you're having trouble falling asleep at a consistent time, definitely consider the four lifestyle habits mentioned above.
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