How to Stay Asleep at Night
Insomnia is commonly due to your mind being overactive when you go to bed, preventing you from actually falling asleep for extended periods of time. If you find yourself having trouble going to sleep, or trouble falling asleep, there are a number of things that you can do to try and fix the problem.
Stay Away from Screens
With all the technological advancements of our generation, there are now hundreds of ways to stay entertained at any given time. By watching TV or surfing the Internet before you go to bed, you’ll be stimulating your brain heavily with bright images and sounds. In order to properly relax, make sure that for the fifteen minutes before you go to bed, you aren’t playing a game or watching any shows. Simply sit in bed, close your eyes, and do your best to clear your head before you turn out the lights.
Stay Away from Caffeine
Caffeine is a substance that makes you more aware and stimulated. It’s commonly found in soft drinks, coffee, tea, and energy drinks. Drinking too much of it in the day will lead to heightened sense that can last late into the night. Try to stay away from drinking heavily caffeinated drinks, and cut it entirely from your diet if you can.
Exercise
Sometimes, insomnia can simply be due to having too much pent up energy. Doing some light exercise, primarily cardio, can help tire you out so that you can sleep easier. If you commonly find yourself tossing and turning, and not at all tired, try going for a walk before you go to bed. The added exercise tires out your muscles, which can have an effect on your brain as well, making you sleepy. This is especially true if you spend most of your day working while sitting down at a computer or in school at a desk.
If your insomnia continues, you may have chronic insomnia, which can be due to a traumatic event or some other, more serious issue. See a doctor if insomnia persists for longer than two weeks, as it can be an indicator of a more serious problem.
