10 habits and routines to cut through the Insomnia

Insomnia is curable. Surprised?! 

Well, yes, Insomnia is curable. It may need dedicated patience, creating habits and following them through, but it is worth investing all your efforts in it. 

Of course, not all cases are identical. People can be affected in different ways. 

But broadly, there are two main types of Insomnias:

• Short-Term Insomnia
• Chronic Insomnia

We all have sleepless nights tossing and turning on the bed at some point in our lives. For some of us, it has become more of a habit. For some, stress causes sleepless nights. This restless sleep doesn't only cause anxiety at night but also affects us the next day, and then it eventually becomes a sort of a pattern. 

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Did you know that a few simple tips can help you "sleep like a baby?" 

•  A study found that the effect of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on sleep was the same as that of hypnotic drugs in relieving Insomnia. Exercise may help us sleep by reducing anxiety and depression and realigning our body's internal clock and circadian rhythm. 

• It is recommended that you follow a routine sleeping time. Sleeping and waking up at the same time every day helps your body create a rhythm that your body will get accustomed to, and you will eventually feel sleepy around your sleeping time.

• Develop habits that are "easy to implement". Say, for example - drinking a glass of warm milk, having a warm bath, reading a book will help you wind down. The best is probably music - nothing like relaxing music to help you fall asleep like a baby. 

• Consuming heavy meals right before dinner time affects the quality of your sleep. Especially food that is rich in carbohydrates and fats. Even spice-heavy food can cause heartburns, causing sleep deprivation or disturbance. The body needs the energy to digest the food, which is at odds when you sleep, leading to a high chance of indigestion. If you happen to have a heavy meal, try taking a leisure walk before you hit the sack.

• When in bed, you should keep the gadgets away. Screens and bright lights affect your vision and impact the quality of your sleep, causing stress to your eyes and your brain. "Almost all patients coming to me for sleep disturbances are surprised when I tell them that they should be shutting their screens during bedtime", says Dr Janhavi Katdare. Unfortunately, the women say that their gadgets weirdly are the only things that put them to sleep! It is advised to have a workaround on this habit. 

More about sleep & gadgets? 

A little on the medical jargon side, but if you have any questions - please ask us on the chat option :) 

Now back to sleep and gadgets. Did you know that our body starts producing melatonin in the evening? Melatonin is the sleep-inducing hormone in our bodies. Interacting with bright blue and white lights right before sleeping affects this melatonin production, thus affecting the quality of your sleep. 

• Insomnia gives you anxiety and the anxiety, in turn, causes Insomnia till it becomes a never-ending cycle. Practising yoga and breathing practices like pranayama can help you steer away from that anxiety, help you calm your mind and thus get sound sleep. 

• The lasting effect of drugs, nicotine and alcohol is a definite contributor to disturbing your sleep cycles and affecting sleep quality. All these are stimulant drugs and tend to overstimulate your brain and keep you away from sleep. It is advisable to kick the habit for more than just sleep problems. 

• Like you maintain your kitchen specifically for anything food-related - use your bedroom only for sleep or sex. Your body then slowly starts associating the bed with rest, thus making it easy for you to sleep when on the bed. 

• Have you found yourself waking up at night and then unable to sleep? Instead of staying on the bed and trying to sleep, try getting up, sitting in a calm, quiet and dark environment till you feel sleepy and then hitting the bed. 

• Being unable to sleep at night makes you feel tired and groggy the next day. A typical effect of this is you trying to catch up on that lost sleep in the day. But long naps during the day not only make you feel more lethargic but also interfere with your sleep at night. 

One size may not fit all, but there is no harm in giving the above tips a try and seeing which one works best for you. The solutions above may seem like a LOT to implement all in one go. And for some, even taking the first step will be a step towards achievement. 

So ladies set yourself up for discipline, not a failure!

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