Say Goodbye to Insomnia!
No one likes the feeling of hitting the pillow just to lay awake for hours on end. Whether it's a busy mind keeping you awake or a looming deadline, if you regularly suffer from poor sleep, you are experiencing a case of insomnia.
Insomnia is extremely common – way too common, and the number of cases is on the rise. According to the Sleep Health Foundation, around 1 in 3 people suffer from at least mild insomnia. Most people will experience the symptoms of insomnia at some point in their life, and if you're reading this website, you are most probably one of them.
The good news is that extensive research has been done on the subject and there are things you can do to help get past your poor sleeping habits. There is no need to continue to suffer the misery of insomnia any longer. On this website, we'll walk through the different levels of insomnia, the causes and their symptoms, and then get into the key things you can do to help improve your sleep.
Proper sleep is an important and necessary biologic function and is essential for good physical, mental and emotional health. The best way to overcome the perils of insomnia is learning through education and that is what we hope to do on this site.
The first “Go to” for most insomniacs seems to be to pop a sleeping pill. They are readily available over the counter these days; however, the truth is, in the long run, taking sleeping pills simply isn't effective, and it can actually have a detrimental effect on your health, not to mention the potential side effects that go along with these medications. In most cases, taking one very sporadically, when you are struggling and really need a good night’s sleep, can be helpful and harmless, but never should they be taken on a continual basis. More on that later.
If you truly want to experience a night filled with deep, restful sleep so that you can wake up refreshed and ready for your day, you need to look into sustainable (and for your health, holistic) solutions to overcome you of your insomnia once and for all. After we dive into lots of easy tips and tricks to put you on the right path, we'll get more in-depth into specific ways to improve your sleep quality that are proven to be effective.
Sometimes Insomnia is the symptom of a medical condition that may require your doctor’s advice and medical care. In those cases, the symptoms or causes will be treated, not the insomnia itself.
If however, if your sleeplessness is due to a pattern of not sleeping, or because your mind and body find it hard to settle into a state of relaxation needed for restful sleep, the content on this site will offer you alternative choices for achieving healthy sleep without the use of prescription drugs.
With this information, you'll finally be able to get in bed at night, go to sleep quickly, and wake up well-rested. When was the last time you were able to do that?
Using the knowledge you will gain from this site, you will have an easier time:
• Getting to sleep at night,
• Sleeping soundly through the night,
• Waking up feeling refreshed
Without insomnia keeping you up, you will be able to beat past that tired, groggy feeling in the morning and instead wake up ready to tackle whatever is ahead of you.
Our goal with this site is to provide information and natural “Non-medical” products to help you safely on your journey to better sleep. At the same time we want to manage your expectations. Natural insomnia cures take more time and effort and the results are rarely as dramatic as medication, but much safer and more sustaining.
Be aware that natural remedies work differently for each person. It’s important to remain positive as you design a sleep routine that works for you. Don’t be discouraged if you have to make a number of modifications along the way. With perseverance, determination and a positive attitude, you should eventually achieve natural sleep.
Let's begin…
What Is Insomnia?
If you are one of the millions of people who persistently, chronically find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep, you are likely to be suffering from insomnia. There are several different patterns associated with insomnia. Some people have trouble getting to sleep initially while others might not be able to stay asleep as long as they need to. Some struggle with both.
In addition to keeping you up for longer hours after you get into bed, insomnia is also likely to prevent you from reaching the stage of deep sleep that is needed to help your body recover and allow you to feel awake and refreshed when you get up in the morning.
Do you have insomnia?
If you suffer from one of these sleeping patterns, you likely suffer from insomnia:
• I have difficulty getting to sleep at night, and will often lay awake for an hour or more in bed before drifting off.
• I have trouble staying asleep and will often wake up during the night.
• I do not wake up feeling well-rested; I'm not able to reach a deep sleep state.
• I wake up at night and then I'm not able to get back to sleep for a very long time.
Most people who suffer from insomnia will experience two or more of these patterns, and this accumulates into an even more tired feeling throughout the day.
If you suffer from insomnia, you will experience symptoms and side effects such as:
• Difficulty focusing
• Difficulty remembering things
• Feeling more emotional
• Feeling sleepy during the day
There are also risks associated with insomnia, such as higher risk of traffic accidents and similar injuries.
People who have insomnia also frequently make the mistake of thinking their memory is worse than it is due to their lack of sleep making it harder for them to focus and concentrate throughout the day.
What causes insomnia?
Interesting Facts – See if you see yourself below.
There are various things that can cause insomnia. Most frequently, insomnia is associated with stress. Higher rates of depression and anxiety in women also lead to a higher rate of insomnia in them (twice as much compared to men), but shift workers also experience an increased risk and so do older people and people with poor health conditions. * (See appendix at the end for an interesting study about “Stress by Gender” published by the American Psychological Association in 2012.)
Causes can also include sleep apnea, snoring, bladder or prostate problems. Women going through menopause experience decrease in the production of melatonin in the brain which can cause insomnia. Those with “restless leg syndrome” (RLS), magnesium or iron deficiency, and hormonal imbalance also often experience insomnia.
The various other common causes for insomnia include:
• Medications and drugs, including some blood pressure and asthma medications.
• Chronic pain and illnesses that cause discomfort
• Stress in your personal life and/or at work
• Depression, major symptom of mania in people with bipolar disorder
• Hyperthyroidism, or other ailments with stimulation effects
• The passing of a friend or loved one
• Anxiety, including worrying about not having enough sleep
• Some habits, such as smoking or drinking coffee
• Dehydration
• Lack of exercise
• Acid Reflux
• Jet lag or nap taking during the day
• Drinking alcohol too close to bedtime
Other sleep disorders can lead to, contribute to and worsen insomnia.
Insomnia can be a side effect to some prescription anti-depressant medication. Sometimes just an overactive mind is the culprit.
It’s important to figure out the cause for your insomnia, so that you can work on a remedy. To cure insomnia naturally, any underlying conditions or health problems that are causing the insomnia must be treated.
Scientific evidence suggest that “insomnia” is the most prevalent of all sleep disorder, with close to 30-40% of the public reporting that they experience occasional insomnia and 10-20% reporting persistent insomnia in the past 30 years. In spite its prevalence, many primary physicians are unaware that behavior therapy is the most effective treatment for chronic insomnia and the largest causes are from stress and depression.
Interestingly “insomnia” and “sleeplessness” generally fall into three categories. Where do you find yourself?
• ”Initial: Insomnia: This describes someone who has difficulty falling asleep – usually 30 minutes or more.
• “Middle” Insomnia: This describes someone who cannot stay asleep. They wake up and often cannot go back to sleep.
• “Late or “Terminal” Insomnia: This describes someone who typically wakes up in the early morning hours after less than 6 hours of sleep.
The end result of any or all of these is a person getting far less sleep than the body requires to function properly, think clearly, etc.
The American Sleep Disorders Association (ASDA) suggests the insomnia that goes untreated can last for years and in some cases may get worse over time.
Unfortunately the most commonly offered treatment for insomnia historically has been a prescription. While they can prove to be effective in the short term, there are a number of problems that can be associated with chronic use, poor sleep quality and even a rebound upon withdrawal.
There are two types of Insomnia: Primary and Secondary
"Primary Insomnia," is a sleeplessness that is not attributable to a medical or environmental cause – maybe just bad sleeping habits.
Secondary Insomnia” describes a person who is having sleep problems as a result of a health condition like anxiety, stress or depression.They are treated the same.
Sleep Stages
The concept of "hitting the hay" isn't as simple as you may think.
In reality, sleep specialists have found that there are actually multiple stages of sleep. Each one has a different purpose, but if you suffer from insomnia, you might not be reaching the deeper stages of sleep that are important to your overall health.
There are four stages of sleep, each one lasting a certain amount of time. But, you don't progress through these stages from dusk to dawn. Instead, your body works on a cycle. You will go through the cycle of all four stages multiple times throughout the night (if you sleep soundly). How many cycles you go through each night varies depending on how long you sleep and your sleep quality.
NREM Stage 1
The first stage of sleep is called NREM Stage 1. This stage is what happens after your mind has finally drifted off and your eyes are closed. This stage generally lasts around 10 minutes. You are only lightly asleep and can quickly go back to being fully awake.
• In this stage, you may open your eyes again feeling like you didn't sleep at all even though you are lightly asleep.
• Your eyes will roll a bit and you may open your eyelids slightly as your body's muscles aren't inhibited yet.
• Your heartbeat will regulate and your breathing will slow down.
• The temperature of your brain decreases, along with your blood pressure.
• This is the stage where you will experience the "hypnic jerk" that sometimes happens. It may be accompanied by the sensation that you are falling.
• If you have irregular sleeping habits, you're more likely to experience hypnic jerks.
NREM Stage 2
This stage is when sleep kicks in and your body begins its recovery process.
• This usually lasts about 20 minutes and this is characterized by a slowing heart rate. Your body temperature will also decrease as your body reduces its activity and you prepare for a deeper sleep.
• In this stage, it is harder to awake.
• Your brain will begin emitting larger waves.
• Your blood pressure will begin decreasing as your metabolic functions all start to slow.
• This stage is also considered "light sleep".
Throughout all the cycles that you will go through during the night, most of your time asleep will be spent in this stage (about 45%).
NREM Stage 3
• You will reach this stage about 35-45 minutes after falling to sleep.
• Your brain waves will slow down and become larger.
• You will sleep through most disturbances in this stage.
• If you do wake up during this stage, you will likely feel disoriented for the first few minutes.
REM Stage 4
This is the final stage of the sleep cycle and it will generally last about 10 minutes. It will occur after being asleep for 90 minutes or so.
• Your eyes will move rapidly during REM, which stands for Rapid Eye Movement.
• During this deepest stage of sleep, your most powerful dreams will happen. Sleepwalkers and bed wetters will also experience episodes during this stage.
• Your heart and respiratory rhythms may become irregular and increase.
• Each REM stage gets longer as the night goes by. The last REM stage can last up an hour.
Treatment Options
Unfortunately, there is no one magic cure for insomnia. Since we are not doctors, we are not going to recommend any medications. There certainly are times when medications are appropriate, especially underlying conditions, but we are not even going to go there. We are here to help you holistically figure out how to overcome your insomnia holistically.
You don’t need expensive pill, boring hypnosis CDs or guided meditations. We are going to suggest a number of things on this site, some or all of which you should find very beneficial, starting with just a solid education of “right” information.
The number of treatment options is as long as the number of causes, and not everyone responds to treatment the same. When it comes to our sleeping habits, those are something very personal and it can take some trial-and-error before you figure out what helps you.
With that in mind, there are many avenues to try to help cure your insomnia. The first step is to try and pinpoint the issue:
• If you have poor sleeping habits, this can lead to insomnia in itself. Poor sleeping habits include staying up to late, not going to bed at a consistent time, and using electronics right before you try and sleep. The number one way to fix insomnia caused by the buildup of these poor habits overtime is to simply start practicing better sleeping habits. We'll get into that shortly.
• If you don't believe that poor sleeping habits are the cause and you regularly go to bed around the same time, you might be experiencing insomnia that needs the attention of a specialist. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is known to be more effective in the long run compared to sleeping pills and short-term fixes.
• If your insomnia is caused by anxiety, depression, or stress, you will need to fix the root cause before your insomnia can disappear. We'll get into some stress management habits later on.
If you would like to seek professional help due to a persistent, ongoing sleep problem or issues with your mood, you should consult a sleep specialist in your area. Your General Practitioner can point you to one nearby who may be able to help you. They might wish to conduct a sleep study to help understand what might be causing your poor sleep. They might also check you for sleep apnea.
You can also find help online through free or low-cost sleep improvement programs. Australia's Sleep Health Foundation has a website filled with other helpful information if you would like to learn more about insomnia and do further research into what may be causing it: http://sleephealthfoundation.org.au/pdfs/Insomnia.pdf
Sleeping Pills
If you suffer regularly from insomnia and poor sleep, are sleeping pills the answer?
As we have stated earlier, while a sleeping pill every once in a while can certainly help you drift off into a night of good rest before a big project, first day of a new job, or to be sharp for a presentation, it is not a solution in the long-term.
Regularly taking sleeping pills can increase your reliance on them and make it even harder for you to fall asleep without taking one or more. When your body grows accustomed to the drug like this, it's a sign that you have been relying on them far too long.
Sleeping pills are not intended to be a long-term solution to poor sleep. Although it is fully acceptable to take one every once in a while, taking them nightly or even multiple times in a month is a sign that you need to seek out another solution.
There are many other dangers associated with sleeping pills as well, such as:
• Building up a tolerance doesn't take long. Once you become accustomed to the standard dosage, you would need more and more in order to feel the effects. It will also take you longer to re-establish normal sleeping patterns after taking sleeping pills for some time.
• If you take a sleeping pill at night, studies have found there may still be enough in your body the next morning to cause dangerous drowsiness while you drive. Pills like Ambien should not be taken unless you are able to get a full 7 hours of sleep before waking up the next day.
• Sleeping pills are known to cause erratic behavior as a side effect. Sleepwalking and amnesia are just a few of the things that can go along with sleeping pills. More mild, yet crazy, side effects of taking a sleeping pill also include weird dreams.
• Hospitals found that patients who took certain sleeping medications were four times more likely to fall down.
• Another study found that people who took prescription sleeping pills were more likely to get cancer or die than those who didn't.
If those side effects aren't scary enough to scare you out of taking sleeping medication, not sure what will. Luckily, there are plenty of natural remedies that can help you get to sleep and stay asleep through the night.
Natural Alternatives
Some of the natural alternatives out there can do wonders for improving your sleeping habits by aiding your body in its natural release of melatonin (the sleepy hormone).
These natural supplements can help improve your sleep quality and help you get to sleep faster during the night.
1. Food: Of course, the number one medicine for any issue is food. After all, you are what you eat, and eating certain foods can certainly keep you up at night. Too much caffeine is an obvious example, but you should also avoid other stimulants and lots of sugars. If you eat and drink the right foods before bed, it can help like eating something containing tryptophan, like turkey along with a glass of warm milk. Adding honey to your milk helps to get the tryptophan to absorb even faster. Pomegranates are also believed to help insomniacs sleep.
2. Calcium: Getting lots of calcium is beneficial where you're an insomniac or not, but getting enough calcium in your diet each day can certainly help improve your sleep. It will help you relax your body, and the side effect of that is that a calcium supplement can help prevent muscle cramps.
3. Magnesium: Eating a banana, some almonds, or another magnesium rich food will prove beneficial to your sleep. If you have a magnesium deficiency, it could be adding to your sleeping troubles. Taking a higher level of magnesium will help induce a deeper sleep.
Here is a list of foods that help to promote sleep:
Fruits and Veggies |
Grains |
Nuts and Seeds |
Fish |
Dairy |
||||||||||
| Artichokes | Brown rice | Walnuts | Halibut | Milk | ||||||
| Bananas | Buckwheat flour | Almonds | Tuna | Cottage Cheese | ||||||
| Dried figs | Jasmine Rice | Brazil nuts | Salmon | Eggs | ||||||
| Black beans | Raw barley | Cashews | Sardines | Yogurt | ||||||
| White beans | Raw oat bran | Pine nuts | ||||||||
| Cornmeal | Whole wheat flour | Pumpkin Seeds | ||||||||
| Pumpkin seeds Soybeans | Barley | Sesame Seed | ||||||||
Food and Beverages to avoid:
Drinking alcohol too close to bed time, may make you feel sleepy and give you a false sense of security that it will help you sleep. Problem is, it suppresses the REM sleep preventing restful, quality sleep. It may cause you to wake up in the middle of the night and too much alcohol can cause hangovers leading to grogginess in the morning, partly because the alcohol disrupts the last two-thirds of the night's sleep.
In addition to releasing adrenaline, alcohol impairs the transport of tryptophan into the brain, which then disrupts serotonin levels.
Caffeine sensitivity is different for different people, but any beverage containing caffeine is likely to cause problems. Even decaf coffee and tea as well as chocolate have enough caffeine to cause insomnia in some people.
Avoid: bacon, chocolate, eggplant, ham, potatoes, sauerkraut, sugar sausage, spinach, tomatoes, and wine close to bedtime. These foods contain tyramine which increases release of norepinephrine, a brain stimulant.
• You may want to eliminate or at least reduce or substitute the amount of sugars, fats, and preservatives from your diet. Besides improving your general health, it should help your ability to fall asleep at night.
• Our digestive system slows at night, so it is harder to digest late meals. Try not to overeat or eat too close to bedtime.
• If you need a small snack before bedtime, choose well - avoiding food that are high in protein, fats and sugars, as well as foods that are too heavy or spicy.
• Try a small bowl of cereal with milk or on serving of low-fat yogurt.
• The idea is to provide your body with a little nourishment so that you don't get hungry overnight and can rest and relax, but no overindulge in an evening snack.
• Be sure to drink plenty of water during the day, hydrating your body so that it won't signal you to wake up in the middle of the night.
• Don't drink much within an hour of going to bed so you won't need to urinate during the night.
Aromatherapy Massage, Bath and Diffusion
This is where essential oils can come in to help you big time. There are a number of essential oils that are sedative in nature that can help you sleep. We have found that diffusing them at night on your night stand is the best way to get the fragrance and the sedative properties into your limbic system to help you get to sleep and stay asleep. The limbic system is connected to areas of the brain that is linked to memory, breathing and blood circulation as well as the endocrine glands which regulate hormone levels in the body.
We recommend setting up a diffuser with one of our sleep blends ½ hour before going bed to let the fragrance fill your room before retiring for the night. These aromatic oils can also be mixed with a carrier oil for an incredibly relaxing massage and/or mix a few drops of these sedative oils in a cup of Epsom salts and take a long relaxing bath to start your bedtime routine.
Our company, Ultimately Essential LLC has come up with a couple of sleep blends that have been very popular on Amazon. They are featured on this site as well as our diffuser that runs all night, if you want to check them out. Besides the reviews we have received, we have gotten numerous emails from buyers who haven’t posted reviews but emailed to let us know how much they have helped them to relax and to sleep.
Improving Your Sleep
Since the most common cause of insomnia is poor sleeping habits, and since having good sleeping habits is one of the best ways to overcome your insomnia, we'll begin this section by reviewing what a good nighttime routine looks like and how it can help improve your sleep.
Nighttime Routine
Bad sleeping habits can cause or worsen insomnia. The only way to overcome them is to replace them with good sleeping habits. Our body is programmed to sleep. If you are having trouble, obviously something has taken you out of your program and into another one. We just have to figure out how to get you back. It’s going to be different for different people.
• First of all, establish a regular sleep schedule if at all possible and at least when possible. Go to bed and get up around the same time every day, even weekends. Figure out what time(s) can work consistently for you.
• Don’t nap – it messes up your circadian rhythm. You also cannot make up time lost sleeping at night by sleeping in longer in the morning. If you really have had a bad night and feel like you absolutely must nap, make sure that you do it before 4pm and only for about 45 minutes – and DON’T make a habit of this as you will not be able to sleep at night.
• Sleeping late in the morning only makes you feel more groggy and harder to get started on your day. The hours you sleep before midnight have more/better impact on your body than those after midnight.
• Figure out a relaxing routine that works for you and stick with it. Maybe its meditation, reading a book, stretching. More on that later.
• One of the worst sleeping habits you can have is using your phone, computer, or television right before bedtime. Studies have proven that the light from these screens will make it harder for you to fall asleep. Even if you enjoy watching your favorite movie, or TV show as you drift off, your body's natural sleep clock was made to work based on the rise and fall of the sun.
Seeing bright lights from screens before you go to bed messes with your body's natural release of Melatonin, a hormone that makes you sleepy. If you are using screens right before you get into bed, it can make it take much longer for you to drift off at night and it can also make it harder for your body to enter a deep state of sleep. Other artificial lights cause the same problem.
Before you hit the pillow, get in the habit of going "lights out" an hour before you would like to fall asleep. A gentle reading lamp will be acceptable so that you can journal, read a book, or study. This quiet time before bed will also help calm your mind and improve your sleep quality. The act of journaling in itself can also help you overcome stress and get your thoughts out onto paper for a more restful night.
Even if you feel that screen time isn't affecting how quickly you fall asleep, it is affecting how deeply you sleep. The blue light emitted by screens delays the onset of REM sleep, which is the deep sleep state in which you dream and your body is able to recover.
Here are some other tips on improving your nighttime routine:
• If you don't want to miss your favorite TV show, record it so you can watch it later.
• If you don't want to journal or read, chat with a roommate or your spouse.
• If you have a pet, spending time petting them before you go to bed is also a relaxing way to begin calming your mind.
• If you do wake up in the middle of the night – I know this is hard, but DON’T look at the clock. It will just stimulate your mind and you’ll be more awake. It’ll take longer for you to go to sleep than if you just rolled over and kept your eyes closed. If you’ve set you alarm, you will get up on time and you don’t need to know what time it is in the middle of the night. If you allow yourself to look at the clock when you wake up at night, it is just going to add to your stress. If you do have an alarm clock in your room because you need to get up to an alarm, then turn it away from you so that you cannot look at it during the night.
• A good nighttime routine will get you away from screens, loud noises, and bright lights about an hour before you're ready to fall asleep. Reading, journaling, or studying for the last few minutes of your night before you lay down will also help you clear your mind. In fact, if you are concerned about tomorrow’s tasks, write down your “To Do” list before you go to bed, so you don’t have to worry about remembering what all is on your plate for the next day.
• Is your mind always busy and do you have trouble winding down in the evening? Do you tend to worry about things hanging over you, finances, relationships, etc.? The goal should be to try to clear your mind and find a way to let go of things until tomorrow. How to do that is going to be different for every person, but try to consciously realize that tomorrow is a new day and you can handle issues better when you are well rested. Night time is the time to sleep. Maybe try keeping a journal, not only of things to do, but whatever worries you have that need to be tackled when you are fresh. Have a decisive plan as to your plan of action for what you are going to accomplish tomorrow.
• Make a separate list in your notebook that contains things over which you have no control. Then, tell yourself that you are done thinking for the day. You have written everything down that concerns you, so now you can give yourself permission to turn off your brain. Maybe as the last thing to do for the night, write down a couple of things that you are grateful/thankful for and end the night on a positive note.
• Also, the mind is very powerful. Even if you feel like you are an insomniac, don’t ever call yourself that and don’t even think that way or else it could become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead, as you are getting ready for bed, say to yourself and maybe even write in your journal that you are going to go to bed now because it’s time to go to sleep. Say that it’s no big deal if you don’t go to sleep right away. You’re just going to relax and see what happens. Take the pressure off of yourself to go right to sleep. Try not to force sleep or else you will get frustrated which will make it even harder to fall asleep.
If you think about it, when you happened feel sleepy during the day, it’s not because you were thinking about going to sleep, right? In fact, you were probably fighting sleep to stay awake to finish whatever it was you were doing. Am I right? So much of our sleep issues are in our head. We feel such a desperate need to sleep that we agonize over it if it doesn’t come quickly, then we work ourselves up into a frenzy over it and sabotage ourselves.
Studies have shown that when participants actively tried to fall asleep they were less likely to at least very quickly. When we actively try to sleep, we’re not letting our body and mind relax. We keep alert, constantly aware of the fact that we are still awake. On top of that, as we become anxious about the fact that we are not falling asleep, our stress response kicks in making it even more difficult to sleep.
At some point during the night, some environmental factors may kick in, like little noises which is a good reason that using a sleep app with some kind of white noise or sleep inducing music would be perfect to help drown out those distractions. More on that below.
When those in the studies who found relief from their sleeplessness, were interviewed, they gave credit to “prayer,” “relaxation,” “visualization,” and “attempts to stop thinking” rather than trying to force sleep.
Sleep will come naturally if we relax and allow it to run its course. One thing that goes against many of us is a sedentary lifestyle. People like me who work from home can go days without ever stepping foot outside. This isn’t natural. We need to spend some time outside in nature, and our body needs a certain amount of sun. The longer we can expose ourselves to daylight, the healthier our sleep cycle will be.
• Make sure that you turn the light out and don’t fall asleep with it on, as you might wake up during the night and the light could be so stimulating that you may find that you are not able to go back to sleep.
What NOT to do just before bed:
• Watch TV
• Eat a heavy meal
• Exercise
• Work on mind stimulating or problem solving activities
• Argue
• Talk on the phone
• Be on any electronics
• Go right to bed after being out for a stimulating evening
Facts about the Bedroom – Should be:
• Dark (use a sleep mask if necessary)
• Quiet (use ear plugs if necessary or some sort of “white noise.”
• Cool (ideally between 60-65, and no more than 70 degrees F tops)
• It’s important to find the temperature that works best for you, but a cooler room with more covers is better than a hot room.
• Used only for sleep and sex
• If you find you bedroom to be too dry, you might want to add a humidifier, especially in the winter when there is so much dry heat blowing.
• Wear comfortable, loose fitted clothing so you don’t feel constrained at all while trying to sleep.
• Find a favorite position in which to fall asleep and always start in that position. Your subconscious will relate that to falling asleep.
The brain needs to associate the bedroom to sleep, so if you cannot sleep after about ½ hour, get up and go to another room to read or listen to some relaxing music. Don’t do anything stimulating. After about ½ hour, go back to bed and try again. Rinse and repeat if necessary. This will take some effort and dedication initially, but if you stick with it, eventually your brain will cooperate.
Before you tuck you phone away, you might want to download our sleep app (The Ultimate Sleep Solution) and try out the various sounds and music selections to see if any of them might help you to sleep. Especially if you are a light sleeper who is awakened by little (or even big) noises this could help you from waking up because you won’t hear them.
If you share a room or a bed with someone else who can be a noisy sleeper, this might be just what you need to drown out those annoying sounds that might otherwise keep you up or awaken you. If you are someone who has trouble ether falling asleep or going back to sleep, once awakened, this is just want the doctor ordered.
We spent literally months listening to sounds and musical selections that we felt would be ideal for a sleep app – not only for adults, but also for children. That’s why you will see sounds for things you might not be inclined to listen to like vacuum, talking crowd or busy highway, mother’s womb, heartbeat, etc.; but we have found these to be perfect for kids. Of course kids can get used to listening to anything to go to sleep and anything that can keep them asleep is worth its weight in gold.
We licensed our music selections from composers who are getting literally millions of views on YouTube with comments galore as to how the music has helped listeners to sleep, so why don’t you join the family?! You can try out the “Premium” version on us for 14 days with our free trial that will unlock all the features and music selections for you. The free version is awesome also. You just get more features and songs with the onetime upgrade fee of $9.99.
The Importance of a Good Bed
The importance of having a good mattress cannot be understated. If you already struggle to fall asleep due to poor sleeping habits, stress, anxiety, or any other reason, having an uncomfortable mattress on top of that will only add to your worries.
Investing in the right mattress is well worth the expense. Having a comfortable bed to sleep on will prove extremely helpful as you try to overcome your insomnia, and it can also help you overcome back pain and restlessness throughout the night.
Choosing the right mattress is a matter of trying one out. Most companies today offer a "sleep warranty" where they will let you try the mattress out in your home for so many nights after purchasing. It is worth going through the trouble of testing out a bed like this because, after all, laying unnaturally on a mattress for ten minutes at the store doesn't really allow you to try it out beforehand.
So, if your mattress might be adding to the problem, be sure to look for one that will help improve your sleep by being comfortable and not hard, lumpy, or too soft.
Today, you have multiple options to find the perfect mattress, with adjustable settings, heat/cooling modes, and even massage options. There are also new mattresses that are hypoallergenic and come infused with various plant fibers and materials to help make them an even better sleeping choice.
A couple of pointers when you go to purchase a new mattress, take your spouse with you and lay on it together in the store. Give yourself plenty of time to lay on it and move around to all kind of different positons to be sure that it is comfortable in every way. Does your spouse moving around on it bother you at all or is your side staying stationary, not being bothered by the movement of the other person?
Also, don't try to find one that feels like your current one. Remember that your current one is broken in already and if the new one is already at that state, it may be too soft before you know it.
How often should you replace your mattress? About every 8-10 years is the norm. It's difficult to get a good night's sleep on a bad mattress. The point is, if you are suffering from bad sleep, don't be afraid to point fingers at your mattress.
Getting Exercise
This piece of advice is everywhere: Get more exercise! But, it actually has a lot to do with how well you sleep at night. Exercise actually promotes sleep by allowing a smoother transition between the cycles and phases of sleep.
Two things we know about exercise and how it relates to insomniacs:
• Insomniacs generally lead more sedentary lives than those who are active. The lack of activity can contribute to insomnia by inhibiting the daily rise and fall of the body temperature rhythm. This can cause a person to get caught in a cycle of insomnia, reduced energy and physical activity, resulting in worsened insomnia.
• Exercise produces a significant rise in body temperature which is followed by a compensatory drop a few hours later. The drop in body temperature, which persists for two to four hours after the activity, makes it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Not getting enough exercise could be what's stopping you from being able to go to sleep fast and stay asleep throughout the night. If you aren't expending a lot of energy throughout the day, you might have a restless feeling when you get in bed at night. When you eventually do get to sleep, you are likely not sleeping soundly enough to feel well-rested the next morning.
How much and what kind of exercise you ask?
Moderate exercise lasting 20-30 minutes three or four times a week will help you feel and sleep better as well as give you more energy throughout the day. It actually will increase the amount of time you spend in the deepest Stage 4 sleep. For some people, exercise alone is sufficient enough to overcome their sleep problems.
Aerobic exercises are the best to combat sleeplessness. That is because these types of exercises increase the amount of oxygen that reaches the blood. Some of the best aerobic exercises are jogging, swimming, riding a bike, jumping rope, dancing, etc. You can also add in an activity, like walking, or using a treadmill or elliptical if it’s too cold or nasty to go outside.
When you feel restless at night, you're likely to end up pushing your bedtime back more and more depending on how you feel each day. This can lead to poor sleeping habits and end up making your insomnia worse.
On the other hand, if you are persistently getting into bed early even though you haven't expended much energy and your body isn't tired, this can actually have a long-term effect of making you feel less energized as your body continuously adapts to a more sedentary lifestyle.
Either way, getting more exercise is the solution. How much you need to move each day depends on your age, eating habits, and health. Everybody has heard about the 10,000 step goal, but most of us hardly reach half of that. If you can get a fitness tracking device to help you log your steps and movement throughout the day that would be a fantastic motivator to get more exercise--but you can actually get started without any fancy tools.
Simply getting a pedometer app for your phone would take you in the right direction, but if you really want to sleep soundly through the night, you have to do a little more than simply take so many steps in a day. Choose the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Park your car at the end of the parking lot or around the corner and walk to the door giving yourself a few extra steps either way. Every little bit of movement helps in some small way.
Being more active in general, such as standing on the hour for a few minutes or taking the stairs, will definitely add up, but the most effective way to enjoy all the benefits of exercise is to deliberately add a short exercise routine into your day.
If you are super short on time, there are plenty of free workout videos on the internet that are 3, 5, or 10 minutes in length. You can also go longer for better effects. Opt for a cardio workout (even if it's a low-impact walking workout) so that you will be getting up your heart rate, burning calories, and ultimately helping to wear yourself out. Some kind of “interval” training is really best for your heartrate and getting your metabolism moving.
On a final note, while it might sound like getting worn out before bed will help you feel exhausted and get to sleep, doing cardio right before bedtime will get your blood pumping, your heart rate will go up, and wake up your body. So, it's best to take care of it earlier in the day.
When should you exercise?
For most of us the ideal time is early in the morning before breakfast and getting cleaned up for the day. However, for combating insomnia, the best time is at the end of the afternoon or early evening, like after work, before dinner – remember though, not just before bedtime.
If you can make yourself take the time to do both, you will get the most benefit. Try to do the more strenuous workout in the morning to get that benefit throughout the day, then in the early evening, take a little time to take a brisk walk, stretch, or do some yoga or Tai Chi to help you wind down.
Don’t laugh, but you could gently dance to some of the beautiful, relaxing music you will find on our app. It will definitely lift your mood and relax your body. You could try mixing it up and do some exercises one day and the other another day. You really should just experiment to see what works best for you. I guarantee that you will at least feel and sleep better if you have not been exercising and you start to do ANY of types of exercise mentioned here.
What are the benefits of exercise not already mentioned?
• Reduces stress by helping to dissipate the lactic acid that builds up in the blood
• Causes the muscular tension that often builds up in our body
• Sharpens the brain by increasing the amount of oxygen available
• Strengthens and stimulates the heart and lungs
• Vitalizes the nervous system
• Activates the endocrine system
• Increases the body’s production of endorphins which create a sense of well-being and increases the body’s resistance to pain
• Stimulates the release of epinephrine, a hormone that creates a sense of happiness and excitement.
• Reduces boredom, worry, and tension
More interesting facts about exercise:
There are some “non-aerobic” actives that can be beneficial in helping to solve your insomnia problem – Yoga and Tai Chi.
Yoga has a way of stimulating your nervous system, particularly the brain. It uses breathing techniques and particular postures to increase blood circulation to the center of the brain which promotes regular and restful sleep patterns. Yoga, when practiced regularly will relax you as well as relieve stress and tension.
Tai Chi is a combination of breathing and movement that was developed centuries ago by Chinese monks. The movements are precise and slow which is ideal if you experience joint pain that keeps you from doing any high impact aerobic exercises. Studies have shown that Tai Chi has helped people with insomnia by promoting relaxation.
Breathing and Relaxing Techniques:
The deeper and slower you breathe, the more relaxed and self-sedated you will become. I know it’s not always a viable option, but sleeping with a window at least slightly open will help the air to circulate in your bedroom and fill your lungs with cool, fresh air. Relaxation techniques should help your body wind down to prepare you for the “sleep cycle.”
Try this breathing technique when you first go to bed:
• Take a deep breath.
• Breathe in through your nose and visualize the air moving down to your stomach.
• As you breathe in again, silently count to four.
• Purse your lips as you exhale slowly.
• This time, count silently to eight.
• Repeat this process 6-10 times.
You should immediately experience the results of this breathing technique. You should feel your shoulders and arms relax. Your chest should feel less constricted as you feel less stress and tension.
Practice this breathing technique daily until it becomes a habit and a natural routine for you and you notice it helping to induce natural sleep.
The following relaxation exercises are well known to help your body ease into a relaxed state:
• Lay on your back on the floor (or you could do theses in your bed). Set your feet about slightly apart with your hands at your sides with palms pointed up to the ceiling.
• Close your eyes and concentrate on every part of your body.
• Begin at the top of your head and work your way down to your toes.
• Start by feeling your forehead, tense up, then follow on down to your eyes, face and jaw.
• Tense and release each muscle group as you go along, such as your shoulders and neck.
• Be sure to give attention to each area of your body from the top of your head, down through the trunk of your body, down along your legs, and ending up at your toes.
• Stay in this relaxed condition for a few minutes. Concentrate on your breathing and let all the worry and stress dissipate from your mind and body. Make sure that your breathing comes from deep in your stomach and flows slow and steady.
• If you are on the floor, stretch slowly before standing. Turn on your side and get up slowly.
This exercise should tell your body and mind that it is okay to settle down, leaving behind thought of worry, fear and stress. There are other similar techniques available the do the same thing. You just need to find what works best for you.
Intimate Exercise - Sex with your Spouse
Something you may or may not already know is that sex is a natural sleep inducer. Most of us thrive on touch and sex can provide a closeness and warmth found no other way which can make other problems fade away, at least until morning. I also has a beneficial effect on our ability to sleep.
Besides reproduction, sex is considered to be the most pleasant remedy for a whole plethora of problems. In addition to a purely psychological satisfaction, our body produces endorphin, the hormone which elevates our spirits and increases our positive perception of the environment.
Researchers have found that such inspiration comes from the activity of certain brain centers, which when activated elevates the effect on the chemical level, which requires no additional effort on our part.
Prior to orgasm, the brain emits a dose of oxytocin which is the hormone of the posterior lobe of the pituitary. Oxytocin results in the production of sedative endorphins which is a natural stress reducer. Numerous studies have shown that it does this by lowering anxiety levels, boosting relaxation and aiding sleep.
How Much Sleep Do We Need?
Our need for sleep and our sleep patterns change as we age, but this even varies significantly across individuals of the same age. There is no magic "number of hours" that works for everybody of the same age.
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recommends the following amount of sleep for different age groups:
• Newborns: 14–17 hours
• Infants: 12–15 hours
• Toddlers 11–14 hours
• Preschoolers 10–13 hours
• School-aged children: 9–11 hours
• Teens: 8–10 hours
• Adults: 7–9 hours
• Older adults: 7–8 hours
In general, people are getting less sleep than they need due to longer hours and availability of round-thd-clock entertainment and other activities.
Many people feed that they can "catch up" on missed sleep during the weekend, but depending on how sleep deprived they are, sleeping longer on the weekends may not be adequate.
Look for Signs of Possible Medical Sleep Disorders
Warning Signs of sleep orders for adults:
• Depressive symptoms that don’t respond to antidepressants
• Snoring
• Breathing irregularities during sleep
• Morning headache
• Fighting sleep or falling asleep during the day
• Lack of energy
• Feeling tired instead of refreshed in the morning
• Night sweats
• Excessive movement or jerks in sleep
• Loss of enjoyment in activities
• Declining libido
Warning Signs of sleep orders for children:
• Behind the curve in growth and weight for age
• Learning or behavioral problems
• Poor school performance
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Falling asleep during the day
• Extremely restless sleeper
• Excessive movements or jerking in sleep
• Difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep
• Repeated night terror or sleepwalking
• Bedwetting without a genetic or physical cause
• Night sweats
• Snoring
These problems could also be associated with other conditions. If you think that you or your child has a medical sleep disorder, you should see a medical specialist immediately. If you find that after trying all the things mentioned on this site, that you still cannot sleep, then your issue may be environmental or stress related.
Sleep deprivation among teens is way too prevalent and should cause concern. Well over half of high school students get 7 or less hours of sleep a night making it not only difficult to stay awake in school, but contributes to obesity, alcohol and drug abuse, feelings of hopelessness, and a higher risk for self-harm.
Is your Baby a Poor Sleeper?
Adults aren't the only ones who suffer from poor sleep quality. If your baby is having trouble falling to sleep, there could be a variety of reasons behind it that you want to look into.
Here are some tips:
• One of the primary reasons why your baby won't get to sleep is that they are simply too excited. Makeover your baby's bedtime routine by replacing tickle-fests with story time, a lullaby, or a massage.
• Another common cause of a baby who isn't sleeping well is that they simply aren't comfortable. Even if you spent months planning out the perfect nursery, some babies are very sensitive to certain sounds and feelings. Try removing pajama tags, using better sheets, or keeping the room darker.
• If your nursery stays dark all day long or your baby isn't getting enough sunlight, this could also be causing their crazy sleep schedule. Open up the shades during the day and be sure they get lots of exposure to morning light to help get your baby up earlier.
• Try not to feed your baby in the middle of the night. Feeding them later will throw off their sleep cycle. Move their last meal or nursing session to earlier in the routine.
• If your baby doesn't like napping during the day, you need to work on your timing. Put your baby in their crib when they are drowsy, before they go to sleep. This will also help them learn how to get to sleep on their own.
• Many babies suffer with getting to sleep if they want you in the room with them. This can be even more difficult to overcome if you practiced co-sleeping right after they were born but, it is possible.
• To improve their sleep as a whole, you should look at your baby’s entire daily routine. Too many naps will keep them up at night while allowing them to sleep in late will do the same. Have your baby get up to see the sunshine in the morning to start the day. Then, make sure they eat and get playing sooner rather than later.
• Once you see a yawn later on, that means naptime. Putting them in their crib with the shades mostly drawn will allow them to drift off and learn to sleep on their own. Fight off your urge to check on them in the first few minutes--after all, how long does it take you to get to sleep?
• Give them a little while to drift off before you check on them. Keep a tally of how much they are napping throughout the day and be sure to get them up and active when you want them to be so that they will be tired again later.
• At night, make sure their bedtime routine is as quiet and relaxing as possible. Try not to get them excited and spend some time with them under dull light reading or singing to help them get sleepy. The noise or music from our sleep app will help them to go and stay asleep as well. Just use an old phone or your iPad to download the app and put it near their bed. When they are drifting off, put them in their crib to stay.
• Again, checking on things like the comfort of their clothes and crib, and keeping the room extra dark can help even the most sensitive baby get to sleep at night.
In a Nutshell, How to Beat Insomnia
Depending on your circumstance any or all of the above suggestions could definitely help you to get a good night’s sleep. The methods outlined on this website can help you find a restful night's sleep without the assistance of any drugs that could have a long term negative affect.
We would recommend trying one or two methods at first and stick with it for a week or two to give it a fair trial. Then try others if necessary until you find what works best for you. Remember to try and stick with the same bedtime schedule even on weekends and holidays until you can get into a routine that works for you.
Keeping track of your sleeping habits during this time with a sleep log or journal will help you recognize your natural wake times and sleeping patterns.
After you have observed how you have adjusted to your new treatments or methods, you can begin to modify your routine to incorporate more or less of the methods described here as needed. Be sure to note the adjustments you have made in your sleep log so you can go back if something isn't working so you know what you have changed.
As with any health issue, never hesitate to consult your doctor if your symptoms raise health concerns of any kind. Your health care professional can work with you to determine the best natural treatment and remedies outlined on this website.
**Be sure to sign up for our mailing list so that you can receive even more tips and recommendations from us regarding sleep tips and helps, as well as notification of new and discounted products we may become aware of to help you.
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES
http://sleephealthfoundation.org.au/pdfs/Insomnia.pdf
https://sleep.org/articles/is-it-bad-to-watch-tv-right-before-bed/
https://health.nokia.com/blog/2015/03/17/the-4-different-stages-of-sleep/
https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/risks-taking-sleeping-pills/
https://draxe.com/natural-sleep-aids/
http://www.sleeptherapy.com.au/
Appendix
*Stress by Gender, Published by the American Psychological Association
The Stress in America" survey continues to uncover interesting differences in the way women and men experience and manage stress.* While both genders report stress levels beyond what they consider healthy, women are more likely than men to say their already high stress levels are on the rise and they are less likely to believe they are doing a good job of managing their stress.
Women continue to report higher stress levels than men (5.3 vs. 4.6 on a 10-point scale where 1 is “little or no stress” and 10 is “a great deal of stress”). Both genders agree, however, that 3.6 is a healthy level of stress, pushing women nearly two points beyond the level of stress they believe to be healthy.
More women report experiencing extreme stress than men. Twenty-three percent of women report their stress level at an 8, 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale, compared to 16 percent of men.
What’s more, women are more likely than men to say their stress is on the rise. More women say their stress levels have increased in the past five years (43 percent vs. 33 percent of men) and in the past year alone (38 percent vs. 32 percent of men).
Men and women both turn to exercise (52 percent for both genders) and listening to music (48 percent for both genders) as their top stress management techniques. However, women are more likely to engage in social and sedentary activities to manage stress such as reading (50 percent vs. 29 percent), spending time with friends or family (43 percent vs. 34 percent) and shopping (18 percent vs. 6 percent). Women are also more likely than men to say they eat to manage stress (27 percent vs. 22 percent).
In fact, men increasingly report doing an excellent or very good job at managing stress (2010: 30 percent; 2011: 35 percent; 2012: 39 percent). While women acknowledge the importance of stress management, few feel they are doing a good job of it. Sixty-eight percent of women say managing stress is important to them, but only 34 percent say they are doing an excellent or very good job at it.
Top sources of stress are the same for men and women, including money (66 percent and 72 percent), work (64 percent and 66 percent) and the economy (60 percent and 62 percent).