Sleep is one of the most essential and relaxing ways for the body to recuperate. Unfortunately, some people have trouble sleeping due to various causes and as a result of sleep deprivation; the individual becomes vulnerable to several illnesses. This inability to sleep is termed insomnia.
Insomnia includes a general dissatisfaction about one’s quality of sleep, or about sleep being delayed at night or shortened in the morning.
Symptoms
Listed below are the most common signs that you may be suffering from insomnia:
Anxiety or feeling agitated before and during sleep.
Not feeling fresh or rested in the morning.
Sleep experience is negative and not a pleasure.
Feeling sleepy and lethargic during the day.
Difficulty in concentration and problem solving.
Irritable and tense moods.
Nighty night…
The good news is that there are several psychological strategies that have been evaluated as potentially useful treatments for insomnia. These behavioural techniques can be effective alternatives to many sleep inducing drugs that have addictive properties and other side effects. Read on to know some useful strategies to get that essential good night’s rest.
Firstly follow a “sleep hygiene” habit. This consists of ensuring that you maintain certain lifestyle patterns such as:
w Regular exercise, however, refrain from exercise four hours prior to bedtime.
w Snacks before bedtime should be light and the intake of fluid limited.
Avoid consuming caffeine, nicotine and alcohol at least four to six hours before bed.
Follow a routine. Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day and if possible, even on weekends.
Comfortable environment- Make sure the temperature, light and noise levels are adjusted to your needs when you sleep.
Establish an optimal sleep pattern.
Sleep only when you feel sleepy and do not mistake fatigue for feeling sleepy.
Do not watch television, work, study, or eat in bed; these are waking activities.
If you are not asleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed, sit and relax in another room with a dim light or read something boring till you are sleepy again.
Try to avoid daytime naps; this will ensure that you are tired at bedtime.
Do not indulge recovery sleep to compensate for a previous bad night.
Dealing with tension and learning to relax.
Set up a work activity deadline at least 90 minutes prior to bedtime.
Practice a relaxation routine in bed: Concentrate on your breathing and when you exhale, release and let all the tension from your muscle groups ease away.
Don’t worry about your inability to sleep as this would make your muscles tense.
Postpone the planning and thinking of problems to the next morning when your mind and body are rested and therefore, alert.
It is essential to abide by these principles for several weeks to establish an efficient and regular sleep-wake pattern. Insomnia is secondary to many psychological disorders, and a diagnosis and management of this primary condition by a trained mental health professional is absolutely necessary to resolve insomnia.
The writer is a consultant psychologist at Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai