Not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep – I think it is one of the most common “problems” nowadays. I know what I’m talking about! I went to the doctor and he gave me these tips.
First of all: don’t overthink it. If you go in the vicious cirle, it becomes a selfulfilling prophecy. Don’t go all “OHMYGOD ONLY 6H OF SLEEP LEFT I WILL BE A WRECK TOMORROW”. Been there, done that. It doesn’t help so you might as well think: hey, I am awake. Ok, no problem. Let’s go back to sleep.
My doctor explained to me that it is perfectly normal to wake up a few times a night. Normally we do it without even realising it. You might have heard of the stages of sleep that we all go through. After a cycle is finished, it starts from the beginning. So after around 90 min you are in a lighter sleep and wake up more easily. Don’t overthink it. For me, just understanding better how sleep works already helped me.
Go into relax mode. In the evening, try not to wind yourself up too much. Don´t drink coffee or drinks with too much sugar. I suggest camomille tea, since it helps you relax.
Avoid screens or make sure they don’t have the “white light”. My iPhone 6S can switch to yellow light with a specific setting, so it is less heavy on your eyes.
Try to keep a rhythm. It doesn´t help if you go to bed at 10pm on a sunday to wake up at 7 on monday if you go to bed at 12 on tuesday, 10 on wednesday, 1 on friday and maybe 4 on saturday and then waking up again at 10 am. If your body has no idea whether it is night or day, the production of melatonina (our natural sleep hormone) will be fucked up. You can try and take melatonina supplements to fix this, but maybe just start with fixing your rhythm.
So to sum it up:
- Don’t overthink it
- Inform yourself
- Go to relax mode
- Avoid screens
- Keep a rhythm
Do you have more tips what helps you fall asleep?
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