Sleepless Nights: Natural Ways To Find Rest

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can be a minor inconvenience for some and a major disruption for others. It can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term), with the latter known as insomnia disorder. While insomnia is usually not dangerous, it can have severe effects on your life, including difficulty focusing and learning, and negative impacts on your mood and relationships. There are many reasons why someone might experience insomnia, including lifestyle habits, mental health conditions, and other underlying health issues. If you are tired but can't fall asleep, it could be due to factors such as your circadian rhythm being off, daytime napping, anxiety, caffeine consumption, or sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome.

If you are struggling with insomnia, there are various treatment options available, including lifestyle changes, talk therapy, and sleeping pills. However, it is important to consult with a healthcare professional to determine the underlying cause and the most appropriate treatment plan for your specific situation.

Try breathing techniques, such as Dr. Andrew Weil's 4-7-8 Breathing

Dr. Andrew Weil's 4-7-8 breathing technique is a great drug-free method to help you fall asleep. It is based on the yogi technique called Pranayama, which focuses on breath regulation. The 4-7-8 breathing technique is simple and can be done anywhere without any equipment. It is a useful tool that can help you relax and fall asleep.

• Get into a comfortable position. You can sit or lie down, whichever you prefer.
• Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth. Keep your tongue in this position throughout the exercise.
• Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose for a count of four seconds.
• Hold your breath for a count of seven seconds. This is the most important phase of the technique, according to Dr. Weil, as it allows oxygen to circulate throughout your body, promoting relaxation.
• Exhale completely through your mouth for a count of eight seconds, making a whooshing sound.
• Repeat this cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Some things to keep in mind:

• The 4-7-8 ratio is more important than the specific amount of time spent on each phase. So, feel free to speed up or slow down the exercise to suit your comfort level.
• It is natural for your mind to wander during this exercise, especially before falling asleep. Gently bring your focus back to the breathing technique if this happens.
• Practise this technique every day, twice a day, to develop this skill. With consistent practice, the 4-7-8 breathing technique can help you fall asleep in just a few minutes.

Adopt a relaxation practice, like meditation or yoga

Meditation and yoga are both excellent ways to relax the body and calm the mind, which can help you fall asleep more easily.

Meditation

Meditation trains us to be more aware of the present moment and less in our heads. It can be an effective way to manage anxiety, especially before bedtime. The deep breathing techniques involved in meditation can activate your body's relaxation response, counteracting stress and anxiety.

• Breathing exercises: Regulate your breath by counting breaths and slowing your breathing pattern. This signals to your body that it's time for sleep.
• Mindful body scanning: Notice the breath and the places where your body is touching the bed. Then, starting with your toes, think of "switching off" any effort in each body part, one by one.
• Visualization: Imagine an image or scene, and let yourself be led into a mental state similar to hypnosis.
• Gratitude meditation: Focus on appreciation and loving kindness.
• Counting: To slow down your mind, try counting slowly from 10 (or 1,000) and backwards to one, then start again at 10.

Yoga

Yoga is a great balance of breathing and movement, making it an excellent form of exercise that can relax the body and calm the mind. It can help with insomnia, relaxation, and improving your overall quality of life.

• Yin yoga: Focuses on slow, controlled movements, deep breathing, and stretches for deeper relaxation.
• Restorative yoga: Focuses on relaxation, stress relief, and mindfulness.
• Gentle hatha yoga: Emphasizes slow, controlled movements, deep breathing, and stretches for deeper relaxation.
• Child's pose (balasana): This simple yet effective resting posture helps gently stretch your lower back and hips to release tension as it calms your mind.
• Butterfly pose (baddha konasana): Aids in relaxation and is excellent for stretching out tight hips and inner thighs, helping to release stored tension in the lower body.
• Legs-up-the-wall (viparita karani): A restful position that promotes relaxation and improves blood circulation.
• Cat-cow pose (marjaiasana-bitilasana): A helpful pose sequence for spinal flexibility and abdominal activation. Flowing between these positions can be meditative and relaxing before bed.
• Happy baby pose (ananda balasana): Releases lower back tension and encourages playfulness, helping to shake off adult worries before bedtime.

Avoid caffeine, especially 4-6 hours before bed

Caffeine is a stimulant that can keep you awake and alert. It is quickly absorbed and distributed throughout your body, including your brain, where it blocks adenosine, a sleep-inducing chemical. Adenosine levels in your brain fluctuate—they are fairly low when you wake up and slowly build throughout the day. After several hours of being awake, adenosine levels increase to a point where they start the process of making you sleepy.

When you consume caffeine, it can take up to five hours or longer for its effects to wear off. The half-life of caffeine—the time it takes for the amount of the substance in your body to reduce by half—is between four and six hours. This means that if you consume caffeine within this window before your bedtime, half of it will still be present in your body, keeping you alert and potentially preventing you from falling or staying asleep.

Therefore, it is recommended to avoid caffeine at least eight hours before bedtime to ensure better sleep quality. If you are highly sensitive to caffeine, you may want to stop consuming it earlier in the day, or avoid it altogether. The exact timeline will depend on your individual caffeine tolerance, work schedule, and bedtime. As a general rule of thumb, if you follow a standard evening bedtime, it is advisable to cut off caffeine intake around 2:00 or 3:00 p.m.

If you are struggling with sleep, consider keeping a record of the times you consume caffeine and how you sleep at night. This will help you determine the optimal period of caffeine abstinence before bed to improve your sleep quality. Additionally, you can try reducing your daily caffeine intake, especially if you notice insomnia, anxiety, or headaches.

Remember that caffeine can be found not only in coffee, tea, and soda but also in energy drinks, chocolate, and even some medications and over-the-counter supplements. Reading ingredient labels carefully can help you identify hidden sources of caffeine in your diet.

Limit screen time 2 hours before bed

Screen time before bed can have a detrimental effect on your sleep quality and duration. Here are some reasons why you should limit screen time two hours before bed:

Blue Light Exposure

Blue light emitted by screens suppresses melatonin production, a hormone that is crucial for regulating sleep. By reducing melatonin, blue light exposure will make you more awake and alert at night, disrupting your natural sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm. Over time, this can lead to insomnia.

Overstimulation of the Brain

When you engage with your phone or other devices, your brain is stimulated as it processes information. This stimulation makes it harder for your brain to relax and transition to sleep. The more stimulating the content, such as violent video games, the more difficult it will be to fall asleep.

Sleep-Wake Cycle Disruption

Excessive screen use can upset your body's natural sleep-wake rhythm or circadian rhythm. This rhythm is your body's way of telling you when to sleep and when to be awake, making you sleepy at night and alert during the day. By disrupting this cycle, you may find it harder to fall asleep and experience insomnia.

Radiation Exposure

Cell phones emit radiation, which can cause sleep delays and reduced sleep quality. Radiation exposure can also lead to headaches and confusion, taking you longer to reach deeper levels of sleep. As a result, your body may not be able to repair and recover effectively during sleep.

Negative Impact on Mood and Wellbeing

Screen time before bed can affect your mood and emotional state. Social media use, in particular, has been linked to depression, anxiety, and poor sleep quality. The stimulating and often negative content can make it challenging to relax and prepare for sleep, potentially leading to a delay in falling asleep.

To improve your sleep quality and duration, it is advisable to limit screen time at least two hours before bed. This will give your brain a chance to wind down and signal to your body that it's time to sleep. You can create a screen-free zone in your bedroom and establish a bedtime routine that involves calming activities such as reading or listening to soothing music.

Seek help from a sleep psychologist

If you are experiencing insomnia, it may be a good idea to consult a sleep psychologist. Sleep psychologists can help you address sleep problems by changing your behaviours and managing the thoughts, feelings, and emotions that may be interfering with a healthy night's sleep.

Sleep psychologists are trained to treat individuals suffering from depression and anxiety, which have been linked to sleep problems like insomnia. They can help you identify any underlying stressors and behaviours that may be interfering with your sleep. For example, if you have a habit of exercising at night or watching television in bed, a psychologist can help you understand how these routines impair sleep and help you find alternatives. They may also teach you relaxation techniques to help you learn to quiet your mind and unwind before bed.

Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is a common form of therapy used to treat insomnia. CBT-I is a short-term form of therapy that aims to diagnose and modify behaviours and counterproductive thoughts that may be causing insomnia or disrupted sleep. Other therapy types that may be helpful include relaxation therapy, light therapy, and reconditioning or stimulus control.

In addition to therapy, a sleep psychologist may also recommend lifestyle changes to improve your sleep hygiene. This may include keeping a sleep journal, reducing blue light exposure before bedtime, restructuring your routines to reduce or eliminate napping, and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. They may also recommend increasing physical activity and getting more sunlight exposure.

Frequently asked questions