Can't Sleep? 15 Proven Tips for Insomnia

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Can't Sleep? 15 Proven Tips for Insomnia

by Marlene M. Maheu, Ph.D.

Marsha had been suffering from insomnia for a long time. She's tried just about everything that folk wisdom and her beloved Grandmother taught her - counting sheep, warm milk before bed, reading, rubbing her feet and rubbing her head. She's spent a fortune on relaxation tapes, mood music, as well as a computer self-hypnosis program that just seems to wake her up and make her dizzy more than put her to sleep. All too many nights, she lays in bed, listening to her partner snore, while she tosses, turns, gets up and reads Internet self-help articles about what to do!

The science of psychology has a lot to say about what works and doesn't work for people like Marsha. Those who struggle with insomnia and other sleep problems often benefit from a range of solutions, rather than a single cure. Here are some facts for you to consider while you think about your own sleep disturbances.

I. Insomnia can be caused by a variety of conditions including: change, stress, physical pain, trauma, illness, and emotions, PTSD, death of a loved one, or recurrent thoughts.

II. Insomnia can come on at any stage in life. Old sleep habits might need to be changed or altered to be successful at overcoming insomnia. Returning to more natural rhythms and habits can take time. Be patient. If you've had a lifelong problem with sleep, you unfortunately may not find an overnight cure. There is no immediate solution unless you want to take medicine, which can often lead to a wide range of other serious problems. The goal of this article is to help you make sensible decisions regarding the role of sleep in your life, and return to more natural, reasonable ways of approaching and thinking about sleep.

III. 15 Tips to Overcome Insomnia

RETINAL STIMULATION - make it a point to go outside and stimulate your retinas (eyes) for about 15 minutes a day with sunlight. This "full on" light exposure can help restore your body's natural sleep/night cycle, also known as the "circadian rhythm." Looking straight into the sun is never a good idea, but being in an area where you receive the full brightness of the sun around you is what's recommended.
NO NAPS – Avoid naps during the day. If you sleep during the day, your body may not be as tired as necessary to get to sleep at night.
COOL ROOM - Keep the temperature in your room cool and comfortable.
WAKING ACTIVITIES – Don’t participate in waking activities while in bed, like watching TV, eating, talking on the telephone, texting your friends, or using your laptop. Remember, bed has traditionally been for sleep. Train yourself to limit your bed-related activities, and your body will begin to associate your bed with sleepiness. Reading in bed is different. Reading can help you focus your mind, especially if what you read is boring. Save the murder mysteries for daytime and pick up a boring book for sleep. Reading in bed is an age-old trick for quickly getting to sleep.
GO TO BED AT REGULAR TIME – There's no easy answer to the problem of being too tired during day-time and not tired enough at bed-time. Nonetheless, most experts agree that it is most helpful for you to go to bed at a regular, planned time. If you need to sleep more, it's better for you to go to bed at your regular time and get up earlier. With time, your body should re-adjust and give you the hours you need. Be careful about driving or operating machinery when not fully rested, though. If you feel tired to the point of losing visual focus, you should definitely not be operating heavy machinery - no matter what. When not sleeping well for a period of time, ask someone else to drive you to work, if you can.

DON’T EXERCISE (<3 HOURS) – Don’t exercise within three hours of trying to fall asleep – this raises the heartrate. Slow stretching on the other hand might be just what the doctor ordered to get your body slowed down and feeling good.

DON’T EAT STIMULATING FOODS (<3 HOURS) – Don’t eat stimulating foods within three hours of trying to fall asleep – lying horizontally interrupts digestion and may cause heartburn. Also, eating high fat and carbohydrate foods might help make you groggy and help you fall asleep, but calorie-conscious people may need to weigh the benefits of such an approach to insomnia.

AVOID STIMULANTS (<2-3 hours) – Avoid all stimulants such as caffeinated and nicotine in cigarettes. Caffeinated products include coffee, tea, sodas, and especially colas. Even some aspirin or other headache remedies often contain caffeine! "Energy drinks", Mountain Dew and a wide variety of other "energy bars" or supplements often contain a high amount of stimulating products. Check your vitamin and other supplements to make sure none of them are stimulating as well. (Look them up on an Internet search engine if you are unsure.) Check labels to see if products like aspirin are in any other product you take before bed. It is a surprise to many people to learn that even cigarettes can be stimulating when you are tired. Stay away from all these substances if you want a good night's sleep.

AVOID LIQUIDS. (<2 HOURS) - many people are just simply drinking too many fluids before sleep. Parents with bedwetting children learn to curtail all liquids about 2 hours before sleep, thereby allowing the child's body to void excess liquids about 30-60 minutes before actual bed-time. Well, adults have the same pattern of voiding as children. If liquids are taken before sleep, those liquids create an urgency to urinate that can awaken the adult. While that adult usually has enough bladder control to get to the bathroom, they often do not have the ability to get back to sleep. Stop drinking before sleep, and see if you stop waking up to urinate.

WIND DOWN (<90 MINS) - 90 minutes before you go to bed, wind own your day and don’t participate in anxiety-inducing activities like checking your mail, email or even watching the evening news.

WRITE DOWN CONCERNS (<30 MINS) - Spend a few minutes before bed at night writing down your concerns and stresses, then hopes or things you’re thankful for, so that you can give your mind a rest while you are sleeping.

CALMING MUSIC/SELF-HYPNOSIS - Listen to calming music, white noise, self-hypnosis or a "brain recalibration" tape for sleep. Such tapes are scientifically designed to help you "reset" your brain and calm down. When developed by researchers rather than marketers, they are remarkably effective. Just be sure to buy your brain recalibration audios from reputable sleep companies, and not slick marketing companies.

GET UP IF YOU CAN"T SLEEP – If you can’t fall asleep after 15-20 minutes get out of bed.

AVOID BRIGHT LIGHTS – if you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep within 30 minutes, get up but avoid as much light as possible. Light will only stimulate your brain’s day/night balance (circadian cycle). Avoid computer-based hypnosis programs just prior to going to bed for the same reason. The light emitted from a computer screen is intense. Any strong light is more likely to stimulate and wake your nervous system.

REDIRECT NIGHTMARES/BAD THOUGHTS – If you have a nightmare or stress-inducing thoughts, focus on a different ending. Write down your nightmare, or tell someone else about it to stop the continual thoughts.

The goal of this article was to help you find the right self-diagnosis for your specific underlying problem.
If you are doing all 15 suggestions above and still have sleep problems, it's time to call a professional. Contact a physician or psychotherapist who specializes in sleep.

If you still can't sleep well after a few months of working with your sleep specialist, ask your doctor for a formal "sleep study." Be sure that study doesn't just check to see if you have "sleep spnea"> If you're going to go to the hassle of a sleep study, be sure they check for all possible sources of your difficulty and not just one. Most insurance carriers will pay for such a study of it is requested by a licensed specialist.

If your sleep study suggests a "C-PAP" machine, try it. While it can be off-putting at first, most people can successfully adjust to it and find it to be enormously helpful if they have sleep apnea.

Avoid sleep medication, as this might create a dependency and only prolong your sleep problems. Some classes of such medications are far worse than others. For example, if your doctor tries to give you benzodiazepines for long-term sleep problems, run for the hills. Benzodiazepines have some of the most negative withdrawal symptoms of any other class of medication. In fact, withdrawal from heroine has been documented to pale in comparison to some withdrawal from long-term use of ativan, klonipin or valium.

Keep yourself honest by asking your loved ones for feedback about your sleep habits. Ask any one who lives with you for their honest opinion regarding how you might or might not be adhering to the full list of suggestions above.

Everyone has a different underlying reason why they are having sleeping problems. Experiment with the above 15 steps and see what works for you.

References:
1. "Several Sleep Disorders Reflect Gender Differences". http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/42/10/40. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
2. Mendelson WB (2008). "New Research on Insomnia: Sleep Disorders May Precede or Exacerbate Psychiatric Conditions". Psychiatric Times 25 (7). http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/insomnia/article/10168/1163082.
3. Kripke DF, Garfinkel L, Wingard DL, Klauber MR, Marler MR (February 2002). "Mortality associated with sleep duration and insomnia". Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 59 (2): 131–6. PMID 11825133. http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/59/2/131.
4. Kirkwood CK (1999). "Management of insomnia". J Am Pharm Assoc 39 (5): 688–96; quiz 713–4. PMID 10533351.
5. Jacobs, Gregg; Edward F. Pace-Schott, Robert Stickgold, Michael W. Otto (September 27, 2004). "Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Pharmacotherapy for Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial and Direct Comparison". Archives of Internal Medicine 164 (17): 1888–1896. doi:10.1001/archinte.164.17.1888. PMID 15451764. http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/164/17/1888?ijkey=6a2af558....
6. KARL E. MILLER, M.D. (July 2005). "Cognitive Behavior Therapy vs. Pharmacotherapy for Insomnia". American Family Physician. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20050715/tips/7.html.

About the Author:

Dr. Maheu is an licensed psychologist, author, speaker, and researcher.

She is the lead author of "E-Health, Telehealth & Telemedicine: A Guide to Program Startup and Success" co-written with Pamela Whitten and Ace Allen, published by Jossey-Bass: San Francisco.
She has also been the author for these books: "Infidelity on the Internet" and "The Mental Health Professional and the New Technologies."

Originally published 4/15/98
Revised 8/31/09 by Marlene M. Maheu, Ph.D.

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Thnx for all the info will

Thnx for all the info will try to sink deep into my bed starting with my feet and working up my whole body so that I am all relaxed and then - hopefully - fall asleep for the complete night. Thnx again. Fred.

Fred | Sun, 03/21/2010 - 21:14

You may want to look into

You may want to look into hypoglycemia/low blood sugar. If you can go to sleep okay but wake up a few hours later and can't go back to sleep, your blood sugar may be dropping. I have seen a kinesiologist/chiropractor who tested me and gave me a couple of supplements. It has helped. If you want to go the medical route, a blood test would tell you if you have hypoglycemia. I think it might be more expensive, though.

laural | Fri, 03/19/2010 - 18:59

Thanks for writing, I very

Thanks for writing, I very much liked your newest post. I think you should post more frequently, you evidently have natural ability for blogging!

reupyissarp | Wed, 03/17/2010 - 07:18

Thanks for writing, I very

Thanks for writing, I very much liked your newest post. I think you should post more frequently, you evidently have natural ability for blogging!

reupyissarp | Wed, 03/17/2010 - 07:15

I have now been awake for

I have now been awake for five years. I am really desperate and dont know what to do. I feel like topping myself. The only thing that keeps me going is reading all your comments.

Christine | Tue, 03/16/2010 - 10:21

I am tired and trying to

I am tired and trying to find ways to sleep. You say avoid the bright lights... as you use a white background with black text. Use a black background with light blue text. Now your website has me awake. Damn...

JH | Tue, 03/16/2010 - 09:51

This is the second day in 4

This is the second day in 4 days that I have not been able to sleep... I have tried everything! I have to wake up in 4 hours to get ready for my day. I dont get on my computer or watch tv when trying to go to sleep but yet I lay in bed for hours and hours then I just give up and think if im going to be awake anyways might as well catch up on some shows or check my mail Then when my mom wakes me up I get up and after she leaves I fall alseep which is about 5:30 in the morning then i end up missing school and get into trouble. When I take ambien I sleep very very well but the problem is my mom only lets me have it once a month and only on the weekend when we dont do anything in the morning. I have tried many of these and have had no luck please more ideas!!

Stephanie | Mon, 03/15/2010 - 07:12

i like the 15 tips.

ulyses arango | Thu, 03/11/2010 - 02:06

Sink into your bed. Lie in a

Sink into your bed. Lie in a comfortable position, and then imagine yourself sinking in your bed. Start at your feet, and move up your ankles, towards your knees and waist, then your buttocks and hips, chest/upper back, shoulder region and head. Sink each part into the bed with your eyes closed, without moving. If you get an itch, ignore it by mentally overseeing it. Continue to sink deeper and deeper into your bed, and before you know it, you will be waking up the next morning, following a great, deep sleep.

Antony | Tue, 03/09/2010 - 01:44

My my, this article has

My my, this article has helped me.

Such good people :D

Mandy | Mon, 03/08/2010 - 07:44

Hey Steph......read your

Hey Steph......read your post, and immediately thought the following.......
#1 Get the dog out of your bed. It is npt a human....ie. has flees..cannot wash itself etc. I am a dog owner/lover....have been for 40 yrs...and I would never allow our dogs into our sleeping spaces, no matter what the children wanted. I have sensitive skin etc...so have learnt to look out for allergens. We all love our pets, but........clean them as often as you clean yourself. That means, you make your bed....you fix theirs (NOT THE SAME BED)!!!!!! You brush your hair every day, probably.......so you brush the dog....not for the same reason ie. to look ok.......dogs are continually shedding hair...its natural for them....but they cant rid themselves of it. If you want to live with animals, you need a demcaration zone....this is mine/this is yours...and this is the zone where we meet in the middle. Vacuum, vacuum, dust and disinfect!!!!
I guarantee it will make a difference....hopefully to your allergy....if not, the dog will love the brushing....not to mention knowing where the boundaries are. As for the husband snoring.....?? try earplugs....or 2nd bedroom. Good luck.

maxe | Fri, 03/05/2010 - 16:25

I work at a bar and get of

I work at a bar and get of 400 get home round 430 used 2 take me 7 then 9 now 12ish wake up right b4 i start which is round 8 9 or 10 and everything shuts around 5. sometimes dont sleep at all just stay up cuase is past that point and what is the point then again sometimes i get 1 or 2 hours and it does me idk just wish i had normal sleepin schedule then sometimes is impossible 2 sleep like now there 4 im here

I work at a bar and get of | Sun, 02/28/2010 - 11:21

I am always stressed and i

I am always stressed and i find ways to not sleep at night. i am 18, it is now 4:47 a.m. and i havent even slept a wink. Ever since i got out of highschool i havent been sleeping right. Staying up until 6 or 7 on the computer. Then my boyfriend moved in and i started sleeping well again. But it has started up again. He isnt here right now he is at meps for the military. Tonight i have proceeded to to try to go to sleep at 8 p.m. watched some BORING tv he fell asleep i turned it off...the only way i fall asleep is complete darkness, and rocking back and forth. I proceeded to count all my glowing stars on the ceiling then turn tv on and cry. Then yell at him, and leave the room, more tv, then computer, then heis fully awake and leaves, more crying now computer. i have been tired since 8 but my MIND wont let me sleep i cant stop going. He wants to move out.

Mel | Thu, 02/25/2010 - 09:54

Hello people Im a 26 year

Hello people
Im a 26 year old asian male based in london
I was diagnosed with cancer 8 months ago
My body hurts and legs hurts too much
after alot of morfeen and treatments I feel better...but not fixed but after all this aI could not sleep so I applied this below and keep in mind I had sleeping issues before and after my cancer it made it worse...I hope you all the best and hope Allh showers his love on you all

please try the following

do a detox inside out
detox body rap
then calone irregation
greeen tea 2 cups max a day
water lots of water

join a gym and train(make sure you leave a 3 hours gap before bed)

Eat less carbs and faty or energy foods 4 hours before bed..rem high suger high energy simple

make sure bed is comfy and set temp to low level as ur body may heat in night

try to go to bed 3 hours before as u can wake u early then go gym and then push ur sleep times forward

get off caffines full stop and lots of good foods

if you have stresses reali deal with them..no one can just put things to the back of there mind as thats normaly what comes in your nightsmares

make sure u dont have a pain anywere in day or night that is not treated

get your self checked dibestes so on

you can want but that will push ur heart rate up and make u get out of bed

read in bed

dont get on laptop or tv in bed

try sleep tea no caff from ur local health store

so see a specialist of sleep if all above does not work

nad nazir | Wed, 02/24/2010 - 08:00

I have had troubles sleeping

I have had troubles sleeping since I was young, but recently it has gotten much worse. I'd say once i had my son it started getting really bad. I know that I have depression and anxiety issues, but I really truly believe that it's caused by the constant lack of sleep. I mean my sleep isn't as bad as some people have posted, but I know how much it sucks to get only 3 hours of sleep. The worst part about it all is that I need to be at work for 6am meaning I have to wake up at 5am. I'm going to give these tips a shot and if they don't work I will try over the counter sleep meds. Hopefully something works and my anxiety/depression issues will be fixed!

Amanda | Thu, 02/18/2010 - 12:07

To Steph with the multiple

To Steph with the multiple problems (health and other, girl I feel your pain and I would be none to surprised that changes in your meds treating other things would really send you into sleep depravation... I have RLS and PTSD (and TBD - too busy to say the whole disorder disorder) and some nights around 11 I will get up kiss my husband and plop into my bed to sleep blissfully until 8 or 9... but those days are few and far between and have become a tease of what I could have. I have tried herbal supplements (no change), herb (ie weed, which I hadn't done in 11 years), PM pills, benadryl, nyquil, homeopathic (warm baths -which I fall asleep in but only makes me more alert when I get out. lavender, music, warming pads, windows open, well I think you get it) and even drinking (hey a few of my friends like to "unwind" with their nightly glass of wine, maybe it would work for me..haha)... but nothing has worked. I was googling it to see what new information had come up in the iterwebs and came across this post.

Okay, to the 11 year old Ms. Hanna ... my dear, I am so sorry to hear about your struggles because they sound so similar to mine. Because you have the advantage of youth it would be in yours (and your mothers) best interest to get help now. Going through the trauma of being a "tween" (a word I despise but end up using for lack of others).. and I do mean trauma as in true drama, is super tough and it always seems that no one understands you. Having to carry the burden of a sleep disorder is NOT what you need and if there is a time to act it is now. Worrying about your bf is not going to cut it as a reason for your situation, ask to get another opinion. You deserve to be living to your fullest (esp at this awesome point in your life) and not suffering with sleep issues and worry. (((((HUG)))))
I am the mum of a 9 year old and a 13 year old, so I can't even imagine how they would cope with such a thing... take care everyone... sorry there is no specific answer from me here ;)

Tracy | Thu, 02/18/2010 - 05:55

I don't have a sleeping

I don't have a sleeping disorder but I used to, and the only times I can't fall right asleep is when I'm at someone else's house.

Nathan | Sat, 02/13/2010 - 12:23

I'm a mother of a 7 month

I'm a mother of a 7 month old so i am up early every morning. I've been living off 2-3 hours sleep a night for over 3 months.. its really wearing me out but i just cant get to sleep! right now it is 3am and my daughter will be up in just 2.5 hours and where am i? sitting awake on the lounge watching a DVD trying to sleep! I've tried everything in the list and none of them have worked for me. I really need to go and see a doctor about this :(

amanda | Fri, 02/12/2010 - 18:50

even after three sleeping

even after three sleeping pills i still not sleep

ed | Thu, 02/11/2010 - 05:12

pills dont work i need to

pills dont work i need to sleep right now

ed | Thu, 02/11/2010 - 04:57

Wow, there are a TON of

Wow, there are a TON of folks who have trouble with sleep - seems like some are more severe then others. Anyway, this is a great article, with some really good tips. I definitely recommend no caffeine after noon, it really messes me up.
To add to this list, I also got myself a really good pillow. My head loves it, and I get really relaxed when I use it.

Alice | Thu, 02/11/2010 - 04:52

im drained

im up now at 2,55am i jst cant sleep and have tried everythi | Thu, 02/04/2010 - 03:03

THIS SUCKS!!!!! a can never

THIS SUCKS!!!!!
a can never get to sleep at night. its normally about 06:00 am before i start to feel sleepy then i wake up a few hours later. this is not good! i dont want to take any sleeping medicines i have heard of the effects (NOT GOOD) has anyone got any tips for me???

mr wallace | Thu, 02/04/2010 - 02:50

thiss may help, i dunno ,

thiss may help, i dunno , ill give it a buss

cat | Tue, 02/02/2010 - 00:01

I have mono right now and I

I have mono right now and I still cant fall asleep! I have had sleeping problems for a while but it only gets bad a certain times. I stress about everything. I'm always worried that I'm not going to be able to function the next day and that im going to wake up early. Sometimes I do wake up too early and if im tired during the day I think about not being able to fall asleep the next night. I also dont take naps. EVER. I cant sleep during the day. Sometimes it helps to know that you will eventually fall asleep because the body will force you to.

Erica | Thu, 01/28/2010 - 23:53

I can never sleep and I hate

I can never sleep and I hate it

Death | Tue, 01/26/2010 - 06:29

somedays ill fall asleep

somedays ill fall asleep most of the time ill end up going to sleep at three am...

AmyxZee | Mon, 01/25/2010 - 07:38

i cant get to sleep...

nick | Sun, 01/24/2010 - 20:35

I found that just be

I found that just be relaxing and enjoying life more helped my sleep better. I have found that no matter how little sleep I get, when I'm stressed or anxious about something I don't sleep til the early hours of the morning. By taking time to enjoy life, I found any insomnia seemed to go away.

Craig Nope | Thu, 01/21/2010 - 22:23

reading this made me tired

Tefu | Wed, 01/20/2010 - 01:30

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