Insomnia affects 30–48% of the adult population worldwide. Of these, 10–30% become chronic.
The problem is that it's not just about being tired the next day. Chronic insomnia can lead to a number of serious health consequences for the body.
So, it leads to a decrease in immunity, with all the consequences, to anxiety-depressive disorders, to obesity, increases the risk of getting diabetes, and also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. So what can you do to sleep better?
Get rid of caffeine
If you have chronic insomnia and you can’t sleep normally for weeks, then you should completely eliminate products that contain caffeine.
First of all, this concerns popular coffee and tea. Do not drink coffee or tea, even one cup in the morning. During insomnia, the body's sensitivity to caffeine increases sharply and even small doses of caffeine remaining in the body by evening disrupt our sleep.
This also applies to carbonated drinks containing caffeine, such as Coca-Cola and the like. And also to various energy drinks, because almost every energy drink contains horse doses of caffeine and sugar, which has an invigorating effect. However, this leads to the fact that it will be difficult to fall asleep at night.
It is better to drink plain boiled water. If you do not want to drink plain water, you can add a small slice of lemon and slightly sweeten this drink. Such a drink will help improve your breathing, and it will be easier for you to fall asleep.
Eliminate alcohol
Many people find that alcohol helps them sleep, especially if it is in small amounts.
Yes, it does have this effect, and it is indeed easier to fall asleep if you drink a glass of wine before going to bed. But the problem is that alcohol prevents you from falling asleep deeply, as a result, your sleep is shallow and you don’t get the rest you need.
Quit smoking
Smoking causes a lot of different harm. But in addition to the fact that it often causes severe illnesses, nicotine is also a stimulant that makes it difficult to fall asleep. Smokers also often wake up at night due to nicotine withdrawal.
Set a specific time to wake up and go to bed
Thanks to the daily work, thanks to which people wake up in the morning at the same time. But, in addition to this, try to go to bed at the same time.
Determine how much time you need to get a good night's sleep, usually seven to eight hours, and calculate what time you need to go to bed. Also add half an hour so that you have time to fall asleep.
Practice physical activity
Our distant ancestors had to walk tens of kilometers every day in order to survive.
Now our body is the same, but many people now do not even walk one kilometer a day. Physical activity not only improves our cardiovascular system, but it also helps to spend excess energy, after which it will be much easier to fall asleep in the evening.
Be careful with daytime sleep
In fact, daytime sleep is a very useful thing. It allows you to feel alert in the second half of the day without using any stimulants. But daytime sleep should be correct:
- It should be at the right time: ideally right after lunch, not at 10am or 3pm.
- It should be the right length: 10-30 minutes. If you sleep longer, you will enter another phase of sleep, and instead of benefit, you will get harm.
- You need to choose the right surface: your back and head should be on a horizontal surface. It is unlikely that you will be given a bed at work, but a couple of simple chairs or even a small bench will provide you with this.
Learn to manage stress
Stress is one of the main causes of insomnia. Try to get rid of all stress-related events as much as possible.
It is often difficult to completely get rid of stress at work, but besides work, pay attention to other sources of stress, for example, simply reading the news can be such a source, especially since most news is associated with negativity.
If you have insomnia, try to completely give up watching the news. And also spend less time on social networks.
Pay attention to your diet
Food directly affects our well-being. Some types of food require too much energy to process.
For example, pork takes too long to digest. As a result, the body is forced to spend energy on this too. This reduces the quality of sleep. Therefore, review your diet and make sure that it is really good for your health.
Prepare the bedroom
The room where you sleep should be quiet and slightly cool. And the humidity should be normal. There should be no TV or work-related documents in the bedroom. Pay attention to the bed, the mattress should be flat and without bedsores, the pillow should be the optimal size.
If you have cats at home, then perhaps it is better to leave the bedroom door slightly open, and it is even better to make a separate entrance to the room for your pets, because cats do not like closed spaces and like to walk back and forth at night.
If you can't fall asleep right away, get up.
If more than half an hour has passed and you still can't sleep, get up and go out into the hall, listen to music or read a book until you fall asleep.
If you often have trouble sleeping, be careful. As mentioned above, sleep problems can lead to serious health consequences. Therefore, if you cannot overcome insomnia on your own, consult a doctor.
Earlier, the dentist listed foods and habits that are detrimental to the whiteness of teeth.
Author: Valeria Kisternaya
