How To Fight Insomnia

Sleep is a very important bodily function in which your brain and body relax and rejuvenate after the stress of the day. A normal adult requires 8 hours of sleep each day, while older people and babies require even more. There is an old fictional story of a farmer named Rip Van Winkle, who apparently fell asleep under a shady tree and woke up after 20 years. Do you find yourself, at times, envying him, due to your inability to fall asleep? Or, do you know of anyone else who finds it difficult to fall asleep? Inability to fall asleep can be attributed to various sleep disorders such as Insomnia and can be caused due to stress, mental or physical illness, or even lifestyle changes. Most medical professionals suggest using sleeping pills and other medication to help a person fight insomnia. However, there are simple methods that do not involve medication that will help a person fall asleep and fight insomnia. Read on to know the tips for fighting insomnia. 

 

You might have noticed that children often fall asleep as soon as their heads touch their pillow. This is because they have made their minds as well as their bodies tired with a busy schedule of games, studying, etc. As for very small children, they do not have to face the stresses of life that you do. Therefore, they fall asleep peacefully and have a relaxed sleep, and are refreshed the next day. Adults, however, are under constant stress. You may often find that, when you try to sleep, there is a marathon of disturbing thoughts running through your head, making you stay awake. “Thought Therapy” is effective to help put a person to sleep. Think of a happy incident and focus upon it until you fall asleep. In case you are unable to recall any happy incidents, think of a favorite movie or a story and replay it in your head. This will relax your mind and help you fall asleep.

 

 

Hypnosis 

Hypnosis was earlier frowned upon, but is now accepted by most people as a way in which to get a person into an optimal mental state so that they can fall asleep. Hypnosis consists of instructions given to your mind either by another person or by you yourself. Some therapists use hypnotherapy to help overcome insomnia. Further still, you can use self-hypnosis to ease tension in your body. Following this, you can do a few breathing exercises and a few minutes of meditation to loosen up your body before you fall asleep. 

 

Pressure Points 

Acupressure is a kind of treatment that deals with symptoms by means of application of pressure with the fingers to specific points in the body. This can be used to induce sleep as well. The safest pressure points are the ones on the inner side of the write, just below the little finger, and also the one just below the ankle. Keep applying low to medium pressure at these points until you feel relaxed. You could also apply pressure to the back of your head, just at the base of your skull. You will feel tension seeping out of you, and your body will be better prepared to sleep.

 

Listening to soothing music can calm the senses and help induce sleep. Another proven method of falling asleep is to listen to something immensely boring. This could be anything ranging from a boring lecture or sermon, to a monotonous conversation with people. It will help if you get yourself a recording of these and play them back when you are unable to sleep.