So What Is the Solution?

An increasing number of people with insomnia are turning to prescription sleep aids to solve their sleep troubles – but there are other solutions too.  New studies have found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is as effective (and sometimes more effective) than sleep medications. That makes sense, since drugs merely mask symptoms, while CBT works by getting to the root cause of insomnia and adjusting your lifestyle to make changes that solve the problem.

For instance, the specific type of insomnia you have can provide important and helpful clues about what will help. Most people assume that anxiety is the main factor behind their sleep troubles; research shows that if your problem is that you have difficulty falling asleep, that’s likely the case. However, a more common problem is awakening after just a few hours of sleep and being unable to fall back to sleep; that type of insomnia is more often linked to depression than anxiety. 

Depending on which type of insomnia you experience, here are some tips that may help.

Can’t Fall Asleep at Night?

Establishing and sticking to a regular schedule is one of the most helpful ways to train your body and mind to quiet down and allow sleep to come easily. It’s best to avoid eating, drinking alcohol and exercising in the couple of hours before bedtime – though a healthy snack (such as a banana or a small bowl of oatmeal) may be okay, and an evening walk at a moderate pace might be a calming prelude to a good night’s sleep.

Avoid screens – including your computer, tablet or smartphone – for an hour or so before bedtime. If you are a nighttime reader, consider switching from an e-reader to a book and use a yellow-tone light bulb. Turn off the TV too. If you listen to music, choose a soothing sort of sound.

Also take a look at your bedroom. It should be a quiet, peaceful retreat, so make a plan to eliminate clutter. Use blackout curtains to block out light from the street. Keep the temperature on the cool side. Use your bed only for sleeping (and sex).

Many people find that relaxation techniques – like deep breathing exercises, sequentially tightening and then releasing each muscle in your body, or listening to a guided meditation – helpful in easing the transition to sleep.

Often Awaken in the Middle of the Night?

The relaxation techniques listed above are equally helpful for middle-of-the-night awakenings. Many people also find it distracting to play games with the numbers (counting by 8’s, for instance) or the alphabet (name a city or person you know or type of food for each letter).

Equip your bathroom with a dim nightlight (preferably motion sensitive) so you don’t need to turn on the light – studies show that even a flash of bright light can affect your ability to fall asleep.

Don’t keep a brightly-lit digital clock (or any clock you can see in the dark) near your bed; watching the minutes tick by adds to the stress and anxiety you feel when you find yourself awake in the night.

If you find yourself unable to fall back asleep after a bit (experts say 20 minutes, but it’s okay to estimate since you’re not going to be watching the clock – right?), get up and do something in a location other than your bed. You might want to write in a journal, listen to music or read. When you notice yourself feeling sleepy, return to bed.

For Both Types of Insomnia

Though everyone who has insomnia feels tired, spending more time in bed is not a good idea – in fact, the opposite is true, says a new study from the University of Pennsylvania. People who were having trouble sleeping and adjusted their schedules to spend fewer hours in bed were more likely to overcome the problem than those who went to bed earlier at night and tried to sleep later in the morning.

The odds are good that you are already familiar with many of the other lifestyle-related strategies for addressing insomnia, but they’re important and helpful enough that they bear repeating. Living a healthy lifestyle, overall, is key – which means eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly and avoiding tobacco products and keeping any alcohol intake to a minimum. And be mindful of the body’s need for routine, including exposure to sunlight during the day and avoiding stimulating blue-lit screens (computers, tablets and smart phones) in the couple of hours before going to bed.