Hello, my name is Andrea and I'm an Insomniac.
(that's where you say "Hello, Andrea")
You know how they say opposites attract. That couldn't be more true for my husband and I. I believe we are alike in many ways... however I am convinced that my husband suffers from narcolepsy, and I suffer form Insomnia. My husband falls asleep anytime he shuts his eyes. I on the other hand just lay there, tossing, turning, thinking, tossing and turning.
For years now I've had trouble sleeping-- falling asleep and staying asleep. It usually lasts one or two nights and then I'm fine for a few weeks and then I'll have another rough one or two nights and repeat. About two years ago my 1-2 nights turned into one or two weeks. After a few weeks with minimal (if any) sleep. it was taking a toll on my life...my focus, patience and my happiness. After a visit to my doctor and a 2 week prescription for ambien I started to find my regular sleep cycles again.
I still suffer from occasional insomnia however I've learned there are several causes that trigger my insomniatic episodes. (is that a thing? if not it sounds nice so I'll keep it) I've found that my sleep cycle was disturbed by various triggers. If there is one thing I've learned from studying my own sleep cycles (and visits with my doctor)-- is that insomnia is usually (but not always easily) treatable.
The reason is that the key to treating insomniac periods lies in changes to your daily and/or nighttime routine. Many of these are connected which is why I've had to try to do them all. Here are a few pointers that I've received from doctors, friends, the Internet and my experiences.
1. Make your bedroom comfortable for sleep. Close your window, blinds, bedroom door for darkness and quite. If that doesn't work try to create a subtle background noise, such as a running fan, or light music to help drown out other noises. Don't keep a computer or TV in your bedroom.
 |
| This photo isn't mine. I borrowed it from the Internet. |
3. Stick to a sleep schedule. Keep your bedtime and wake time consistent from day to day, including on weekends. This is extremely difficult but made the biggest difference for me.
4.Avoid trying to sleep. The harder you try, the more awake you'll become. Get out of bed when you're not sleeping. Read or watch television in another room until you become very drowsy, then go to bed to sleep.
5.Find ways to relax. A warm bath before bedtime can help prepare you for sleep. Having your partner give you a massage also may help relax you. Create a relaxing bedtime ritual, such as reading, soft music, breathing exercises, yoga or prayer.
6. Use your bed only for sleeping (or sex.) Don't read, watch TV, work or eat in bed.
7. Limit or Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and food before bed. These things can make you restless or cause frequent awakenings or urge to use the bathroom in the middle of the night.
8. Exercise regularly. Even if its just a ten minute walk around the block. Releasing built up energy or stress from the day will help you relax at night.
9. Check your medications. If you take medications regularly, check with your doctor to see if they may be contributing to your insomnia. Also check the labels of over-the-counter products to see if they contain caffeine or other stimulants.
10. See your Doctor. You could have a medical condition such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome where insomnia is actually an effect. Your doctor may recommend other types of treatment or therapy or maybe even some type of sleep aid.
By the way in case you were curious this blog was written at 2am last week. I was afraid to publish it in its "raw" state although I am sure I still have misspellings and grammatical errors. But its the Internet so who cares. Oh and if you were wondering what this blog has to do with technology... I plan on purchasing a device that will monitor my sleep quality. More to follow on that at a later time....
