Insomnia can be a major disruption in your life, let alone what’s going on around us with the coronavirus. Without adequate sleep, you can’t function properly throughout the day and it makes it more difficult to fight sicknesses. You can get moody, depressed, and perform poorly in school and work. It’s extremely important to solve your insomnia problem fast. Here are three suggestions that could help you get more sleep.
More Activity
Exercise is one of the most suggested solutions to getting more sleep. The effects of exercise on people with chronic insomnia have been studied by the scientific and medical communities. Studies showed that people who do moderate exercise on a regular basis saw an improvement in sleep quality and experienced a decrease in the amount of time it took for them to fall asleep. While there aren’t any conclusive answers to why exercise improves insomnia, speculations have been anywhere from elevated body temperatures to a reduction in depression symptoms, which people with insomnia often experience. With the world, currently in a state of coronavirus quarantine, here is a great “follow along at home” workout video. It’s low impact with no jumping!
Sleep Environment
Your environment needs to be conducive to sleep. Turn off Netflix! Do not start binge-watching “Tiger Kings” and expect to go to sleep at a decent time! Lights should be dim or off. Sounds should be soft and comforting, not loud and busy. The room temperatures should be ideal for you. If none of that works, the discomfort could also be a simple sign you need a new mattress. A sure fire way to know that it’s time for a new mattress is when you wake up with a sore back every day. Worn out mattresses are one of the biggest culprits of insomnia. You could try flipping it, but if it’s old you’ll probably be better off just buying a new one. If your budget allows, get a mid to high-priced mattress. The cheap ones will probably still cause insomnia. When it comes to sleep insomnia you should also consider, if you haven’t already, contacting your doctor.
Less Screens
These days people have screens in their faces all day. Televisions, cell phones, computers, and even billboards are common screens that bombard people daily. These screens emit a blue light that interrupts the production of melatonin, an important hormone needed for sleep. This makes it take longer for you to fall asleep and you’ll stay asleep for a shorter amount of time. It also affects the quality of your sleep. On some devices you can filter out the blue light. However, the best policy is to do away with screens at least one hour before bed.
Dealing with your insomnia issues is extremely important. If you don’t, it could lead to mental health issues. The three tips above are a great starting place for dealing with your insomnia. These tips should help significantly. However, if you’re still having insomnia after doing these tips for a while, it may be time to see a pulmonologist.
