My child often has trouble going to sleep. Based on the advice of another parent, I have started giving her a melatonin supplement. It seems to help, but I wonder if it’s safe.

Melatonin is a hormone produced by our brains that helps us fall asleep. It is released at night and stimulated by darkness. If one’s melatonin isn’t doing its job effectively, synthetic melatonin can be purchased over the counter to try to improve sleep. It comes in many forms, including gummies for children.

Studies indicate that it largely works. Some parents give it to their kids to help them overcome insomnia. Doctors, however, recommend that parents seek advice from a pediatrician before prescribing it. One reason is to help ensure that there isn’t a serious physiological cause for the child’s insomnia.

In my experience, insomnia in students seems to be on the rise. Studies published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) show that insomnia may now affect over 20% of school-age kids.

If you grew up in my generation, this may surprise you. We seemed to have the opposite problem. Does anyone remember Vivarin? It was a sketchy, over-the-counter pill to help people remain alert. Our trouble was staying awake, not falling asleep.

Now, let’s see. What could be the difference between our generation and this one? Hmm.

Hey, I just thought of something. Back then we weren’t being constantly besieged by interactive screen activity. I wonder if that could mean anything.

It turns out it does. Apparently the light emitted by electronic devices like tablets and smartphones suppress the brain’s ability to produce melatonin. So if your child is having a hard time getting to sleep, your first order of business might be making him lock up the screens at least an hour before bedtime.

This isn’t just weird, theoretical science. Students frequently tell me how whacked up their sleep schedules are. When I ask them what they are doing when they’re supposed to be asleep, the answer is invariably, “I’m on my phone.”

But what if it isn’t just the light from the phone that helps cause the insomnia? What if it’s the actual content? A 2017 study published in Clinical Psychological Science showed a correlation between screen time and depression in adolescents. A study of high school students by researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia noted that insomnia, anxiety and depression are all strongly connected. You don’t have to be a logician to draw a reasonable inference from that data.

Something else has changed from my generation, however, and that is the pushing of children into higher level classes for which they are emotionally unprepared. Just because a child is good at math doesn’t mean he’s ready to take on high school algebra in the seventh grade, especially if he’s being pressured to perform at an extremely high level. That kind of pressure can lead to stress and overwork, which can lead to sleeplessness.

So the second thing I might do is to calibrate what kind of pressure my child is under from school. If he’s amassing more homework than sleep, it might be time to examine his study methods or his course placement.

“That’s fine,” you might be saying, “but I just want to know if melatonin is safe.” Well, this is still largely unknown. Studies suggest that it probably is, but melatonin supplements have not been approved by the FDA, and scientists are still unsure of their long-term effects. Dr. Judith Owens, director of sleep medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital, states that “Melatonin actually suppresses some hormones that regulate puberty. So, the concern is that chronic use of melatonin could alter normal pubertal development.”

Because of the uncertainties, many doctors, like Dr. Brent Bauer from the Mayo Clinic, are wary. “Due to the lack of scientific evidence, and because of some potentially harmful side effects,” he says, “melatonin is not recommended as a sleep aid for children and teens. Making lifestyle changes that can enhance healthy sleep is a better alternative for most [adolescents].”

Owens provides another reason for parents to seek behavioral changes for their children before resorting to melatonin. If they don’t, she says, they may be teaching kids that “when you can’t sleep, you pop a pill. And I think that’s a very dangerous message to send.”

It makes one wonder if the shortcut is truly for the child or the parent. See your doctor to make sure you’re making the right decision.

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For an increasing number of Covid-positive patients undergoing treatment in city hospitals, the disease has brought the added baggage of anxiety and insomnia. Prolonged treatment, loneliness and the social stigma attached to the disease are giving them sleepless nights. The anxiety has aggravated their existing illnesses and mental health conditions, if any, prompting experts to call for an urgent need to include mental health management in the Covid-19 treatment protocol. The city has already seen three suicides among Covid positive patients.
A doctor at Seven Hills Hospital said blood pressure and blood sugar levels in many comorbid patients have shot up. “Many are complaining of sleep deprivation. Patients seek attention by asking doctors to check their symptoms at regular intervals. There is also fear among the healthcare workers, who are being extra cautious in handling patients. This, too, is adding to the patients’ angst,” said the doctor.

Though patients with existing mental health conditions are being attended to via phone calls, a regular mental health check-up would help all patients. “Patients have access to information. They read about Covid-19 deaths going up every day. Many fear death, which is natural. Since many are in isolation wards, they feel lonely,” said another doctor.

Consulting chest physician VA Sajit Babu said symptomatic patients get worked up waiting for test results. “Testing positive itself comes as a shock to patients and their families. Thereafter, getting a bed in a hospital adds to their trauma. Unlike other illnesses where relatives and friends boost a patient’s morale, covid patients have to stay in isolation wards. Many fear being socially boycotted once they are discharged,” he said.

Psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty said, “Besides the fear of the disease, people are worried if their housing societies will accept them or if they will end up infecting their loved ones. The biggest fear is that of death,” he said. He rued the lack of a mental health expert in the state task force. “The battle is not just between life and death. It’s also about giving confidence to those on the frontline,” he said, adding Covid warriors such as doctors and nurses must be debriefed.

Interestingly, Sion Hospital doctors believe the psychiatric morbidity of Covid-19 is not as high as they expected it to be. “Patients who came in the initial stages of the outbreak were more anxious. We have had patients becoming violent at the very mention of Kasturba Hospital. But that’s not the situation anymore,” said Dr Nilesh Shah, adding he saw mental health issues in less than 1% patients. “Patients who are not as aware about the disease are calmer compared to those who have read a lot,” he said.

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You know the drill. You try to get a good night sleep, only to wake up at 2 a.m., contemplating all the doom and gloom of the pandemic. Your subconscious is doing a major data dump. A couple hours later, if you’re lucky, after checking Facebook, doing some online shopping and reading your favorite websites, you fall back asleep.

Jenna Jonaitis, a lifestyle, wellness and parenting writer based in Grand Rapids, tackles the issue in the The Washington Post in a story headlined: “Some of us have more time to sleep. So why are we so tired?”

She starts:

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, I wake up most days already tired. Coffee is mandatory, and that wasn’t the case before. My husband is more sluggish too. We have increased responsibility, taking care of our toddler while still working full time from home. It’s also harder for him to fall asleep and harder for me to keep my eyes open in the afternoon.

This pandemic is exhausting, mentally and physically. Our worlds have shifted, and it takes emotional energy to cope with that. Health-care workers are spending long shifts in hospitals and care homes trying to keep patients alive. Other essential workers are pulling overtime in grocery stores, warehouses, fields, production plants and delivery trucks to ensure the country has enough food, toilet paper and face masks. At-home workers are doing their jobs and, in many cases, also caring for and educating children.

Rebecca Robbins, a postdoctoral fellow and sleep researcher at Harvard Medical School, tells Jonaitis that sleep challenges are totally understandable.The uncertainty of the pandemic, concern for others and ourselves, and the utter lack of control is a perfect storm for insomnia and sleep difficulty.

Lori Russell-Chapin, a professor of counselor education and co-director of the Center for Collaborative Brain Research at Bradley University in Illinois, says we’re worn down by this new lifetyle, the hyper-alertness while doing such tasks as grocery shopping and grieving the loss of a loved one from afar.

A study out of Wuhan, China, found insomnia was often the results of anxiety, depressive symptoms and fear of getting infected, economic-related stress, difficulty handling social distance restrictions and changes in daily life.

What to do?

Suggestions include getting exposure to sunlight, limiting caffeine, sticking to a sleep schedule and calming the brain through meditation and deep breathing. 

The post More Time To Sleep, But We’re Still So Tired During This Pandemic. Why? appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

Perhaps memorizing these short Latin phrases will help combat your sleeplessness.

St. Francis de Sales admonished Christians who couldn’t abandon themselves to sleep … even though he himself was subject to the torments of insomnia. Yet, calling it a “blessing,” the good doctor of Annecy offered in his “rule of life” a proactive mystical program to render it up to God. Here’s his authoritative prescription to avoid sleeping pills.

Do you suffer from broken sleep?

If you wake up in the middle of the night, remember this advice: “I awaken my troubled heart with these words: Media nocte clamor — at the stroke of midnight, a voice cries out, ‘Behold, the bridegroom comes, go out to meet him.’”

And if insomnia continues?

You can’t manage to get back to sleep? Follow this advice: “I try again to rouse myself with these words of the Prophet: In noctibus extolite manus vestras in sancta: Raise and stretch out your hands toward heaven, and bless the Lord.”

What if a sudden fright wakes you?

What if a sudden fright wakes you? Is your sleep disturbed by nightmares? Follow his example: “I deliver myself up to thoughts of my guardian angel, saying: Dominus a dextris est mihi ne commovear: My Lord is by my right hand; I fear nothing.”

And if that still doesn’t work?

You still can’t sleep? Here’s the right attitude to take: “I remind myself of this verse: Scuto circumdabit te: The shield of faith and firm trust will protect me; that is why I fear nothing.”

Following this treatment, you should at last get to sleep. And that’s when the alarm goes off and you’re off on another daily round of activities. Here are some words of St. Francis de Sales to meditate on to ensure a good day: “Let us think only of spending the present day well. Then when tomorrow shall have come, it will be today, and then we will think about it.”

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Simple lifestyle choices can enhance mental health

Because of widespread unemployment and the closing of mental health clinics due to the pandemic, millions of individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, and insomnia do not have access to, or cannot afford psychotherapy or medications. These circumstances may continue for months or even years, depending on how soon effective antivirals and vaccines become available. This post is offered as a concise review of the mental health benefits of lifestyle changes for depressed mood, anxiety, and insomnia, including changes in diet, regular exercise, improved sleep, and a daily mindfulness practice.

Diet

Individuals who consume whole foods (as opposed to processed foods and fast food diets) are at reduced risk of developing depressed mood. For example, individuals who closely adhere to a Mediterranean diet, as well as traditional diets in Norway, Japan, and China, which are rich in vegetables and fish, have a 30% lower risk of developing depressed mood than those with the lowest rate of adherence to a Mediterranean diet.

Twelve essential nutrients have established mood-enhancing benefits. These are: folate, iron, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA), magnesium, potassium, selenium, thiamine, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, and zinc (LaChance and Ramsey 2018). Foods with the greatest antidepressant benefits include seafood, leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts.

Some depressed individuals are deficient in certain B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium. Foods rich in folate and B-12 such as whole grains and green leafy vegetables may be especially beneficial for depressed mood. Omega-3s and some B vitamins also have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects on the body and brain, which are believed to enhance their antidepressant benefits. Diet also plays an important role in anxiety. For example, generalized anxiety is often associated with reactive hypoglycemia, resulting in acute anxiety symptoms. Individuals who have anxiety caused by hypoglycemia benefit from reducing sugar and carbohydrate intake, increasing protein intake, and reducing or eliminating caffeine. Excessive consumption of caffeine is also associated with an increased risk of anxiety. Many chronically anxious individuals report significant reductions in the severity of anxiety when they abstain from caffeine.

Finally, recent research findings show that the microbiome—i.e., the microorganisms that naturally populate the large and small intestines—causes beneficial changes in brain levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters implicated in mood regulation. Research studies suggest that there is a link between imbalances in bowel microflora, increased inflammation of the mucosal lining of the intestines, and systemic immune dysregulation resulting in an increased risk of depressed mood. Findings of animal and human clinical trials suggest that probiotics have beneficial effects on both depressed mood and anxiety.

Exercise

Short-term and long-term beneficial effects of exercise on mood are mediated by increased brain levels of mood-elevating endorphins, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin (Schuch 2016). Regular exercise may also promote increased neuroplasticity in certain brain regions, resulting in improved mood (Gourgouvelis 2017). 

Regular exercise including both aerobic exercise and non-aerobic strengthening exercise has established anti-depressant effects and less sedentary individuals have a reduced risk of both depressed mood and cardiovascular disease (Schuch 2017). Chronically depressed individuals often experience difficulties with thinking and memory, and regular aerobic exercise can significantly improve cognitive functioning in this population (Oertel-Knochel 2014). A meta-analysis of controlled studies on exercise used either as a single intervention or in combination with antidepressants found that regular exercise has beneficial effects on depressed mood (Kvam 2016). A systematic review of studies on exercise as an add-on therapy to antidepressants found that depressed individuals who exercise regularly have better response rates compared to individuals who take an antidepressant only (Mura 2014). Antidepressants and exercise probably have equivalent efficacy against moderately severe depressed mood (Blumenthal 2007).

Regular exercise improves sleep quality in depressed individuals who do not respond to antidepressants (Rethorst 2013). Improved sleep enhances resilience and day to day functioning because of the high prevalence rate of insomnia in chronically depressed individuals. In addition to its mood-enhancing and anxiety-reducing effects, regular exercise enhances self-sufficiency.

Both aerobic exercise and strength training improve anxiety when done on a regular basis (Paluska 2000). A daily workout lasting 20 to 30 minutes can significantly reduce generalized anxiety and may also reduce the intensity and frequency of panic attacks.   

Relaxation, mindfulness and mind-body practices

Relaxation techniques include sustained deep breathing, listening to calming music, and progressive muscle relaxation. Examples of mindfulness training include different styles of meditation and guided imagery. Mind-body practices include taijiquan, qigong, yoga, and other approaches that involve both the mind and the body. A regular meditation or mind-body practice such as yoga, may be as effective as antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for moderately severe depressed mood.

Relaxation techniques and mind-body practices also improve sleep quality in individuals with insomnia. Progressive muscle relaxation and sustained deep breathing are especially effective at reducing the time needed to fall asleep in individuals with chronic insomnia. Listening to relaxing music soon before bedtime can also help individuals with insomnia fall asleep quicker. Many individuals who have problems falling asleep because of chronic worrying report improved sleep with guided imagery. Individuals with chronic insomnia who use a cognitive-behavioral technique alone or in combination with a benzodiazepine or other sedative-hypnotic drug report that non-pharmacologic or combined approaches are more effective than medications alone.

Supportive relationships

Finally, I want to emphasize the importance of relationships. In addition to engaging in healthy lifestyle choices, supportive relationships with friends and family members can provide important buffers to day to day stresses and uncertainties that we will all face at this time of great uncertainty. Video calls or phone calls can be very heartening and encouraging even when shelter-in-place orders restrict us from direct contact with family, friends, and loved ones.

The post Lifestyle Choices for Good Mental Health During COVID-19 appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — If you’re craving sleep these days, you’re not alone. At least 40 percent of Ohioans don’t get enough sleep as it is.

Missing out on sleep at least two to three times per week may be and indication that you’re struggling with insomnia. Doctors say the stress and anxiety caused by COVID-19 may be to blame for sparking the sleepless nights or making it worse.

Business owner, wife and mom Michele Rapp struggles with insomnia. 

“I mean, I’ll be asleep and then all of a sudden I’m like, I can’t turn my mind off.”

Up around 2:30 a.m. each day, she catches up on her favorite movies. Rapp can’t remember the last time she gotten good rest. She says the pandemic’s made it worse.

“Being so worried about all the people that I take care of and I’m responsible for their livelihood. That pretty much was the kicker for me.”

COVID-19 forced her to close up shop. With all of the adjustments and more coming to reopen soon, she’s mentally exhausted. 

“The stress of that, like I gotta sleep, I gotta sleep, makes it worse.”

Dr. Aneesa Das specializes in sleep medicine at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. She said at least 30 percent of the population in the U.S. has experienced symptoms of insomnia. And the COVID-19 pandemic has made sleeping much harder since regular work schedules and daily activities have been washed out. 

“Number one, we’re in isolation, so that can affect mood right and that can lead towards depression. Number two, we have increased stress and anxiety about what’s to come both financially and, and from an illness and health perspective,” said Das.

Since the pandemic started, Das said prescriptions for sleeping pills are way up. But if you’re wondering how to get a good night sleep, Das recommends checking your schedule.

“Even if you’re not going to maintain the same schedule you were when you were working, maintain a schedule. Pick a wake time and get up every single day at that same time. Number two, don’t go to bed until you’re tired. If you’re wide awake, don’t go to bed because you feel like I always used to go to bed, because now you might be sleeping in later,” Das said.

She also said you should get outdoors to keep your body clock in the right rhythm with sunlight. Exercise. And set time for relaxation. But don’t take a nap midday. That’s one thing Michele Rapp struggled with daily even before the pandemic. 

“I’ll come home and I’ll take what I call a medicinal nap, which is a good 20 to 25 minutes, or and then here’s the other thing is, I’m so tired after dinner, like around 6:30, 7:00 I’m out cold in my chair.”

So to settle her mind, she said, “I started building these little teeny, tiny houses.”

It doesn’t help her sleep, but it does slow her mind down.

“Part of my insomnia is all the worry. So, doing something like this that is so hyperfocused, I can’t think of anything else.”

Building tiny houses is a tedious process, but she said if she gets tired of doing it, she watches TV. Nothing else has helped. She doesn’t exercise right now because the motivation to do it isn’t there. However, she’s hoping that once she reopens her childcare centers and she can get to the gym, things will change.

Since we don’t know how long this pandemic will last, Dr. Das says it’s important to focus on one day at a time. If you suffer from chronic insomnia, there are resources for guided imagery and muscle relaxation exercises. For anyone struggling with short term or acute Iinsomnia, Dr. Das says you should know that it tends to resolve itself over time.

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It’s not easy to relax in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. But there are some simple tips and techniques that can help you get some shut-eye.

LIFE IN THE Covid-19 pandemic has taken on some unpleasant and unexpected contours. Time has lost all meaning. Dreams have become assailingly vivid. That is, if you’re able to sleep at all, which many people cannot. At least, not as well as they did before it felt like everything was unraveling, all of the time, with no end in sight.

“I am seeing a significant spike in insomnia at this time during the pandemic,” says Lisa Medalie, a behavioral sleep medicine specialist at the University of Chicago.

It might be useful to nail down our terms here. Insomnia isn’t just staying up late. It’s the inability to sleep—or to fall back asleep if you wake in the middle of the night—with no obvious impediments to explain it. Implicit in the definition, too, is that the deprivation negatively impacts your ability to function the next day. It’s acute when it lasts a few days or weeks; if it extends longer than a month, it’s considered chronic.

If this sounds like you, know first that you’re going through the same thing as a lot of people. And also know there are a few simple strategies you can deploy to get yourself back on track.

It is extremely understandable if you have cut yourself some slack during these sheltered-in-place times. Maybe your diet has gone a little snack-heavy. Maybe you shifted your work hours to make way for childcare or self-care. Maybe you stopped flossing. Only natural. But sleep is something worth preserving—even though that’s harder than it may sound.

“During times of increased stress, sleep is often the first biological system to malfunction,” says Candice Alfano, director of the University of Houston’s Sleep and Anxiety Center. A pandemic is stressful like magma is hot. In a recent online survey conducted by Alfano and her research team, the rate of respondents reporting “severe to very severe problems” either falling or staying asleep was double what they normally see.

That tossing and turning has real health implications. As neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker detailed in a 2019 TED Talk, sleep deprivation makes your brain slower, weakens your immune system, and increases the likelihood of all kinds of mental and physical woes as you age. “Sleep loss will leak down into every nook and cranny of your physiology,” Walker said in his viral presentation. “Sleep, unfortunately, is not an optional lifestyle luxury. Sleep is a nonnegotiable biological necessity. It is your life support system.”

Unfortunately, life amid Covid-19 disrupts that sleep in any number of ways. There’s the anxiety, sure, not just about the disease itself but about financial security, childcare, and all the other ancillary effects of a society in suspended animation. “If you’re not tackling those problems head-on during the day, then when it’s just you and your brain at night and there’s no distractions, all of those problems, all those worries, all those stressers are going to come bubbling to the surface,” says Medalie. “The thoughts are going to produce emotional responses, the emotional responses are going to produce more thoughts, and the realization that time has passed and you’re not sleeping produces anxiety.”

It gets worse. “The relationship actually runs in both directions,” says Alfano. “Even during times of low stress, sleep loss elevates next-day anxiety, potentially creating a vicious cycle.”

While stress contributes greatly to sleep woes, it’s not the only factor in play. Staying mostly at home makes for a more sedentary lifestyle than your body might be accustomed to, which can make falling asleep harder. You may be looking at your screen even more than usual, pulling to refresh for the latest Covid-19 tolls or mind-smoothing TikTok loops late into the night. While you do, the blue-spectrum light emanating from your phone tells your brain to stop producing melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle, also known as the circadian rhythm.

And while bedtime gets much of the focus when it comes to sleep problems, a morning without routine—there’s no office to report to, after all—can be just as detrimental. “A lot of people don’t realize that the wake-up time and getting out of bed and exposure to light is probably the most important thing that regulates our circadian rhythm,” says Jason Ong, a neurologist who focuses on sleep medicine at Northwestern University, referring to the biological process. “Your brain is confused about what time zone it’s supposed to be in.”

The circumstances wrought by Covid-19, in other words, seem almost specifically engineered to interfere with your sleep cycles. Fortunately, there’s plenty you can do to reclaim your shut-eye.

Let’s start with that looming existential dread, since it’s probably the most pandemic-specific contributor to your tossing and turning. The bad news is, you’re probably stuck with it, at least until a vaccine arrives.

You can still take steps to manage it, though, especially as night falls. And it starts with not doing anything at all. “Make sure you have a scheduled hour of ‘me time,’” particularly if you’re sheltering in place with others,” says Medalie. “Everybody needs at least one hour by themselves.”

How you spend that time is up to you. But as you get closer to bedtime, make sure it’s genuinely relaxing. ”Instead of watching or reading the news—most content is repetitive anyway—engage in quiet, calming activities under dim lighting, such as reading, talking with family or friends, or listening to music,” says Alfano.

This all might sound easier said than done. But small adjustments can make a big difference. Don’t bring your smartphone into the bedroom, for starters, or tablets or laptops or any screens at all. If you have a TV in there, consider jettisoning it. Alfanso suggests putting all your charging cords in the kitchen, and setting a reminder for an hour before bedtime to plug in all your electronics and bid them adieu until the morning. Old-school alarm clocks still exist! And some even have built-in light functions designed to help you sleep and wake up on a regular schedule. (WIRED recommends the Homelabs Sunrise Alarm Clock, but you’ve got no shortage of options.)

Northwestern’s Ong also researches how mindfulness techniques can improve sleep, especially for those with chronic insomnia. “It can be a potential tool to help reduce that vigilance, give your brain some signals that it doesn’t need to go into that fight-or-flight mode, or that if it does, here are some tools to help decompress, so that you have a more fair chance for your sleep system to help you fall asleep and stay asleep,” he says.

A simple way to start is to think of yourself as a trainspotter. (Presumably not one from the 1996 Danny Boyle film.) Much like a trainspotter observes railcars passing by from a distance, try to observe what’s happening in your mind without directly engaging with it. If you do find yourself boarding at some point, just get off at the next station. “As you do that, you will start to train yourself that it’s OK to focus on this present moment,” says Ong.

Apps also offer an entry point to anxiety-quashing meditation, although that complicates the whole “remove the phone from the bedroom” scenario. WIRED contributors have had some success with Calm, which offers a range of soothing sessions. Even Swiss Army workout app Peloton has a sleep meditation section, including at least one class specifically designed for the 3 am wake-up.

Getting good sleep involves more than just clearing your head. The experts WIRED spoke with all agree that clearing your bedroom is just as important. “The bedroom should just be a bedroom. Just a room for your bed, and maybe your dresser, and nothing else in there,” says Medalie. “Sleep and sex are the only two things that should happen in the bedroom.”

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Sleep is a process to restore the body’s energy lost after a day of activities. Many people assume that sleep is easy. However, for those who suffer from insomnia, sleep is not as easy as it seems. They often try various ways to fall asleep, but it also does not make them sleep faster. I

In fact, there are many factors that cause a person to experience sleep disorders, ranging from irregular sleep habits, the influence of drugs, to symptoms of chronic illness.

Hence, we will share some quick sleep tips for insomnia. Let’s read the following carefully.

1.      Bathing with Warm Water

Are you one of the people with insomnia? Don’t worry, you can overcome this by taking a shower using warm water when going to sleep. This trick is believed to be very effective.

Bathing warm water naturally helps to slow down and relax the nervous system and encourage drowsiness. The body will relax and get sleepy quickly.

2.      Set Sleep Hours

The next effective sleep tips for insomnia is to set a regular bedtime. Maybe this seems imposing, especially for you who are not accustomed to sleep with a time schedule.

If ​​you’re one of those who suffer insomnia, you might only able to sleep when the drowsiness comes which is certainly a waste of time.

At first, you might feel burdened and have difficulty sleeping with a set time. However, in this way, the body will signal the hormones serotonin and melatonin separately to make you feel relaxed and automatically preparing for sleep.

By doing this, it will also affect your psychology. You will feel the need to get enough sleep and put aside the egos including the ‘sleepy’ habit. If you can be patient, we guaranteed that you will have positive new habits.

3.      Get rid of Gadgets and Other Electronic Devices

We often check the gadget before going to sleep, but don’t be surprised that this habit is make it difficult for you to sleep quickly.

The main factor is because the emitted blue light that can disturb the brain. Blue light removes the body’s circadian rhythm or biological clock.

Not only that, the blue light emitted by the gadget can prevent the brain from releasing melatonin which is very important in sleep. So, it is better to keep all kinds of electronic devices away before going to sleep.

Note: It is recommended to get rid of gadget approximately 2 hours before bedtime.

4.      Perform 4-7-8 Breathing Exercises

What is 4-7-8 breathing exercise? This exercise begins with techniques to calm the mind and relax the body by regulating breathing in several stages.

Here are the step-by-step how to do it:

• Take a deep breath through your mouth
• Dep breathing through the nose for 4 seconds
• Hold your breath for 7 seconds
• Exhale through your mouth with the sound ‘whoosh’ do the count to 8
• Repeat the above steps 4 times

Try to focus on breathing in and breathing out properly. The goal is to get the maximum results. Try to do this breathing exercise for 2 times a day, both in the morning or when you want to sleep.

5.      Turn off the lights

Another quick tips to sleep for insomnia is to turn off the lights when you want to sleep. This method is the easiest and most effective, but there are still many people who are reluctant to do it. Make sure there are no light sources in the bed area. The right time to turn off the room lights is one hour before you sleep.

6.      Eat sweet foods

Based on new research from Japan found that the active compound in sugar cane can reduce stress and trigger sleepiness. Sleep research conducted on rodents found that the active compound named Octacosanol. Researchers reveal that stress is a major factor that inhibits sleep and octacosanol supplementation has been proven safe in humans.

Octacosanol can be used as an effective therapy for people suffering from insomnia due to stress. But do not worry, these compounds can also be found in other foods, such as rice bran, wheat seeds, and beeswax. So do not hesitate so eat food for fast sleep, so you are free from insomnia.

7.      Open the Air Vent

In order to maintain security and reduce mosquitoes to enter the room, usually we will close all windows and doors tightly. Yet according to a study, carbon dioxide trapped in the room can reduce a person to relax while sleeping.

That is one of the factors why sometimes people can wake up in the middle of the night. To work around this, you can open your room door so that air circulation can enter. This can be one way to make your sleep better.

8.      Sports

Exercise regularly is proven as one of the tips to sleep faster for insomnia. Sports that you can do are yoga, and a leisurely walk every morning.

It is a natural way and has a good impact on the body. With a duration of exercise 30 minutes 3 to 4 times a week can help you fight insomnia and improve sleep quality.

9.      Bask in the Morning

Take time to sunbathe in the morning, at least 30 minutes. Because, sunbathing in the morning has the same effect with exercise. The sun forces a person to wake up and makes the body aware of metabolic processes. Exposure to sunlight in the morning can trigger the production of melatonin which is needed when we sleep.

10. Reducing Caffeine

The effects of caffeine can last up to 5 to 6 hours. So, if you consume coffee at 4-5 pm, it is certain that the body will be awaken and you will have trouble sleeping.

Well, you should reduce drinking coffee or other drinks that contain caffeine in the afternoon until evening, so it is not difficult to sleep.

11. Meditation

Meditation is another sleep tip you can do when you want to sleep to relieve stress and rest the brain after undergoing activities during the day. Meditation begins with trying breathing exercises that can make the body relaxed and focused.

12. Eat Early

Another great thing to remember is that it is not recommended to eat too close to bedtime. It is better to eat before 8 pm, so that means the body has time to process food.

If you eat right before going to sleep, the digestive system will keep you awake longer. Make sure you don’t eat at midnight.

13. Immerse the Face in Cold Water

According to Life Hack Solution, one way that can make you sleep faster is to bury your face in cold water for a few moments. Drowning your face in cold water will trigger a forced phenomenon called dive reflex. This method will reduce your heart rate and blood pressure, which means your nervous system is being reset to calm the body. This trick is very well done if you are feeling anxious or depressed before going to sleep.

14. Drink milk

Drinking warm milk before going to sleep is believed to make you sleep better. Milk contains a-lactalbumin protein. This protein contains high amounts of tryptophan amino acids, which produce melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep.

Foods that contain tryptophan are like egg whites and pumpkin seeds which you should consume often if you have insomnia problems.

15. Massaging the Sleep Trigger Points

Our body has certain points which if it pressed or massaged will cause certain effects.

Dr. Idzikowski suggests massaging the point area between the eyebrows, the point between the thumb and index finger of the right foot, or the point under the index finger of the right foot.

Here are the Step-by-Step:

• First, place the thumb on the point between the eyebrows at the top of the nose, where there are slight curves. Gently massage and hold for 20 seconds, then release briefly and do it repeatedly.
• Sit down and place your right leg on your left knee. Massage the point between the big toe and forefinger for 20 seconds, release briefly and repeat the massage.
• Find the point just below the nail on the top of the right index finger. Use the thumb and forefinger of the right hand to gently massage for 20 seconds, take it off briefly and then do it again.

16. Reduce Naps

Although napping is one of the right ways to replace your lack of sleep, this method is not very appropriate. It’s important to establish and maintain regular sleep patterns and train yourself to associate sleep with cues such as darkness and consistent sleep time. Naps can affect the quality of sleep at night.

17. Putting a Pillow on the Feet

By placing a pillow under the feet, it will balance the position of your hips when sleeping. So that it will reduce pain in your body and will provide calm during sleep. You can sleep on your back and slip a pillow under your knee to relieve pain.

18. Resolve All Concerns Before Sleep

If you feel worried while you sleep and think about tomorrow, you should set aside time after dinner to review or make plans for the next day. The goal is to be calmer and maintain the quality of sleep.

To Conclude

We hope that staying up is no longer become your habit. The methods above are the quick sleep tips to get a better quality of sleep for insomnia like you. Not only will your body become healthier, but your mind and mood will improve each day.

The post 18 Effective and Quick Sleep Tips for Insomnia appeared first on MyMedicPlus.