Best Way to Sleep When You're an Insomniac

The University of Maryland Medical Center defines insomnia as trouble falling asleep or maintaining uninterrupted sleep at least three nights out of the week. While everyone falls prey to sleep difficulties occasionally, chronic lack of restorative, deep sleep can cause troublesome mental and physical symptoms. No one best way exists to combat insomnia and you will likely require a multi-pronged strategy that might take some trial and error before finding what works best for you.

Instructions

• 1

  Practice good "sleep hygiene." This involves measures such as using the bedroom for sleep and sex only; getting up and going to bed at the same time; making the bedroom cool, dark and quiet; refraining from caffeine consumption later in the day; getting out of the bedroom if you have not fallen asleep within 20 minutes or so and moving to another room to engage in another activity until you feel tired.

• 2

  Try yoga. Certified yoga instructor Leslie Peters, writing for Yoga Journal, recommends this practice for combating insomnia and recommends particular poses to address this problem specifically. They include standing forward bend; wide-legged standing forward bend; downward facing dog pose; head-to-knee pose; seated forward bend; reclining bound angle pose; bridge pose; reclining hero pose; plow pose and corpse pose. Many yoga websites offer illustrations and instruction on how to execute various yoga poses.

• 3

  Experiment with other relaxation techniques, recommends the Mayo Clinic. It suggests biofeedback, progressive muscle relaxation, hypnosis, meditation and visualization. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports several studies have shown these techniques have helped with various aspects of insomnia including lessening time it takes to fall asleep, increasing the amount of sleep and reducing the amount of times you awake during the night.

• 4

  Visit an acupuncturist. An article by Dr. Judith R. Peterson in the journal "Medical Acupuncture" noted a number of studies that found acupuncture benefited insomnia in almost every patient; the University of Maryland Medical Center notes acupuncture has achieved a 90 percent success rate in various studies. Peterson also noted follow-ups of patients found the benefits lasted long after the sessions were completed.

• 5

  Experiment with natural supplements that have demonstrated the ability to address sleep problems. The University of Maryland Medical Center says the following might help but you should consult your doctor before using: valerian, kava kava, 5-HTP, melatonin, L-tryptophan, rhodiola and chamomile.

• 6

  Talk to your doctor about prescription medications commonly used to treat insomnia. They include benzodiazepines, non-benzodiazepines, which have demonstrated fewer side effects and a reduced risk of dependency compared to benzodiazepines and melatonin-agonists.