Sleep Disorders Center
Treatment of Insomnia
Simple Things to Try When You Can't Sleep
There are many steps you can take that may help you overcome insomnia and
get a good night's sleep. Some of these strategies are listed below:
- Follow the rules of good sleep hygiene
- See a doctor. This is especially true if your symptoms are new. Because
many of the causes of insomnia are due to medical disorders, the doctor can
help you sort this out. In many cases, consultation with a sleep specialist
will help.
- Take a warm bath. This often helps. Bringing heat to the muscles
often relaxes them and lets you get to sleep.
- Get a massage. Again a good muscle relaxing technique. However, make
sure that whoever is doing the massage knows how to do it. Causing pain never
helped anyone get to sleep.
- Listen to music. Actually, any soothing noise (played softly) in
the background may help. Rap or heavy metal music is probably not the way
to go. Rather light, or relaxing, music helps many people sleep.
- Drink warm milk. Milk has L-tryptophan, an amino acid that helps
bring on sleep. Adding honey can often help. However, if dairy products give
you diarrhea, then skip this one.
- Drink herbal tea. Make sure that this is decaffeinated.
- Sleep on a firm mattress. This is a no-brainer. Sagging or poor quality
mattresses can lead to difficulty maintaining sleep.
- Sleep with your head facing north (magnetic) and feet facing south.
Some people swear by this.
- Count something. The old counting sheep technique works as long as
the setting in your mind is a peaceful, slow-moving scene. Concentrating on
a mental image often relaxes the rest of the body and allows you to fall asleep.
- Relaxation techniques. These are often very useful. Click here
to read about some.
This page was last updated on: August 3, 2010.
For more information or to arrange for a sleep consultation for adults,
please call 410-706-4771. For children, call 410-706-3285.
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