Do you have difficulty falling asleep despite being tired?
Do you have trouble getting back to sleep when waking up in the night?
Do you wake up too early in the morning, a couple of hours before you are due to wake?
Do you rely on sleeping pills or alcohol to fall asleep?
Do you feel drowsy when you wake?
Do you feel drowsy, fatigued, or irritable during the day?
Do you have difficulty concentrating and focusing during the day?
If you have said yes to all of these questions, then it appears that you are experiencing insomnia.
There are many underlying causes and awareness is the first step towards creating a healthy sleep pattern. Consider the following.
– High caffeine and sugar intake during the day. Usually we resort to these stimulants when we’re tired but giving into them only perpetuates the problem causing drowsy, tired days and wakeful nights in turn leading to more tired days.
– Eating late. Poor general digestive health can cause a breakdown in how you digest your food. Symptoms such as indigestion, reflux, nausea, bloating and wind can cause discomfort. Eat at least 2 hours before bedtime and address your digestive issues.
– Feeling stressed, overwhelmed and have unresolved issues? Learn to meditate, switch off and let go. Address unresolved issues with a therapist. Identify the source of stress. Do an audit of your daily activities. Let go of unnecessary tasks.
– Fear of the dark and feeling unsafe and insecure are common causes in both children and adults. Hypnotherapy and counseling may help you resolve these issues.
– Certain medication can cause wakefulness. If you suffer from insomnia discuss your medications with your GP. You may be experiencing side effects.
– Specific health conditions can wake you up in the middle of the night such as hot flushes in menopause, shortness of breath with asthma and general or localized pain.
– Poor health generally. Pay attention to self-care. Hydrate, nourish, exercise and rest your mind and body.
– Sleep disorders such as restless leg syndrome and sleep apnoea can wake you in the middle of the night.
– International travel and night shift work can significantly disrupt your sleep/wake cycle (Jessica link here to previous post)
– An irregular routine can lead to insomnia. Sleeping and waking at the same time everyday, including weekends, supports your natural 24 hour biological rhythm.
– Disturbed sleep occurs when our kids and partners are disturbed in their sleep.
– Watching scary movies, listening to loud music and excessive exercise before bed can also lead to insomnia.
Next week we will explore how to create a sleep ritual and beautiful, comfortable sanctuary that allows you to fall into a deep slumber.
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