Insomnia, Part 2

By Ellen S. Mullen M.D.

If you awaken during the night,brget up, don’t stay in bed. Go to abrdifferent room and try reading a bookbrfor about twenty minutes then try to gobrback to bed. If you cannot fall asleep,brget up again and try the same routine. Make sure you are not drinkingbralcohol or eating or drinking caffeine,brespecially in the evening. Decongestants and tobacco are also stimulantsbrthat may contribute to insomnia.brBig meals prior to bedtime can alsobrlead to sleeplessness. Avoid takingbrdaytime naps. Exercise can cause us tobrbe more physically tired but it is bestbrto exercise earlier in the day and notbrbefore bedtime.br

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Decreasing stress by becomingbraware of situations that are bothering you is essential in curing insomnia. Make a list of all the things youbrare worried or concerned about andbrthen go back through the list. As youbrrecognize things on this list that youbrfeel you can change, write downbrwhat you will do about them. All ofbrthe other situations that you have nobrcontrol over, try to simply ignorebrthem by crossing them off of your list.br

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Depression can also be associatedbrwith insomnia. Therefore it is verybrimportant to be in touch with yourbrfeelings and get help if you feel youbrare depressed. Insomnia can be abrwarning sign of deeper psychologicalbrproblems.br

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See insomnia as a warning signbrthat something is not right and needsbrto be corrected in your life. As a lastbrresort, over the counter sleep aids canbrbe helpful but should not be used longbrterm in most situations. It is wise tobrcheck with your doctor to assure thatbrthese medications are safe for you tobruse. If these do not help, see yourbrdoctor and he may suggest a prescription medication to help you to sleep.brAgain, in general, these should only bebrused temporarily to reset your internalbrsleep clock. Finding out the cause ofbryour insomnia is the real cure. 

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