[moops]

Can’t Sleep? – Tips to Tackle Insomnia

BY NEEPA PARIKH, MACINSINDERS

I don’t sleep much as it is. On average I get about 6 hours of sleep a night but lately I’ve been suffering through fits of insomnia. So of course, I did my research and here are some things that I’ve found to be helpful when dealing with insomnia.

It is probably a good idea to first know what is causing your insomnia. There are many factors that can lead to insomnia including but not limited to stress, anxiety, depression, hormonal changes, jet lag, decreased melatonin, alcohol or caffeine overuse and pain. Note that insomnia is often a symptom of a greater medical condition and if it persists for a long period of time it is a good idea to visit your doctor. In my case, my insomnia stemmed from stresses related to academics but every person is different.

Here’s a list of things you can do to help improve your sleep because we all know that sleep is very important.

• Establish a regular sleep schedule with a regular bedtime and wake-up time. Make every effort to stick to it even on weekends.
• Avoid taking naps
• Take a short walk before bed. Light exercise aids sleep.
• Along with the previous point, exercise regularly during the day.
• Use the bed only for sleep and sex, not reading or watching tv. This is so that you associate your bed with only sleep and sex and nothing else.
• Avoid caffeine and other stimulants, especially late in the day.
• Avoid alcohol even if it helps you fall asleep quicker. Alcohol actually worsens insomnia by causing shallow, unrefreshing sleep.
• Don’t eat a big meal or spicy foods just before bedtime.
• A small snack that contains tryptophan may help such as turkey, banana and fish.
• A warm glass of milk might help as well.

If none of these seem to help and your insomnia continues for a long period of time, visit a doctor. Just remember that, as students, sleep is a luxury. Get every minute you can.

[Eximious]

Funnily enough, last night I accidentally fell asleep at 5 pm, woke up today at 8am. I'm sure I had enough sleep lol.

In all seriousness though, I don't enjoy sleeping a lot, I'd rather stay up as long as I possibly can. Heck for two weeks in high school I had 4-3 hours of sleep every night. It eventually got to me after the two weeks, but I didn't mind. I actually wish I could be an insomniac, so much extra time in the nice silence of the night.....

[ShouldBeStudying]

try the Ubermann sleep schedule, the one kramer did where he took a 20 minute nap every 3 hours, that way you only need to sleep like 3 hours a day, oh and tell me how it goes

[Nino]

Originally Posted by Eximious

Funnily enough, last night I accidentally fell asleep at 5 pm, woke up today at 8am. I'm sure I had enough sleep lol.

In all seriousness though, I don't enjoy sleeping a lot, I'd rather stay up as long as I possibly can. Heck for two weeks in high school I had 4-3 hours of sleep every night. It eventually got to me after the two weeks, but I didn't mind. I actually wish I could be an insomniac, so much extra time in the nice silence of the night.....

The disadvantages of not getting much sleep outweigh any advantages. I have quite a severe case of insomnia so my sleeping is really screwed up. I can't sleep until after 5 am usually, sometimes even later. I also feel tired all the time and I feel so unhealthy because of it. I am supposed to be following a strict sleeping schedule provided to me by the sleeping clinic but it's so difficult for me to do so. My sleeping pattern is all over the place and sometimes I can't function because of it. It sucks too because if I ever want to make it to something early in the morning, I have to stay up. However, if I'm just too tired, my body gives up and I practically pass out. Sometimes that's the only way I end up getting sleep. I missed most of my 8:30 classes last year because of this. Not to mention that it affected a number of my grades last year too. The worst part is that even when I do end up getting sleep, I wake up multiple times during my sleep. If you ever see me around, you'll notice that I always look tired. It really sucks but I'm used to it now. Hopefully I can fix it before it does some serious damage.

[rrtt]

Originally Posted by Eximious

In all seriousness though, I don't enjoy sleeping a lot, I'd rather stay up as long as I possibly can. Heck for two weeks in high school I had 4-3 hours of sleep every night. It eventually got to me after the two weeks, but I didn't mind. I actually wish I could be an insomniac, so much extra time in the nice silence of the night.....

I am the complete opposite! I absolutely LOVE sleep. I am planning to sleep-in every single day during the break :p

[zango]

Drink coffee and red bull, helps me sleep.

[moops]

So I started doing some yoga when waking up and right before going to bed. The morning yoga helps wake me up and keep me energized throughout the day and the nighttime yoga helps me relax. I've been getting a good 6 hours of sleep lately

Try it!

[harpomarx42]

I use melatonin. It comes in liquid and sublingual tablet form. Harmless with no side effects, available at homeopathic stores (like GNC). I'm out like a light within half an hour.

[Nino]

Originally Posted by harpomarx42

I use melatonin. It comes in liquid and sublingual tablet form. Harmless with no side effects, available at homeopathic stores (like GNC). I'm out like a light within half an hour.

Apparently I lack melatonin in my body. I haven't had a chance to purchase melatonin vials yet. I was also told that I should take sleeping pills but I'm not doing that because I'm too worried that somehow I'll end up addicted. Anyway, how much were the melatonin vials? I think I'll purchase a few sometime this week from the pharmacy.