According to a German medical journal, one in five people has a sleep disorder: women more than men, adults more than young people, city dwellers more than people in the countryside. Some have trouble falling asleep, some wake up too early, and some wake up many times during the night. What can you do about it if you have such problems?
1. Stop worrying and start sleeping – Generally, there is no danger in staying without sleep for a period of time. A compares the dream to a dove. If you extend your hand gently, you will voluntarily approach and land on it. But if you try to grab it, it flies away. In fact, sleep analysis of people who report insomnia shows that they often sleep more than they think.
2. Find the cause – It is important to find the real cause of your sleeping problem, if you have one. Insomnia can be a symptom of a physical disorder, such as hypertension or an upset stomach. But often, the cause is in your mind rather than your body. Do you worry about something? Try to reason it with yourself in a balanced way. Prayer, offered in faith, can ease a person’s mind.
It may also be beneficial to consult a wise and mature person regarding your problem. Perhaps the problem is not you but that of your environment. The bedroom ventilation may be poor or the temperature may be too high. Try to keep it between 59 and 62 degrees Fahrenheit (15 to 17 degrees Celsius). Quite high humidity in the bedroom is usually good. If you remove the cold from the bed before going to bed, you can fall asleep more easily, as a cold bed has a stimulating effect.
Does your bed fit you? You should be able to move in it without difficulty. Since your bed is where you spend a third of your life, get the best you can afford. Make sure it is positioned correctly in the room. Most people prefer to sleep with their head towards the window. Even the material of the mattress and bedding can affect your sleep. For example, a synthetic fiber nightgown can cause discomfort.
The light in the bedroom can bother you. Some need total darkness and even have to wear an eye mask, while others want a soft bedside lamp to light up. There may also be annoying sounds. Get a new washing machine put on that leaky faucet. If nothing else helps, wear earplugs, although they take some getting used to and are not a good idea for people with chronic ear problems.
3. Reset your day and night rhythm – Don’t try to force yourself to sleep. Some people just can’t get sleepy until the wee hours of the morning. Doctors have found that it is much easier to set your internal clocks forward than trying to “move the hands back.” Some lifelong insomniacs were cured simply by postponing their bedtime for a few hours each day until their cycles progressed to a normal bedtime. “During the treatment, I felt like a zombie (an undead),” admits a cured patient, but the end results were good.
Some people who complain of a lack of sleep at night actually rob themselves by sleeping during the day. So if you find it difficult to fall asleep at night, try to avoid that nap after lunch. “But I feel so sleepy!” some will say. Well, in those moments, why not do something else that might be refreshing, like go for a brisk walk? Think of your dream as money in the bank. If you spend it on naps, you won’t have it at night when you really need it.