Wednesday, February 10, 2010

How to Deal with Insomnia


In the Philippines, one of the most common sleeping disorders is insomnia. The average person needs 7-9 hours of sleep per night to function properly, and due to insomnia many people aren't getting the sleep they need. Here are some tips to help you get a good night sleep.

1.Make your bedroom a place of rest. Avoid using the bedroom for anything other than sleep so your body recognizes the bed as a place to sleep instead of watching television or reading books.

2. Go to bed at the same time each night and get out of bed each morning at the same time, regardless of your schedule. Sticking to a set schedule retrains your system as to when to sleep and when to wake up.

3.Make lifestyle changes to help eliminate insomnia. Eliminate the use of caffeine, nicotine and alcohol as they all inhibit your ability to sleep and have a direct impact on insomnia.

4. Exercise in the morning hours to rev your metabolism and awaken your system. Don't exercise in the evening hours, especially within three hours of going to bed.

5.Work on reducing your stress levels. Stress, even good stress such as a job promotion or moving to a new home can cause insomnia. Use yoga, stretching or relaxation techniques to reduce the stress and help you avoid the insomnia associated with it.

6.Create a specific bedtime routine. An example of such a routine would be to turn off the television, take a bath and drink a glass of milk before getting into bed. By setting a routine, your body learns that these specific steps lead to sleep and helps reduce or eliminates episodes of insomnia.

7.Try some natural ways of relaxing your body for sleep. Take a hot bath. Just don't make it too hot or stay in it too long. You want to relax, not exhaust yourself. Get a massage. If your significant other has magic fingers, take advantage of them to relax those muscles and prepare them to allow your body to sleep.

8.If nothing else works, you may require the assistance of a professional. Ask your physician for a referral.

4 comments:

  1. When I first saw the title, I totally told myself, "this entry is for me!"

    Insomnia nowadays is very rampant. There are many things that cause insomnia.

    It would have been good if you sort of introduced your article that way, that because by knowing the causes, it would help prevent it through bla bla bla, then your article above there follows ;)

    Your blog is so pink! I don't know if it's a good thing but sometimes moody people may not appreciate bright colors. Most people who read online like the solemn, monochromic theme. I'm not saying it's a bad thing though. I'm just thinking maybe at a certain time when people open this, their eyes might be in shock on the sudden brightness (esp if they browse at night). But no, just a thought I had :)

    Thanks :)

    MARYANNE BENEDICTO

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  2. It's only a personal comment, but your blog is too bright - maybe because it's too "pink". A combo of colors might be better, to balance the brightness on your page.
    Your first topic is sort of dull already. A lot of people talk about elections and sometimes people get irked even with just the thought of it. Maybe first you should've put the word 'elections' on the headline since it might lose interest in most people. Also, take it in a different angle because I think everyone already knows how premature the campaigning has been... To add a bit more of spice into your blog, maybe a few pictures here and there would be better. I didn't quite enjoy reading it, maybe only because the issues weren't very new to me.

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  3. Hi, Jayve

    I didn't take you to be a pink lady :-)

    Seriously, the pink raises expectations. Since it's a dominant color, a reader might expect your blog to be one tackling frothy concerns (i.e. girlish, feminine) or having a leaning for breast cancer (i.e. pink October).

    Given these associations, a reader might be surprised to find two disparate posts: one on insomnia and another on election campaigning.

    Perhaps you should have a theme to tie all your posts.

    I like the turquoise contrast with the pink. It's enough, though, to use the color; no need to underline or italicize phrases since the line already stands out.

    Looking forward to reading your new posts! And discovering more of your pink side!

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  4. Hi Jayve!

    I wouldn't add anymore comments to the pink issue because I think they said enough. But I would like to agree on Mayan's suggestion. Maybe you should add more pictures or graphics to your post so as not to make it so pinkish. The contrasting colors will relax the eyes of your readers a bit.

    Regarding the post, I think this articles really helped me a lot. I find it so hard to sleep, especially when I entered college. That's the reason why you usually see me when darkened eyes and oh, the haggard face. :))

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