Insomnia Sufferers Are Not Alone

If you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, you are not alone. According to the National Sleep Foundation, about half of Americans have sleep difficulty (insomnia) at least occasionally.

Not getting enough good sleep affects everything in our lives, including concentration, mood and productivity. Fortunately insomnia sufferers, there are some things you can do to improve your sleep, including watching your diet, establishing exercise patterns and changing your sleeping environment. In the upcoming tips, we offer some tips for relieving insomnia as recommended by the National Sleep Foundation. For example:

During sleep, bright lights can disturb your sleep. Keep your bedroom dark (consider light-blocking shades, lined drapes, even an eye mask) so light doesn't interfere with your passage to slumber.

Limit Alcohol

Previously, we mentioned that not getting enough good sleep affects everything in our lives, including concentration, mood and productivity. Fortunately for insomnia sufferers, there are some things you can do to improve your sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends:

Avoid alcohol before bed. Alcohol is often thought of as a sedative, or calming drug. However, while alcohol may speed the beginning of sleep, it actually increases the number of times you awaken in the later half of the night. If your sleep isn't restful, alcohol (beer, wine, hard liquor) may be the cause. Skip the nightcap and see if your sleep improves.

Watch What You Drink

Previously, we mentioned that not getting enough good sleep affects everything in our lives, including concentration, mood and productivity. Fortunately for insomnia sufferers, there are some things you can do to improve your sleep. In our last tip, we mentioned that drinking alcohol before bed can cause sleep disruptions. But alcohol isn't the only culprit. According to the National Sleep Foundation:

Drinking too much of any beverage can lead to more awakenings because of the need to urinate during the night. Also, the older we get, the more we experience these nighttime awakenings.

Try to restrict your fluids before bedtime to help promote an uninterrupted night's sleep. If the problem persists, talk to your doctor.

Watch What You Eat

Previously, we mentioned that not getting enough good sleep affects everything in our lives, including concentration, mood and productivity. Fortunately for insomnia sufferers, there are some things you can do to improve your sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation:

Everything you eat can affect nighttime slumber. For example, tomato products and spicy foods give many people heartburn (as does eating too fast). What does heartburn have to do with sleep? Lying down makes heartburn worse, and heartburn itself makes falling asleep more difficult. Heartburn also awakens sleepers with middle-of-the-night discomfort.

Relieving Insomnia: Limit Caffeine

In our last tip, we mentioned that not getting enough good sleep affects everything in our lives, including concentration, mood and productivity. Fortunately for insomnia sufferers, there are some things you can do to improve your sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends:

Watch your caffeine intake, especially in the latter half of the day. Try eliminating caffeinated food and drink after lunch for a few weeks. Are you sleeping better? If so, you may have identified the culprit.

(Note: For some people, a small amount of caffeine early in the day can cause problems falling asleep ten to 12 hours later.)

- Valerie Ryan

-- Anonymous, September 27, 2002