Any tips for dealing with insomnia?

I’ve been dealing with insomnia for quite a while now, but the past few days were bad. the most sleep I got in the past days, was maybe 6 hours? Every other night it was maybe 3-4 hours. Most of the time I can manage to take a little nap in the afternoon and get 1-2 hours more but that’s it. Besides, I get nightmares quite often.
I’ve talked to my parents about it already, but they refuse to get me any sleeping pills or whatever. And I just don’t really know, what to do?

Is there anything I can do, that could help me sleep more [or better]?

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Insomnia sucks. So much. From time to time I have seasons when I struggle with insomnia too, because of nightmares and/or my anxiety being all over the place. I hate when going to sleep makes me feel anxious just because there’s a kind of negative circle that I feel stuck in.

I’m sorry you’ve been struggling with that, friend. I can understand why your parents don’t want you to get sleeping pills. Those can have a lot of effects and have to be handled carefully. If you’re young, it’s certainly not really recommended. But this shouldn’t prevent you to actually see a doctor about your insomnia. And it’s actually your doctor to decide, not your parents. I think the best help you could get, first, is by having a medical appointment. Your sleeping problems could be caused by different reasons and maybe a medical check-up could be a good thing to consider.

Other than that, there are certainly things you can try to do to make sleeping something relaxing and peaceful to you. Someone posted about this a couple o weeks ago but I can’t find their post back. If I do, I’ll add a link to it. In the meantime, here are some things that personally helped me:

  • To make sure that my bedroom is a cosy place: clean surfaces, no mess everywhere, clean bed sheets, relaxing lights, etc.
  • Melatonin could be helpful. It is a natural product that regulates our sleep cycle. Just to be clear: I don’t recommend here any medication - again, the best way to find something that helps is to talk about it with your doctor. Just know that this could be an intermediate between sleeping pills and having nothing at all.
  • Lavender - Essential oil, for example: you add a few drops onto your pillow (2-4, not 10), or you could use a spray. If you have lavender in your garden or neighbourhood, making a small bouquet and putting it next to your bed can help too.
  • Avoid any digital screen before going to slep. Shut down your phone, computer, TV at least an hour before you go to bed. It’s not always easy, but it’s truly worth it. Use this time to take a shower or a bath, to have a short walk outside, to read a book… but nothing too dynamic.
    Also, I can recommend you to use the freeware “f.lux” on your computer if you tend to use it a lot during the day. It’s a small program that will change the lightning on your computer screen and adapt it to the hour of the day. It helps to reduce the “exciting” effect of digital light on your body.
  • As you do it already: naps during the day when it’s needed - but not too long and not too late in the day.
  • Even if you lack of sleep, try to wake up at the same hour everyday. It’s not always easy, but it’s a way to keep a sleeping pattern and make sure you that you will be tired when the night arrives.
  • Try to avoid coffee/tea (if you drink that) or energy drinks during the evening.
  • Exercising - if you can - during the day. Even light exercises. The idea is to be active in a healthy way. It can bring a “good” tiredness in the long run and help you to get some restorative sleep at night. Just take it easy if you consider exercising, and take the time to warm up and stretch your body. When we lack of sleep, we’re more likely to tore a muscle.
  • If you can’t sleep at night, don’t force yourself to sleep. Turn on the light and do something - but not something exciting: reading, writing, listening to some music… And then try again to sleep.

It’s a mix of things, and there are certainly many others things to thnk about, but I hope this could help. Getting a healthier pattern of sleep takes time. Sometimes, for the nightmares, it’s helpful to write them down too. It’s kind of a way to make your mind work in a different way.

In any case, be patient with yourself. You may not see major improvements in only a few days, but in the long run you could see the effects of maintaining some healthy routines.

Hold fast - :hrtlegolove:

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