Insomnia

I've suffered from sleep problems for about three years now. For awhile it was pretty serious, but I seem to have it mostly under control now. I'm beginning to take sleep for granted again, but every now and then I think back upon how horrible it was to not be able to sleep.

In this article I want to share my personal experiences with insomnia, and explain how I eventually overcame the problem. Below are four tips that helped me more than anything else:

1) Don't fight it too hard - I remember when the sleeplessness began; I would lie awake, usually worried or excited about something at work or in my life. I would think to myself, "Ok, just stop thinking about it or you'll be up all night", and that's generally what happened. Nowadays, this situation still arises, but instead of fighting off the ideas, I pursue them and think them through to the end. I find that until I answer those questions in my head, I will never fall asleep, but if I think them through and get some closure to the issue, then eventually my mind will shut down and I'll fall asleep. It still might take two hours or so, but at least I get some sleep.

2) Don't nap after a poor nights sleep - Sometimes, after a rough night, I would sit at work thinking, "I can hardly wait 'till this day is over, and then I can go home and take a nap". Then when I would get home I'd take an hour nap before dinner. Inevitably this would lead to another poor night of sleep. I found that if you can make it 'till evening without a nap, things generally work out better.

3) No caffeine after noon - I never was one to drink coffee after dinner time (6:00 p.m. or so), because I knew it kept me up. But, until I began cutting myself off at noon, I had no idea how that afternoon coffee affected me. I haven't researched how long caffeine actually stays in your system, so I may be way off track here, but for me, afternoon coffee resulted in restless nights. Nowadays I never drink coffee after noon, and it makes a big difference.

4) Tire yourself out - Stay active physically and mentally. I found that socializing with friends, working on my hobbies (computer projects), or going for a walk, all helped me get a better night sleep. Passive entertainment like T.V. or surfing the net wouldn't tire out my body or mind, and I'd find myself restless in the evening.

I've read many sleeping tips on the internet and in print articles. Very few of them will work for you, but they are all worth trying. Give my tips a chance, and if they aren't working for you, continue to try other methods. Try to keep a positive attitude. Amnesia is very difficult to live with, but almost everyone manages to beat it eventually.