Insomnia is quite prevalent across the world. According to the CCHS criteria, an estimated 14% of the population aged 14 or older experienced insomnia frequently. This sleep disorder causes people to either stay awake or have trouble staying asleep. Frequent bouts of insomnia can be associated with high levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. Prolonged episodes of insomnia can lead to severe consequences such as poor memory, impaired ability to concentrate, reduced quality of life, absenteeism at work, and mood swings. It is quite imperative that we deal with insomnia to the best of our abilities so that it doesn’t affect our life severely. Here are a few tried and tested ways to deal with insomnia.
Mindfulness meditation
A ton of research suggests that mindfulness meditation helps relieve the symptoms of insomnia and improves the quality of sleep. It has proven to be quite effective along with medication for severe insomnia. Mindfulness is the art of being present in your current surroundings, without any judgment. Meditation helps in focusing and calming your mind. It is quite obvious that you cannot be stressed and relaxed at the same time, and so the state of relaxation brought upon by mindfulness meditation helps in alleviating insomnia. Meditation invokes a state of awareness and acceptance that helps reduce psychological distress. This is also known to reduce the levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) in our bodies.
Marijuana
After a long and hard battle for legalization, people all around the world are slowly recognizing the various benefits of smoking marijuana, not only physically but also mentally. Strains such as triple chocolate chip strain are extremely helpful in lowering symptoms of stress, anxiety, and insomnia. The THC present in cannabis acts as a sedative and is responsible for helping you fall asleep. A lot of people swear by the medicinal properties of this psychoactive plant for many other ailments such as depression, cancer pain, glaucoma, and loss of appetite.
Good sleep hygiene
It is true that consistent and good quality of sleep can only be achieved through good sleep hygiene. It is important to make a habit of practicing good sleep hygiene such as only sitting on your bed to sleep, not watching TV or eating in your room and no caffeine or tea after 4 pm. It is important to have a bedroom environment that promotes healthy and consistent sleep. It is important to keep a stable sleep schedule, have a relaxing routine before going to bed, and building healthy habits throughout the day.
Exercise
Exercise is known to reduce the level of cortisol in our body along with releasing a good amount of endorphins in our system. Regular exercise has the ability to improve the duration and quality of sleep. It is important to remember to exercise at least 3-4 hours before you go to bed so that it does not stimulate the body instead of helping you sleep.
Dealing with insomnia can be quite a tricky thing to do. It is important to remember to cultivate good habits so that you experience a better and improved quality of sleep.