12 ways to fight insomnia effectively

Fighting insomnia can be an arduous task if we don't know where to start to avoid it. Sometimes the very fact that we take a long time to sleep conditions us and prevents us from relaxing, making it even more difficult to fall asleep.

If we don't take action, sleeping problems can end up affecting our daily lives and our health, so we must find ways to remedy it.

How to combat insomnia and fall asleep?

If we don't want insomnia to become routine and a bigger problem, we must start taking steps to avoid it. Here are the best ways to fall asleep in no time.

1. Maintain regular hours

One of the best ways to combat insomnia is acquire a routine in terms of schedules. If we always get up and go to bed at the same time, our body will be ready to rest and it will be easier for us to fall asleep at the desired times.

To finish getting used to these schedules, we can try to open the blinds as soon as we get up to activate ourselves with the morning light; or to keep the darkness down by lowering the blinds when we go to bed. We should also avoid sleeping during the day or getting up late on weekends.

2. Get regular exercise

Exercising regularly helps us release tension and to leave us rested for the night. Aerobic exercises of moderate intensity improve the quality of our sleep and its duration, so it is advisable to go out for a run at least once a week.

Swimming or simply going for a walk daily will allow us to be active during the day and relaxed at night. However, intense exercise is not recommended in the hours before going to bed, since by increasing our heart rate we are delaying the body to relax. If we have to exercise at night, we must try to make it as relaxed as possible.

3. Eat well

Controlling what we eat will be the best weapon to combat insomnia, since a good diet during the day will contribute to a better rest at night. Eating fewer calories can increase the stress hormone and cause exhaustion that is not good for bedtime.

Heavy dinners or eating before going to sleep will keep our digestive system active, so it will not allow us to rest. Drinking plenty of fluids before bed can also interfere with sleep, especially alcohol.

To sleep better, we can incorporate into the diet foods that increase the melatonin or serotonin levels, hormones that will relax us and facilitate sleep. Some foods that contain them are dairy, eggs, whole grains or cherries.

4. Do not consume caffeine or cigarettes

Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants, so it will take longer to fall asleep and it will be more difficult for us to achieve a deep sleep. If we want to combat insomnia, it is best to stop smoking and reduce caffeine intake.

5. Make the bedroom a resting place

Another tip that will help us rest better is to keep the room tidy and lightly loaded so that nothing distracts us. It must be a dark, quiet space with a comfortable temperature that I have to rest. We must also ensure that the bedroom is just the place to sleep, avoiding eating, working or watching television in the same room.

Although the temperature must be pleasant, cold sheets help us fight insomnia. By lowering the temperature of our body by one point, it will produce melatonin, which will make it easier for us to sleep.

6. Avoid light from screens

We must avoid watching television or using mobile phones, tablets and computers before going to bed, since the light emitted by their screens is exhilarating. The appropriate thing is to keep them away from the bed and preferably unplugged for a better rest.

7. Avoid sleeping with pets

Animals do not need the same hours of sleep as a human, so they can wake up in the middle of the night and interrupt our sleep with different noises, either sniffing or scratching objects.

Even sleeping they can bother us with their snoring. Therefore, it is always recommended that they get used to sleeping in other rooms.

8. Relax before going to bed

Do relaxing activities Before going to sleep, it will help us to go to bed rested. Practicing a little yoga, taking a hot shower or reading will help us relax body and mind. Listening to calm music will also prepare us for a better rest at the end of the day.

9. Have the ideal pillow

It is no coincidence that the pillow is an essential element for rest. Fighting insomnia will depend largely on maintain good head posture while we sleep.

By keeping the neck and back in a straight line, we will avoid tension or the appearance of cramps. If we sleep on our stomach, we must make sure we have a flat pillow to keep our neck and back straight.

10. Put your worries aside... literally.

One of the reasons that makes sleep more difficult is worrying about future tasks or planning the next day. Something that can work for us is taking time before going to bed to write down the tasks we have to do the next day on a list. The same can be done with an issue that surrounds our heads and does not let us sleep.

In this way we can go to bed with the feeling of having put our thoughts in order and we can disconnect from them at bedtime.

11. Practice breathing exercises

Once in bed we can help each other techniques to control breathing, since concentrating on the respiratory rhythm relaxes us and induces us to sleep. One of the most recommended techniques is known as 4-7-8.

To put it into practice we have to breathe in for four seconds, pause for seven seconds and continue with an exhalation of eight seconds. Repeating this exercise three or four times before going to bed will make it easier for us to fall asleep and fight insomnia.

12. Get up and leave the room

If we still find ourselves tossing and turning in bed without being able to sleep, it is best to get up and do other activities. We must find relaxing activities outside the bedroom, so that later we can return to bed more relaxed.