Practical Solutions For the Insomniac

Sleep problems seem to be prevalent in our family. Either we sleep too much or sleep too little.

I sleep too much. But my brother is an insomniac. Most nights he would stay up just playing games on the computer just to pass time as the night goes on. There are nights when he wouldn't sleep at all and go directly to school in the morning.

I decided to scrap out some tips on how to combat insomnia from the Web. I looked for practical solutions, just everyday habits that you need to have, in order to avoid becoming an insomniac.

1. Sleep and wake up at the same times.. Keeping to the schedule will help your body clock adjust itself to what you want your body to do. When this becomes a habit, your body will automatically tell you that it needs to sleep. Same goes for when you wake up.

2. Don't eat anything heavy within 4 hours before going to bed. A heavy stomach doesn't do well when you lie down. If ever you get hungry, go for light snacks or some crackers. I would also suggest hot milk, or maybe even hot choco.

3. No caffeine or alcohol before going off to bed. We know how caffeine works. It will only disrupt your sleep. Alcohol is also a no-no because it can wake you up at a wrong time, even if it makes you drowsy. Remember that sticking to a schedule is important.

4. Relax yourself. It's hard to sleep when you're troubled or stressed. Try some breathing exercises or do some stretching to get rid of some of the burden and relax your body.

5. Take a hot bath. Bathing with lukewarm water can have soothing effects on the body. You'll also feel clean and light, and wanting to go to sleep.

I guess my brother is wrong in not taking the initiative himself to make a schedule and relaxing himself to get to sleep. He just waits for his eyes to get drowsy. Maybe I should be pushing him to do what's on this list.

A Healthy Lifestyle To Combat Shift Work Sleep Disorder

I work on a graveyard shift, and working on a graveyard shift is not healthy, especially for females. And I mean really unhealthy. Ever heard of shift work sleep disorder? I think I already have it. You would think so, too, if you've worked at night for two years, have trouble sleeping, and have a very unhealthy lifestyle and food diet.

I came across an article today about what our everyday food diet should be to combat stress and fatigue. I must say, I'm going to follow it and make it a habit. I don't have to go to a doctor and have a check-up to know that I have a problem with my health.

The article first cites that we should sleep and wake up at regular hours. Sadly, I have to ignore the implication of the "regular hours." surely it means sleeping for 7 to 8 hours at night. But I work at night! So ignore ignore ignore...

You might be wondering that sleeping 7-8 hours at night is not different from sleeping 7-8 hours in the daytime. But I tell you, it is different. Sleeping at night is way more relaxing, and way more natural. I also found that even if I slept the whole day, I still don't wake up feeling as fresh as I would be if I slept at night and woke up the next morning.

Well, I guess I''ll just have to work on having regular sleeping hours in daytime. It's all I can do with my schedule. Guess I'll work on doing some relaxing ritual before I go to sleep, too... Drinking milk would be a good idea (it would also help with my calcium intake).

Sports and more physical movement is another remedy. Hmm... I'll really have to work on this one. I haven't played any sport in months.

As for my food diet... oh dear... more fruits and vegetables!

I can take on the fruits part.. but I'll have trouble with the veggies. I hate veggies. I like pumpkin, potatoes, and some of the leafy ones... but generally, I detest veggies. i would dearly love to be a vegetarian, even become a vegan. But I'll die if that's the case because I really don't eat veggies!

Two to three fruits a day is recommended. Mandarins, kiwi, pineapples, oranges, and grapefruits are preferred. I can do this.

Raw veggies... hmm... vegetables used in soups... hmm... I need time to stomach this.

We should also have meat, eggs, and fish on our daily menu. Oh yes, I can do this!

Limit the alcohol and the caffeine (meaning the iced tea, the coffee, and some juices). they only make our body more tired. These should even be avoided more when you really are tired. I'll take the article's word for it. Because I've been a daily coffee drinker to try to smart up to my work, but I always feel very tired most of the time.

Magnesium! It contributes to the proper functioning of the body. So I guess I'll have to include nuts and chocolates to my diet. Oatmeal cereals, too. Another item on the list that contains magnesium is raw veggies. This one I'll think about.

Really... I love sleep. But the way I am now, I am not getting the satisfaction I usually get from it in the past. Time to change my diet and lifestyle. Wish me luck!