It's hard to sleep at night. I can't sleep for a long time

You keep toiling, martyr, can’t sleep? And somewhere out there, the son of my mother’s friend - the one who has everything better than everyone else - has a third dream. What happened to you, how did you bring yourself to live like this? Nervous, sleep-deprived; , like the insides of an unfortunate person who has had hot tin poured into his mouth. Well, all that remains is to resort to extreme measures. We hope that your sleep problems are not caused by pangs of conscience.

Force yourself to stay awake

I know. It does not make sense. Why do you force yourself to stay awake when you're trying to sleep?

You're like a baby trying to stay awake but falling asleep anyway.

The paradox is that when you try to fall asleep, most often the opposite effect occurs: sleep, as they say, in neither eye. A study at the University of Glasgow found that participants who had trouble falling asleep were able to fall asleep faster using a paradoxical intention (PI). They were instructed to go to bed and try to stay awake by opening their eyes. And what do you think? Everyone fell asleep, and even faster than the others.

Use the 4-7-8 sleep method

This method was first used by scientist and thinker Andrew Weil. According to the creator, it puts you to sleep in just a minute. Its essence is that a natural tranquilizer is created for the nervous system, which, by increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood, slows down heartbeat and releases more carbon dioxide from the lungs. Here's what you need to do to do this:

Place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth. Keep it in this position throughout the exercise.
Exhale forcefully through your mouth.
Close your mouth and take a leisurely four-second breath through your nose.
Hold your breath completely for seven seconds.
In eight seconds, exhale forcefully through your mouth with a characteristic whistling sound.
Now repeat the above cycle three more times, and you will be happy.

The doctor's colleagues do not approve of the method, but they cannot argue with the effectiveness.

Use progressive muscle relaxation

As you lie in bed, slowly tense and then relax every muscle in your body. Start with your leg muscles. First the feet, then the calves, thigh muscles, buttocks, abdomen, etc., gradually working its way up to the neck and head. If you don’t want to strain yourself completely, you can repeat this exercise only with your toes, alternately straining and relaxing them 7 times. Tighten your muscles for at least five seconds, and then relax for 30 seconds, no more. Then continue towards the head.

Listen to classical music

What could be more beautiful than wonderful classical music? What calms the soul better than God's flutes and heavenly harps? There is probably something. And studies have shown that classical or any music with a tempo of 60 to 80 BPM (which is 3 times slower than in VZM battles), a regular rhythm, low tones and calm melodies can help lull your violent body.

In a 2008 study, college students aged 19 to 28 who listened to relaxing classical music 45 minutes before bed showed significant improvements in sleep quality. Therefore, Chopin’s Nocturne No. 2, Puccini’s “Gianni Sicchi” will help you, as will the best Russian classical composer of the second half of the twentieth century.

Put on your socks

Best predictor falling asleep quickly – warm feet and hands. This is evidenced by research published in the journal Nature. Participants in the experiment were placed near their feet with a bottle of hot water, which expanded blood vessels, thereby increasing heat loss. This caused a redistribution of heat throughout the body and is believed to have led to the changes that occur in the human body as it prepares for sleep. That is, melatonin begins to be released and the body goes into hibernation.

The same result can be achieved by wearing socks or even mittens. In summer this may cause discomfort, but in winter it is just right.

Cool your room

For optimal sleep The recommended temperature in the bedroom should be approximately 20 degrees. When you fall asleep, your body temperature decreases. And the cooler the room, the better. If the temperature is much lower or higher than recommended, then the phase begins REM sleep– the stage with the highest brain activity. Its metabolism is higher, spontaneous rapid eye movements occur, and sometimes small body movements occur. At this stage it is usually difficult to awaken the sleeper.

Turn off your digital devices

When it gets dark, your body increases levels of hormones that make you sleepy. That's why we are ready to crawl into bed soon after it gets completely dark.

But when you surf on your smartphone or even watch TV, you interfere with the creation of hormones, sleep-inducing, keeping yourself awake. And you can pass out only if you really want to sleep and your body is exhausted. It follows that to fall asleep quickly, you need to turn off all electronics with a bright screen at least an hour before bed. Then it will be easier to relax.

Live in darkness

In addition to turning off digital devices, you should turn off all lights in your bedroom. Try to keep the room as dark as possible. First turn off the night light. You are a man, and no woman should scare you. If a lantern on the street illuminates the room like a direct beam of a spotlight, then you should think about thick curtains or blinds.

Melatonin to the rescue

Melatonin is a natural hormone that is produced in our body. If you have trouble falling asleep, you may not be producing enough high level melatonin. However, you can get it from the outside, as additives. In small doses it is safe for both long-term and short-term use. However, this may cause some side effects, such as morning sleepiness and excessive vivid dreams.
Talk to your doctor about the best dose, as this is a very individual matter. For adults, melatonin is prescribed in doses from 0.2 mg to 20.0 mg, depending on the reason for use.

Sleep is on your side

If you want to quickly dive into deep dream, then turn over on your side. Snoring and stopping breathing movements are much more likely to happen when you sleep on your back. In fact, the back is so closely linked to respiratory arrest during sleep that doctors prescribe side sleep as a treatment. When you sleep on your back, gravity forces your tongue to relax at the back of your throat, blocking Airways and making it difficult to breathe. So lie on your side. And the sleep is healthier, and the top is happy.

Squeeze a pillow between your knees to relieve tension in your hips and back. Also, make sure your head and neck are properly supported by a good pillow.

In addition to these methods to help you fall asleep faster, you can make a few lifestyle changes to help you maintain good sleep. night sleep. Here are some ideas on this matter.

Such a boring thing as a schedule affects even such a boring process as sleep. Just go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

Reduce the amount of alcohol you drink in the evenings, especially during the last few hours. Although, it would seem, alcohol helps you get crazy and causes drowsiness. But the quality of sleep leaves much to be desired. To be honest, it’s not clear how to live with this.

Avoid heavy meals within 2 hours before bed.

Exercise regularly, but not right before bed.

Avoid drinking too much large quantity fluids before bed. Everything is simple here: going to the toilet will not allow you to sleep peacefully.

Avoid long naps during the day.

Create pre-bed rituals that help you relax. Alcohol, as we already understood, will have to be excluded from this list, and drugs are too expensive and unpredictable.

Don't look at the time when you're trying to sleep. Otherwise, the thought that you only have 5 hours left to sleep will not let you calm down.

Don't try to sleep if you don't feel sleepy.

If you want to sleep, you need to sleep. Do not wait nervous exhaustion, and go to bed. Unless, of course, you're at work.

As the English playwright Thomas Decker said: “Sleep is the golden chain that binds health and our bodies together.” So don't take it for granted.

Painful insomnia, which forces a person to toss and turn all night and wake up in the morning exhausted and not at all rested, is a problem familiar to very, very many. It’s even more annoying when you need to sleep during the day, but you can’t, or when a tired person after a work shift feels that he needs healing rest, but sleep doesn’t come to him. However, it is possible to help a person suffering from sleep disorders - you just need to understand the reasons for its occurrence, understand how to restore healthy sleep and gain determination to defeat insomnia.

Causes of insomnia

To begin with, it would be nice to understand whether a person is ready to do something to get rid of insomnia? This is not a simple matter, and the entire success of the enterprise depends on how strong the motivation is.

Think about it - scientists have found that insomnia shortens a person’s life by 1.6 times! This means that if you planned to live 100 years, lack of sleep would reduce that figure to 62. Melatonin, produced during sleep, is also known to protect the body from oncological diseases. It is also important that lack of sleep provokes obesity and many diseases, and also accelerates the aging of the body.

It is also known that after just one sleepless night, the body takes two weeks to recover. Is this sufficient motivation? You decide. Perhaps the fight against insomnia will be the turning point that will help you find a new quality of life.

As you know, in order to find a solution to a problem, you need to discover its cause and only then go through options for getting rid of it. The factors for sleep disturbance can be very different, but all of them can be attributed to several of the most common causes.

External factors

For a complete and comfortable sleep a person needs a suitable environment: a warm, quiet and dark room, a comfortable bed and Fresh air. Check to see if you are making one or more of the following mistakes:

Sleeping in the light. You need to sleep in the dark. When exposed to light, the body stops the production of melatonin, which is responsible for sleep and awakening, and also protects the body from the formation cancer cells. Therefore, it is very important to turn off all light sources and draw curtains so that nothing interferes with healthy sleep.
Sleeping while the TV, computer or music center is on. By providing yourself with silence, you will not only fall asleep faster, but also avoid headaches in the morning. In addition, noise that interferes with sleep can make a person nervous and irritable. The same applies to the clock - if it interferes with your sleep by ticking or chiming, move it to another room. It is advisable to turn off mobile phone, not only so that no one wakes you up with a call, but also in order to reduce the electromagnetic effect on the body and give it rest.
Tension in the neck. If you are suffering from overly tense neck muscles, try ditching the pillow and sleeping on a flat surface - this is very useful for relaxing the muscles of the body.
Stuffy and hot room. Don't forget that ventilation is not only very good for health, but also extremely important for falling asleep. You can also take evening walks in the fresh air to improve your sleep.
Cold in the room. Make sure your bedroom is warm and cozy. The ideal temperature is 18-20 °C. If necessary, purchase a convenient and safe heater.
Uncomfortable pillow. Use a moderately hard pillow, the height of which should be 10-16 cm - the smaller the better.

Improving bedroom hygiene

If you suspect that poor sleep conditions are to blame for your sleep disturbance, or you simply want to make your bedroom an oasis of peace and relaxation, consider some ways you can improve your bedroom:

An orthopedic mattress and cozy bed linen made of natural material are an excellent help for good night.
Aromatherapy helps many people very well in the fight against insomnia. Essential oils of lavender, chamomile, frankincense, juniper, cedar or bergamot will save you from restless sleep and relieve nervous tension.
It is recommended to sleep on linen sheets in summer and dark wool sheets in winter.
If you are a believer, it is useful to place an icon in your bedroom and pray before going to bed.
For lovers indoor plants You will be pleased to know that the scent of geranium is very calming. If you like the smell of this plant, place a pot of flowering geraniums next to your bed.
Make a “dream catcher” - this is a monotonous activity for several evenings that will put you in a creative mood. Hang the “trap” above the bed and it will become another cute detail of home comfort. If you get involved in making such crafts, you can not only provide them to all your family and friends, but also get into the habit of leisurely evening crafts before bed.

The power of emotions and stress

Very often, the cause of insomnia is stress or emotional overstrain. This especially affects business people who are forced to solve many problems every day. Here are some tips to help ease the power of stress:

Follow a clear work schedule and resolve business issues only at work. As soon as it comes free time, forget about work, and devote it to relaxation and pleasant things.
When changing into home clothes, imagine that together with your work suit you are removing all the worries and anxieties of your working day.
Never discuss work problems with your loved ones if you know for sure that they cannot help you in any way. This way you will avoid unnecessary stress for yourself and your family.
If intrusive thoughts worries and concerns are overwhelming you, give yourself a little time to think about them, weigh everything and draw conclusions. This “meeting” should take place 2-3 hours before bedtime. Now, whenever your thoughts try to get bogged down in worries and problems again, switch to something that makes you happy and calms you down. After a while, you will notice that you have unlearned to dwell on worries and worries and have acquired the habit of giving your head a rest.
Get rid of an overabundance of information, which is another cause of stress: watch on TV only what you really need, read only the most important - it’s still impossible to “embrace the immensity”.
Don't watch scary or overly exciting movies before bed, so as not to force your psyche to become overstimulated before going to bed.
It's better not to play computer games and do not surf the Internet before bed - this will “stir up” your brain, and you will not be able to fall asleep for a long time.
To learn to relate to problems more easily and create your own “inner core” that will help you always feel confident and calm, try mastering meditation techniques, studying auto-training, or turning to religion. Life attitudes that promote a positive and relaxed attitude towards life, as well as an understanding of how temporary everything in the world is, will help you find peace of mind, improve your health and get rid of insomnia.

It’s better to get rid of these habits:

Workaholism. Working late or overtime, the habit of overworking yourself and the inability to properly plan your day - all this leads to overwork and prevents you from getting ready for rest.
Fitness in the evening. If you exercise before bed, you get a boost of energy when you need to relax and unwind. Training should take place no later than two hours before bedtime.
The habit of sleeping in on weekends. This is very, very harmful! Staying in bed for too long not only throws off your biorhythms, but you are also more likely to get a “weekend migraine.” What can you do if you want to learn how to get enough sleep, you will have to follow strict regime sleep even on weekends, and also do not forget to spend these very weekends as actively as possible. The reward will not be long in coming - your sleep will return to normal, and your life will sparkle with new colors!

Bad habits that lead to insomnia

Of course, alcohol, cigarettes and excessive coffee consumption have become a familiar and integral part of life for many. However, not every psyche can withstand such “pressure”, and sooner or later, almost every person suffering from bad habits will experience insomnia. Let's figure out why bad habits are dangerous:

Three cups of coffee or several glasses of cola a day can cause sleep problems. Depending on the person's sensitivity dangerous norm The consumption of these drinks may be reduced to just one cup. Insomnia sufferers have to choose between coffee or healthy sleep.
Alcohol and smoking can completely destroy the ability to sleep healthy. Nicotine increases blood pressure, increases heart rate and activates brain activity. There's no time for sleep here!
Alcohol before bedtime is a guarantee that sleep will be interrupted and superficial, and your state in the morning will be painful and nervous.
Late dinners with an abundance of fatty and heavy foods can also cause insomnia. Try to eat your last meal a few hours before bed and have dinner as light as possible, such as vegetables or dairy products.

Scary and disturbing dreams

From time to time, any of us can have a bad dream. Nightmares are exhausting, make you wake up in a cold sweat and prevent you from falling asleep again. However, they also have benefits - scientists believe that with the help scary dreams the brain adapts by replaying frightening and unpleasant events in dreams.

Don't be afraid bad dreams- this may be another cause of insomnia.
Try to relate to bad dreams how to natural process releasing internal tension and negative thoughts. If such dreams recur frequently and darken your life, consult a somnologist or psychotherapist.

Effective ways to combat insomnia

A warm bath with the scent of lavender, valerian or rose will help you calm down and relax - just add a few drops essential oil one of these plants into the water.
Massage can also help promote calm. Someone close to you or you yourself can become a massage therapist for you.
A soothing drink - warm milk with honey or lemon balm decoction is another excellent remedy to relieve stress.
A milkshake with banana helps you sleep better. Grind a ripe banana and a glass of warm milk in a blender, adding a little honey if desired.
An hour before bedtime, you can enjoy a very tasty sleeping pill - a tablespoon of chopped almonds mixed with two teaspoons of honey. The mixture can be washed down warm water or herbal tea. Tryptophan in almonds and fructose in honey will help calm the nervous system and set the mood for relaxation.
If you are tormented by an acute feeling of hunger in the morning, be sure to eat a small amount of high-calorie food at night, for example, a glass of milk and a piece of bread or some fruits or vegetables.
A sachet with dry lavender (a fabric bag in which the herb is placed) next to your pillow will envelop you in a captivating aroma and ensure a sound and restful sleep.
It has long been known that fresh air improves sleep, so it is very useful to take a short walk before bed or even sleep with the window open. Of course, the time of year and weather should be taken into account.
For many people, a great way to relax before going to bed is to listen to soothing music or read a book with a leisurely plot. Spend the evening at home, calmly and comfortably - you will not only forget about your problems, but also fall asleep with a sound and healthy sleep.
If you decide to refuse bad habits, make sure that this change is pleasant. Replace harmful addictions with harmless interesting things, for example, hobbies or handicrafts that you have long dreamed of doing. It wouldn't hurt to visit a therapist so he can prescribe you multivitamins and mineral supplements, relieving stress and calming the psyche.
Don't focus all your thoughts on trying to fall asleep as quickly as possible and don't be upset if sleep doesn't come to you. Often, such experiences exhaust a person more than the insomnia itself.
If possible, avoid daytime naps, which contribute to insomnia.
Counting sheep - no best method. Counting forces a person to concentrate. Better use your imagination to feel like you are somewhere pleasant. For example, imagine yourself on the shore of a lake, imagine a light pleasant breeze and the whisper of the waves - this will calm you down and help you fall asleep.
Try the paradoxical method - decide not to fall asleep under any circumstances, do not allow yourself to sleep. You will see that you will immediately be overcome by yawning and the desire to take a nap.
Create your own sleep ritual. For example, every evening dream about a trip to the sea, look at photos of your future vacation, listen to pleasant, relaxing music. You can also write down all the joyful events of the day in a notebook every evening, praise yourself and smile with satisfaction as you watch the sunset of such a wonderful day.
If you work shifts and have to sleep during the day, make sure the room is dark and quiet enough, ask your family not to disturb you, and make yourself comfortable. Using the above methods will help speed up the results.

Sleeping pills against insomnia

When all methods have been tried and there is no longer any strength to endure insomnia, the hand itself reaches out for life-saving remedy- sleeping pills. But are anti-insomnia medications really that harmless?

Most of them cause addiction and “withdrawal” after stopping their use, and quitting sleeping pills can cause nightmares, neuroses or worsening insomnia.
In some cases, memory loss, suffocation, and dizziness are possible.
It has also been proven that everything sleeping pills negatively affect work internal organs, provoking their diseases.
It should be remembered that you can use sleeping pills only if your doctor has prescribed them. Prescribing them to yourself is self-medication, which is always dangerous.

Treatment of insomnia by a doctor

Modern doctors strive to avoid drug treatment sleep disorders. Sleeping pills are used only in as a last resort, because these medications provide only temporary relief. They do not restore normal healthy sleep, but depress consciousness and inhibit reactions.

Surprisingly, sleeping pills that can be bought without a doctor’s prescription are most often “dummy”, i.e. create a placebo effect. You can fall asleep with the help of such means only thanks to your belief that the sleeping pill will help you fall asleep.

As a rule, the doctor tries to determine the cause of insomnia and prescribes appropriate measures. In some cases, the patient is referred to a psychiatrist or psychotherapist.

Prevention of insomnia

As is known, the most reliable method fight insomnia - prevent it. Doctors recommend the following preventive measures:

Strict adherence to a daily routine that is as comfortable as possible for you. Compose it individually for yourself and ask your loved ones to respect your daily routine and not disturb you during your vacation.
Alternating physical activity and rest. Don't overwork yourself!
Physical activity and light hiking to the best of your ability and with pleasure. For many people, just this point is enough to get rid of sleep problems.
A nutritious and varied diet that will balance proteins, fats and carbohydrates. remember, that protein food tones the body, while herbal tea calms and helps you fall asleep better.
Avoid sleepless nights that disrupt your sleep pattern.

Insomnia is an extremely unpleasant and exhausting condition that can deprive a person of vigor, energy and taste for life. However, sleep disturbance can and should be dealt with. Having analyzed your life and identified the factors causing disturbance sleep, you can not only get rid of insomnia, but also take your life to a new quality level, form correct mode day and make life sparkle with new colors.

Every time I go to bed, there is no sleep in either eye. Only silence and millions of thoughts in my head, an endless internal monologue, questions, answers, questions again. How to turn off thoughts? How to shut up inner voice? Well, I got it already, by God! I only have two or three hours of sleep left. I'll be like a zombie all day. Probably, these characters were written based on people like me: he mumbles something, walks somewhere and doesn’t think a damn thing.

After such climbs, the whole day is haunted by only one desire - to sleep. Finally the working day is over. I return home and think: “Today I’ll definitely fall asleep in a minute.” And as soon as the first star appears in the sky, I feel not universal fatigue, but a surge of strength. What kind of absurdity is this? How can this be? Anyone else would quickly fall asleep and have their tenth dream, but what about me? And I lie in bed and listen to intrusive thoughts for 12 hours. Maybe I'm sick?

Insomnia, insomnia, sleep disorder - all these are synonyms for the same phenomenon, when a person cannot sleep at night and is haunted by drowsiness all day.

Let’s figure out what is the cause of insomnia and how to solve it using the knowledge of the System-Vector Psychology training.

Such different insomnia

To one degree or another, every person can face the problem of falling asleep quickly. Conventionally, two groups of this sleep disorder can be distinguished:

If you cannot fall asleep quickly at night (isolated cases of insomnia)

Several types of people fall under this category. For example, a person with a skin vector cannot sleep if he experiences stress at work, experiences dismissal or loss of acquired property. In this case, he tosses and turns for a long time from the right side to the left, itches and twitches his leg, beating out a rhythm. Once the stress is adapted or the problem is solved, he falls back into a deep, healthy sleep at night.

A person with an anal vector may also have trouble sleeping. For example, when a serious event for him in the form of an exam or interview is about to happen the day before. The natural fear of disgrace prevents a person from falling asleep. Another cause of insomnia in the owner of the anal vector may be resentment. How can you sleep here if the situation where you were offended is constantly spinning in your head and does not allow you to relax?

A visual person cannot sleep due to strong emotional experiences or fears that overcome him at night. It is often said about him that he is shaky nervous system. In fact, those with a visual vector simply have greater emotional amplitude than other people. These are sensual and impressionable natures. But as soon as the amplitude of emotional experiences subsides, they too are forgotten in a sweet sleep.

Persistent or chronic insomnia

It’s a completely different situation when the same thing repeats from night to night - the inability to fall asleep. And it doesn’t matter how tired you are, how early you started your day and how long you’ve been on your feet. As soon as I go to bed, sleep evaporates and philosophy begins. What do you do: you ventilate the room, and count sheep, and drink warm milk with honey, and taste breathing exercises- how to fall asleep in 1 minute - all to no avail. Until it starts to get light outside, until the first birds start singing, it’s somehow impossible to fall asleep easily. What is this - a disease or a curse? This is a sound vector.

"Owl" or sound player

Of all eight vectors, sound stands a little apart. His nature, inner desires and life aspirations differ from the other seven “brothers” - they are directed towards the world of the intangible. The sound artist is the first who realized the “I” and the first who began to look inside himself. This did not happen by accident.

Each person in the primitive pack fulfilled his specific role, i.e. used his talents for the benefit of the survival of the species. Owners of the skin vector obtained food because endowed with dexterity and agility. People with the anal vector accumulated the knowledge of their ancestors and taught their descendants. Representatives of the visual vector guarded the flock in daytime thanks to the ability to notice the invisible, for example, the spots of a sneaking leopard in the wilds of the savannah, etc. But all of them, one way or another, interacted with each other, were interconnected and worked like a well-coordinated mechanism.

What about the sound player? Keen Hearing endowed him with the ability to capture the most distant sounds. To this day, no one else hears as sensitively as a person with a sound vector. Therefore, he was “assigned to the position” of a night guard. And while everyone else was in the kingdom of Morpheus, the sound artist was left alone with himself under starry sky, listening into the silence.
Today there is no longer a need to protect the species from a stalking predator, but night wakefulness is firmly imprinted on the psyche. This is why people with a sound vector cannot sleep at night and it is at this time that they experience a surge of energy. The noise of the city subsides, the rhythm of life pauses and a wonderful opportunity arises to use your abstract intellect to reflect on the structure of the universe, the meaning of life and other metaphysical concepts.

Me and the world outside of me

Insomnia for a sound engineer is Feedback from the unconscious, which seems to be telling him: “Hey, buddy, why are you doing this? Your task is to comprehend the meaning of life, to realize it. And you what do you do? Nooo, that's not where you're directing your potential. Until you fulfill your role, you won’t be able to fall asleep at night.”

A sound artist is born an introvert. This is his nature. For him, the “world within” and the “world without” are within himself. Therefore, he looks for answers about meaning in himself, looks inside himself and analyzes only himself. But any development can only be the opposite. For a person with a sound vector, this means extroversion. This does not mean becoming sociable, the life of the party - this is a visual trait, but for a sound artist it is necessary to direct his concentration outward.

Just recently, sound engineers fulfilled their innate desire for knowledge through philosophy, physics, military engineering, software coding - those areas where the abstract intellect has the most freedom. But today this is not enough, because... the volume of the psyche has increased significantly. The request for awareness of the meaning of existence is resolved only through concentration. And not on yourself - there are no answers inside, but on the people around you.

How more people with the sound vector, he “goes” inside himself and breaks away from society, the more he experiences suffering, up to depression and suicidal thoughts. Insomnia is already a loud signal that it is time to change the course of movement from the inside out.

The only way to cope bad conditions, which works flawlessly and always, is self-realization. For a sound artist - through concentration.

Understand the world and realize reality

What is other-focused? In terminology System-vector psychology this concept means revealing the psyche of another person. Thanks to correct concentration, without speculation, without assumptions and any subjective judgments, you see the world and its structure as they really are, starting with a specific person and ending with world events.

To everyone who undergoes the training, the reasons for behavior, actions and decisions not only of themselves, but also of those around them become obvious. You begin to understand and realize how the interlocutor lives, what his life guidelines are, what innate desires drive him.

But this knowledge is not only about others, but also about you. Along with the psyche of those around you, you begin to realize your nature, your desires, your path, and at the same time you begin to understand why you have problems sleeping and how to fall asleep if you don’t want to sleep.

When direction thought process asked correctly, the questions of what to do if you can’t sleep at night stop tormenting you. After all, throughout the day the sound artist realizes his potential and therefore calmly falls asleep in anticipation of tomorrow, full of discoveries and new realizations. And neither the neighbor’s snoring nor the rustling of the curtain from open window, not a barking dog on the street.

Insomnia is not a measure of how many hours you sleep, it does not affect the duration, but more importantly, the quality of your sleep. Some insomniacs may fall asleep easily but wake up too quickly, and vice versa. If insomnia happens rarely, it's okay. But if you have been suffering from a sleep disorder for a long time, this is a serious problem because insomnia not only has a detrimental effect on your energy and mood, but also creates serious problems with health in general.

What to do if you can't sleep for a long time?

It must be remembered that the causes of insomnia are very different, for example, stressful work, very hot weather, anxiety, depression, noisy or stuffy rooms, painful sensations, breathing problems, frequent urination. Depending on the exact reason that keeps you awake for a long time, you need to use one or another suitable means to get rid of insomnia.

Make it a rule to give yourself physical activity at least 20-30 minutes a day. You don't have to do it in the gym, you can successfully load yourself active work around the house. Such efforts will lead to the consumption of energy, to restore which the body will need rest, which can successfully contribute to quality sleep.
Avoid drinking stimulants such as strong tea, coffee or cola in the afternoon and evening.
Don't get carried away alcoholic drinks. Although alcohol can make you sleepy, if you drink too much of it, you will wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling asleep again.
Try not to lie down during the day to take a nap.
Don't overeat.
Drink hot or warm drinks before bed, such as milk or herbal teas such as mint or mint.
Don't watch TV, read, work or eat in bed. You should associate your bed only with sleep, and not with the dining table or office.
Wear loose, comfortable clothing so you can relax and breathe freely.
Take at least 1 hour to relax before bed. You can accept hot bath or have a relaxing massage with.
Be sure to ventilate your bedroom before going to bed and try to maintain a comfortable temperature in it.
Turn off the lights when you sleep so that melatonin can be produced, which in turn will stimulate the sleep center in the brain.
If you can't fall asleep within 15 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing, such as read a book or listen to calm, quiet music.
Create your own sleep cycle. For example, it is convenient for you to go to bed at 10 pm and wake up at 6 am. Follow this schedule even on vacation. This way, your body will adapt to this time and it will be easier to fall asleep.

If, despite all the suggested tips, you still cannot sleep, you should consult your doctor.

anonymous, Female, 32 years old

Good afternoon Never had problems sleeping. I usually sleep soundly, don’t dream anything, or have vivid, colorful dreams. In general, I could sleep anywhere, at any noise level. after death problems began. I couldn’t sleep for a long time, I just lay there in the darkness for several hours. If I remembered my mother before going to bed, my pulse would quicken, I would start to feel short of breath, and I couldn’t calm down. Only tincture of valerian helped. In general, I felt scared for my heart. I saw a neurologist, the doctor prescribed Mexidol + 1/8 tablet of Phenibut injections at night. It seems to have gotten better. I'm sleeping now. But the problem with falling asleep for a long time remained. Is there anything you can do about this besides taking sedatives?

Good afternoon I sympathize with your loss... How long ago did this happen? You can contact a psychologist to work with a psycho-emotional cause (grieving), but at first the condition may worsen, because... healing of the soul will occur through “living” negative emotions. Another option is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for insomnia. With the help of CBT, a reflex for good sleep is formed. One of the rules of CBT that you can use right now is to work with restless thoughts during the day through journaling and/or art therapy (the easiest option is coloring mandalas). That. You will already worry, externalize your internal state during the day and be calmer closer to night. In such cases, we generally recommend combining drug therapy(possibly a short course), grief therapy and CBT. And then, in most cases, after stopping the drugs, the person continues to sleep well.

anonymously

Good afternoon Enough time has passed, already a year. At the beginning, I consulted a neurologist and a psychotherapist. The psychotherapist prescribed phenozepam 1/2 tablet before bed. Saved well. Then, when I stopped drinking, I also slept, until the first stress. Then I didn’t sleep again. The neurologist prescribed mexidol in injections and 1/2 phenibut at night. When I took it, I slept, it became easier, but then it all came back again. I recently went to see a psychologist, I thought it would be easier. On the contrary, it turned out to be stressful, I didn’t sleep well the second night. Thanks for the advice about art therapy and journaling. I will try.

Good afternoon Thanks for answers. Yes, at psychological work There may be a short-term deterioration in the condition. More rules of CBT: 1. In the evening, go to bed not when you “should”, but when you want to sleep (signs of drowsiness: yawning, eyes “sticking together”). When you go to bed, you are only allowed to lie awake for 15 minutes. If 15 minutes have passed and you have not fallen asleep, then get out of bed, go to another room (use the bed only for sleeping!), read or listen to calm music. You can do some tedious task, such as ironing clothes or putting your papers in order, until signs of drowsiness appear. If you do not fall asleep within 15 minutes of returning to bed, get out of bed again and continue to stay awake until you feel drowsy. Usually it takes no more than 1-2 attempts. However, for severe insomnia, 3-4 attempts may be required in the first few days. 2. Be sure to get out of bed at the same time in the morning, regardless of when you fell asleep. Even if you really want to sleep, still get out of bed. It's best if you quickly make a few physical exercise and go out into the fresh air. 3. Do not lie down to rest or sleep during the day. Daytime nap will reduce your sleepiness in the evening and will negate all your efforts the previous night. 4. Keep a daily diary: every morning write down the time when you went to bed, after what attempt you fell asleep and when you got out of bed. 5. If during the week you were unable to fall asleep 4 or more times after the first attempt, then the first hour should be removed from the time you spent in bed. 6. If within next week If you were also unable to fall asleep 4 or more times after the first attempt, remove another hour from your time in bed. And so on every subsequent week until you fall asleep after the first attempt at least 4 times a week. Perhaps, after implementing this program, your stay in bed will be reduced by 1-2-3 hours, but your sleep will become deeper and more effective. 7. Don't smoke or drink alcohol, especially 2-3 hours before bedtime. 8. Do not take psychostimulant drugs. 9. Do not consume caffeine containing products 6-8 hours before sleep. Such products are chocolate, coffee, tea, Coca-Cola. 10. Don't eat if there are 2-3 hours left before bed. But also fall asleep with empty stomach- also not the best option. 11. Exercise – it is good for your health and has a beneficial effect on the quality of your sleep. Optimal time for training - no later than an hour and a half before night rest, the optimal frequency and duration is 3-4 times a week for 30-60 minutes. 12. Create and follow a “sleep ritual”: do the same actions before bed every day, for example, listen to calm tracks on your favorite musical theme or take a bath. In addition, for an objective assessment of the quality of your sleep, I recommend comprehensive study sleep, which is called polysomnography.