How to Address Problems with Sleep

How to Address Problems with Sleep

A night of restful sleep is something most of us take for granted until it’s gone. If you began suffering from insomnia after years of good sleep, then you know what we mean. But how do you cure insomnia and sleep as well as you did before? In many cases, new insomnia sufferers quickly try anything that could help them fall asleep and sleep through the night, including: alcohol before bedtime, over the counter sleep medications, and leftover pain medications, each of which stands in the way of achieving a long-term solution. To properly address insomnia, it’s best to take a rational approach that begins with assessing whether your insomnia is the result of internal factors or external ones.A Plan for Addressing Problems With Sleep

An important step in addressing problems with sleep focuses on lifestyle. For example, changing time zones, suddenly working different hours, or going through a stressful situation can cause acute insomnia, which should eventually go away. Other steps involve evaluating your sleeping arrangement. For example, an uncomfortable bed or the presence of light or external noises can affect sleep quality. The third step involves evaluating your personal habits. Do you smoke, drink alcohol at night, or use stimulants, such as caffeine or energy drinks? Is your sleep/wake schedule irregular? Are you taking a medication that lists insomnia as a side effect? If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are that your insomnia is being caused, or at least complicated, by your daily habits.

As helpful as the considerations above can be, there are also cases where taking the best steps toward a good night’s rest fail to work, in which case a consultation with a Board-Certified Sleep Medicine physician is the best thing to do. If you’ve done everything you can to ensure a better night’s rest but you still have trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep, contact a sleep medicine clinic today.