If you frequently have trouble sleeping, the odds are good you suffer from insomnia. It’s a condition that can be hard for outsiders to fully grasp, but those who suffer from it know how it wears on both the mind and body.
The good news is that we’ve gathered some of the best ways to overcome insomnia into a list in order to help out. Most of these tips can also be combined so as to tackle your sleeping issues from multiple angles at once.
Tip #1: Try CBD
Cannabidiol (CBD) can be a great way to tackle sleep issues. While derived from cannabis, it doesn’t make you high. In fact, the World Health Organization noted it has no potential for abuse or dependence.
The trick is going to be finding the best CBD for sleep, as different companies sell different mixtures intended for a variety of purposes. For instance, the best CBD oil for sleep may be different than those aimed specifically at anxiety or pain.
If you want to find the best CBD cartridges for sleep, follow that link. There you can find a variety of vape cartridges.
Trying to find the right CBD dosage for sleep can take some work, since everyone is different. You can start by trying a small amount at first and, if it doesn’t seem to help, try more at once to see if anything changes.
Some people even use CBD for sleep apnea. It can be a helpful supplement to a traditional treatment plan, so long as you first discuss it with your doctor. CBD itself doesn’t usually require a doctor’s approval, but you’ll want a more robust plan if you have a serious sleep condition like sleep apnea.
Tip #2: Tackle Your Mental Health Issues
One of the most common causes of sleep apnea is mental issues. If you’re anxious or trying to process serious trauma, it can have a dramatic impact on your sleep.
The right approach to tackling mental health issues is going to rely heavily on what issues you’re facing. At their most serious, you’ll want to talk with a mental health professional, especially if the issues have been ongoing.
For less serious problems (or to supplement a traditional treatment plan), there are a ton of lists online giving advice on how to control one’s anxiety and achieve a sense of calm.
Touching on our first point, some people use CBD for anxiety and, through reducing their anxiety, see benefits in their sleep too. That’s all on top of the added benefit of getting to live a less stressful life.
If you’re curious about CBD but feel your issues stem more from anxiety than anything else, it may help to tailor the CBD you take towards that rather than a traditional sleep blend.
The trouble with mental health issues being the cause of sleep problems is it is a self-feeding cycle. Your mental health affects your sleep, which makes your day more stressful and thus worsens your mental health. Breaking the cycle is important for not only your sleep but also your general wellbeing.
Tip #3: Exercise
Exercising is a great life choice all around. It can improve both your physical health and your mental health, and help burn some energy while you do it. While it’s common advice for improving one’s mental health, it’s also worthy of its own tip.
Sleep, like most things when discussing health, is many-faceted. Many things both inside and outside your control affect how easily you can fall asleep.
Some make it easier, and some make it harder. They all come together when you finally feel it’s time to head to bed.
Exercise is something of a shotgun approach when it comes to sleep. Both your physical and mental health can affect how easy it is to sleep (and stay asleep), so why not improve them both at the same time?
This is on top of the immediate benefits. While we’re less sure why, exercise has been shown in studies to undeniably help people sleep better the same day they choose to engage in it.
The magic number seems to be 30 minutes or more of exercise a day if you want the best results. You should also give yourself at least two hours to cool down after exercise, as at least some exercises can provide a temporary energy boost for about that time.
Tip #4: Get a Schedule and Stick to It
This final tip is pretty self-explanatory: you should try and maintain a good sleep schedule if you suffer from insomnia.
At the very least, try not to stay up past 11 PM. Admittedly, one of the best ways to do this is to resign oneself to a few days of crankiness. Set an alarm to wake up and, no matter how tired you feel, stay up until a reasonable time.
While the first day or two of this strategy won’t be pretty, it tends to pay off. It should get easier and easier to keep vaguely to the schedule you’ve set. The trick is keeping to the schedule over time.
Many people tend to get thrown off by weekends, where they can stay up as long as they want and can sleep in if they need to. If you’re trying to overcome insomnia, you may want to hold to a schedule, even if it’s purely to sleep better.
Anyone Can Overcome Insomnia With Time and Effort
It is rarely easy to overcome insomnia. The trick is trying not to get discouraged and keeping up with healthy habits. Meanwhile, if even good habits seem to fail, seeing a doctor wouldn’t hurt either.
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