These Four Easy Tricks Helped Me Battle Insomnia

Sleep is one of the most important parts of a healthy lifestyle. However, one in four Americans develops insomnia every year. Along with difficulty falling asleep, insomnia can also lead to lack of focus, irritability, and even depression.

It wasn’t until a few months ago that I experienced insomnia for the first time. I was tired, ready for bed, but laid there for hours twisting and turning without success. What I thought was a one-time thing turned out to stick around for months.

After months of anxiety, stress, and sleep deprivation, I decided to take matters into my own hands and tackle insomnia to get my sleep routine back. If you’re also dealing with insomnia and are looking for easy tricks to battle it, check out my tried-and-true list below.

Establish routines

I’ve talked about the importance of nighttime routines in the past, and that’s because I firmly believe they can change our lives. Part of your routine should include going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day. If you’re constantly changing your sleep-wake times, your body will never build a habit.

Take melatonin

I never even knew what melatonin was until I was researching natural ways to get a better night’s sleep. If you’re not familiar, melatonin is a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. As a supplement, melatonin can be taken by mouth as a short-term treatment. While I don’t plan to take melatonin for long, it’s helped me get a better night’s rest.

Practice meditation

One of the reasons I struggle with insomnia is because I’ve found it hard to shut my mind off at night. My thoughts, worries, and to-dos are some of the main triggers that keep me up at night. Meditation allows me to get out of my head and reclaim my power. A short 4-minute meditation can help me get a healthy 8-hour sleep through the night.

Wear an eye mask

Along with my thoughts, I’ve become hypersensitive to even the dimmest lights when trying to sleep. Wearing an eye mask has been a great help. I highly recommend wearing the eye mask during your meditation practice to help you focus on your technique without getting distracted by lights around you.

Remember that we’re all different and there’s no one size fits all solution to battling insomnia. Try some (or all) suggested tips above and adjust as needed. You know your body better than anyone else.