Insomnia

The last time I had really bad insomnia was when I was in Matric and busy writing exams. Since then, I've slept like a baby every night...every night until last night. I don't know what it was,  but my brain refused to let me go to sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about things, it was like there was a movie playing in my head that just wouldn't turn off! I tried all the usual remedies - counting sheep, I got up and made myself a cup of milo, I read a few pages from my book....but nothing seemed to help. 3am was the last time I looked at the clock and I'm not sure what time I eventually got to sleep.

I found a few useful sites on insomnia, trust good old google to have all the answers - let's hope a few of these help tonight or when next insomnia decides to strike.

       Well Known Remedies for Insomnia

• Eat a bedtime snack
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine
• Sleep in a well-ventilated room
• Get some physical excercise during the day
• If you can't sleep, get up
• Avoid illuminated bedside clocks
• Get up earlier
• Drink herbal tea / warm milk
• Take a warm bath / have a massage
• Avoid stimulating activity or stressful situations before bed
• Practice deep breathing
• Yoga and meditation
• And of course counting sheep or other animals helps for some!

And for interests sake, a few common causes of Insomnia...

• Are you under a lot of stress?
• Are you depressed? Do you feel emotionally flat or hopeless?
• Do you struggle with chronic feelings of anxiety or worry?
• Have you recently gone through a traumatic experience?
• Are you taking any medications that might be affecting your sleep?
• Do you have any health problems that may be interfering with sleep?
• Is your sleep environment quiet and comfortable?
• Do you try to go to bed and get up around the same time every day?