8 signs You May Have Insomnia and How to Cure It

Insomnia is a kind of sleeping disorder that is pretty common to find nowadays. In very simple words, insomnia basically means sleeplessness. A condition in which you find it hard to fall asleep and stay asleep at night. Proper rest at night is one of the most important factors contributing to a healthy and productive life. So insomnia can really impact your lifestyle negatively if not taken care of properly. Let's check what are the symptoms to look out for to know if you are suffering from insomnia or not.

Symptoms of insomnia:

1. Having trouble falling asleep at night.

2. Waking up too often

3. Waking up awfully early in the morning

4. Trouble in going back to sleep after waking up

5. Not feeling rested enough in the morning

6. Feeling tired and drowsy throughout the day

7. Irritability and lack of concentration and energy

8. Lack of productivity and prone to making mistakes

How much sleep a person needs varies from person to person but on average, a healthy adult should get 7-8 hours of sleep every day. If those hours keep decreasing for you, then that can be a sign of insomnia. There are a lot of different things which can cause this disorder.

Causes of Insomnia:

1. Poor sleeping habits- Poor sleeping habits like uncomfortable sleeping posture, noisy atmosphere, consuming too much food or caffeine before sleeping, doing stimulating activities before bedtime, etc can cause insomnia.

2. Stress- One of the most common reasons for insomnia is mental stress. When you are suffering from too many worries related to either your personal or professional life or both, you are likely to develop insomnia. Traumatic incidents can also trigger it.

3. Depression- Depression or anxiety can also be a reason for you to lose sleep at night.

4. Drastic changes in schedule or time zone- If your job involves random changes in your working schedule and/or traveling across different time zones frequently, then that can result in insomnia as well.

5. Medication or medical condition- Quite a few medicinal drugs can negatively impact your sleeping schedule. Also, certain medical conditions such as heartburn, heart disease, thyroid, asthma can keep you awake at night.

Suffering from insomnia especially for a longer period of time can disrupt your health, professional and personal life easily. Sleeping pills can be helpful, but consuming them regularly is not good for your health. So what can you do to cure it naturally without the help of pills? Fret not. Because some simple changes in your regular lifestyle can bring a lot of improvements in your condition in a short amount of time.

Natural ways to cure insomnia

1. Maintain a proper schedule- Fix a time to go to bed and get up in the morning at a particular time as well. Don't give in to the temptation of sleeping in on weekends or day-offs. Maintaining a relatively strict sleep schedule will help you to build an internal clock that will associate that time with sleeping.

2. Keep your bedroom for only sex and sleep- Stop other activities like working, eating, watching tv, or using other gadgets there. That way your body will associate this place with sleeping and help you relax.

3. Keep your dinner light- Don't eat hearty meals full of fat and carbohydrates too close to bedtime. That may cause indigestion or heartburn and keep you up at night. Try to finish the dinner 1-2 hours before sleeping.

4. Avoid caffeine and alcohol as much as possible at night- Caffeine stimulates your body and makes it harder to fall asleep. And alcohol may initially make you drowsy but it causes problems later on in staying asleep for a longer period.

5. Minimize smoking as much as possible- Nicotine stimulates the body. So people who smoke a lot are more likely to suffer from insomnia.

6. Keep your bedroom environment sleep-friendly- Make sure your bed and mattress are comfortable and spacious. Use thick curtains for windows to block out light and noise from outside. If unnecessary noises still persist, try using earplugs. Maintain the room temperature at a comfortable level.

7. Don't use your phone or laptop too close to your bedtime- Light from the screens of such gadgets excites your nerves and creates trouble to fall asleep.

8. Try yoga or meditation- Give yourself some time to unwind and relax before going to bed. For such relaxation, doing light yoga stretches or meditation for a few minutes can be a good idea. This way your mind will become calmer and you will sleep better.

9. Moderate exercise each day for 20-30 minutes at least can promote good sleep. Refrain from doing any rigorous physical activity before sleeping though. That will have the opposite effect.

10. Take a warm bath before bed- It will help you to relax your body. You can also listen to some calm music to relax your mind.

11. Write a to-do list- If you are someone who stays awake at night thinking about all the things you have to do the next day, then it's advisable to write a to-do list every night before going to bed. That way you won't be worried about that anymore.

12. Keep a sleep journal- Document all your sleeping habits in your journal. It can be helpful to determine the underlying causes which are triggering your insomnia.

13. Body massages do wonders to release all the tension in your body- Consider receiving such massages once in a while which can be helpful in curing your insomnia.

14. Lavender is key- Lavender is well known for its properties which help to get good sleep. So you can brew a cup of lavender tea for yourself at night. It will be beneficial.

If all these above-mentioned methods did not help you to tackle your insomnia, then you should consult with a doctor. They will work with you to determine the root cause of your condition and provide treatment accordingly.