Sleep – So you aren’t sleeping well, what can you do?

So you have checked out my tips for having a good night’s sleep and you still aren’t sleeping well, so what can you do?

First remember that we are very resilient and our bodies are built to cope with the odd poor night’s sleep.  We have an inbuilt ability to deviate from the “normal” pattern of sleeping which can be a big advantage in today’s demanding world.

Napping

If you imagine your cave man ancestors, with predators lurking around it wouldn’t always be possible to find a nice comfortable cave and sleep for 7 or 8 hours!  There is evidence that hunter-gatherers slept in short bursts of time throughout the day.    This sleep pattern is still around today in babies and young children.   In 2002, Ellen MacArthur competed in the Vendee Glob and set a new world record for fastest circumnavigation of the globe as a solo sailor.  During this 72 day race she had 385 naps the longest of which lasted 35 minutes.  So if you don’t have time for a long sleep or aren’t sleeping well, try napping!

Keep your perspective

Research has shown that people with SAD or depression often spend more time in bed, but not actually sleeping — leading to misconceptions about how much they sleep.  So while I would not recommend watching the clock – as it only makes people more concerned about not sleeping, it is useful to examine your thoughts about sleep.  For most people not being able to sleep properly is a temporary setback—uncomfortable and mildly debilitating, yes—but remember you WILL sleep again.

Insomnia

Insomnia is usually a symptom, typically secondary to something else. It is best characterized as the inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or waking too early in the morning. These types of sleep disruptions are often indicators of other medical or psychological problems, such as sleep disorders or depression and anxiety.   Insomnia symptoms that last longer than 30 days are usually identified as “chronic” or severe.

Treatments for Insomnia

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, has become widely used to treat many symptoms of insomnia and is especially useful for relieving chronic or severe insomnia symptoms.  Alternative therapies such as melatonin, valerian, acupuncture and other holistic or compliment treatments including reflexology are also being used for insomnia.

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