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RISING WOMEN EXPERT
ADVICE...
How can I overcome
insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleep disorder where you either have a difficulty falling
asleep or staying asleep. If you have trouble sleeping, you’re not alone. An
estimated 3.3 million Canadians, or about one in every seven suffer from
this.
There are generally three types of insomnia. These include transient (days
to weeks), acute (weeks to months), and chronic (years). There are many
common causes, and it’s more often our lifestyle that plays a huge role. For
example, you can slip into some bad sleep habits if you are working shifts,
or have a lot of stress and worries where you are ruminating at night, or if
you are a new mom who is keeping a listening ear out for the baby at night,
and so on.
Look at other behavioural factors in your life, such as how much caffeine
you have during the day and at what time. Caffeine and nicotine are
stimulants that can definitely interfere with your ability to fall asleep.
Are you exercising late in the day? Are you affected by the lack of light in
the winters? The changes in the light can affect your circadian rhythms.
It’s worth learning more about what is meant by “Sleep Hygiene”. These tips
will help you to develop healthy sleep habits. For example, going to bed
only when sleepy in order to reduce the time you are awake in bed. If you
can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something uninteresting
until you feel sleepy. Sit quietly in the dark or read something that is not
stimulating. And don’t expose yourself to bright light while you are up as
this gives cues to your brain that it is time to wake up.
I’m often surprised that a lot of my insomniac clients still have a TV and
laptop in the bedroom. These are more stimulants as the light and noise will
keep your mind active and more alert rather than winding down and getting
ready to sleep. So aim to keep things regular, concentrating on sleeping
without engaging in other activities. As well, try to go to bed at the same
time every day, even on weekends.
Lastly, think about how you would put a baby to bed, such as starting with a
nice warm bath (perhaps with lavender) and having the room quiet and warm
with perhaps some soothing music in the background. Prepare for sleep by
making the hour before sleep a time of peace and quiet for you.
If you would like some professional help to overcome insomnia, please
contact Claire Bramham, Clinical Hypnotherapist at Mind & Body Therapy Inc.
at 403.397.0011 or visit
www.mindandbodytherapy.ca
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