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Tips To Overcoming Insomnia (And Not In A Pill Form!)
It's late into the night, you're exhausted, you're in bed longer than you've liked and you're still awake because you can't shut off your brain. You get up, reach for a sleeping pill or some sort of sleeping aid for relief. Sounds familiar? It's okay, me too and for thousands of other Canadians. The sleeping aid will kick in and you'll get your sleep. But that's not a long term solution if you suffer from Insomnia.
At best, sleeping aids are temporary relief. Whether you use prescription sleeping pills, over-the-counter sleeping aids like Tylenol PM, NyQuil or herbal supplements like chamomile or melatonin, they have side effects, which vary depending on the specific drug, the dosage, and how long the drug lasts in your system.
Common side effects of sleeping aids include next-day drowsiness, headaches, body aches, constipation, dry mouth, loss of concentration and even drug tolerance. More severe side effects include sleepwalking, sleep-driving and risk of harming yourself and or others.
For better sleep, opt for an activity or behavioural change. Here are some tips to put into practice to create habits that will combat insomnia safely and effectively.
Writing Things Down
Put your thoughts on paper. Create your to-do list, reminders and even jot down your problems and emotions to clear your mind. By writing everything down releases some pressure and allows you to feel organized and shut your brain off. Revisit your list with a fresh set of eyes the next day after a good night's sleep may help you with a solution you couldn't see the night before.
Deep Abdominal Breathing
This type of breathing is deliberate and involves slow deep breaths that open the chest, the stomach and rib cage. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Each exhales should be longer than your inhale. Deep breathing will trigger the part of our nervous system that controls relaxation to aid in sleeping.
Sex
Sex prior to bed will help combat insomnia. This is due to the hormones released during sex including prolactin after an orgasm instantly helping you feel relaxed and sleepy.
Exercise
This one you hear a lot. Exercising regularly allows us to blow off steam and control daily stressors. It also helps lowers your body temperature significantly at night allowing the body to fall and stay asleep longer. Aerobic-style exercises such as jogging or playing soccer are ideal to combat insomnia as they increase oxygen levels in the blood.
Try one or a combination of these activities to help you fall asleep and stay asleep through the night. These activities are the most natural and effective way to relax your body and mind so it can get the rest it deserves. If you really need to reach for sleeping aids, always consult with a physician first so you know if it's right for you.
How Age Affects Your Sleep
True or false?
Compared to younger individuals, older adults need less sleep?
If you answered true, you are incorrect! Older adults need an average of 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night - the same as their younger counterparts. Contrary to many misconceptions, the amount of sleep required to stay healthy does not decrease as we age. However, it may be a challenge to obtain all those hours all in a night.
There are notable changes to our sleep as we get older. 50-60% of older adults report they have problems sleeping. In addition to changes in how much we sleep, our patterns of sleep also change.
As we age, our bodies start to produce less melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone that controls the body's natural sleep/wake cycle. It is released in high doses into the blood in the evening to help you feel sleepy and will remain high until the morning.
As we age, we experience a shift in our internal clock and how our body regulates sleep. The window in which our internal clock enables sleep narrows. This can mean we fall asleep earlier in the evening and wake up much earlier than we want to.
Older adults spend less time in rapid-eye-movement (REM) deep sleep and more time in non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep, specifically in the N1 stage, the lightest phase of sleep. This means, as we get older, we may experience less satisfying sleep.
Insomnia is common in adults 60 and older. Insomnia includes trouble falling asleep, waking up several times a night or waking up too early altogether. This can be due to the lack of time spent in REM sleep and also as a side effect caused by other chronic conditions such as arthritis.
The most common sleep disorders that affect ageing adults include Sleep Apnea and Restless Leg Syndrome. Sleep Apnea causes you to momentarily stop breathing - sometimes dozens of times an hour - which prevents the body from entering a deepened state of sleep. Restless leg syndrome is an uncomfortable and uncontrollable leg tingling sensation while you're trying to fall asleep.
Sleep problems often arise, go undiagnosed and untreated simply because many of us believe sleep problems are a normal part of ageing. Luckily, by prioritizing underlying medical conditions, understanding how our sleep changes, and strategizing a good sleep routine and environment, we can all positively improve sleep. It's not all bad news when we age. Sleep improves with retirement. A French study found people were 26% less likely to report sleep problems in the first 7 years of retirement. Vive la difference!
