Insomnia: How to Tackle Your Sleeplessness

The longer you lie awake watching time go by, the more frustrated you become. Whether you can’t fall asleep or wake up during the night and can’t get back to sleep, you have insomnia.

Beyond feeling cranky and tired the next day, ongoing insomnia can cause health problems, from memory loss and anxiety to high blood pressure and weight gain.

At Michigan Avenue Primary Care, our team offers a range of treatments for insomnia, which includes guidance for improving your “sleep hygiene,” the bedtime habits you follow that make it easier or harder to fall asleep.

Here, we’re sharing six steps for improving your sleep:

1. Follow a sleep schedule

Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day is the first step toward overcoming insomnia. You may stick to a schedule during the week, but keep it consistent on weekends as well. Your natural sleep-wake cycle can improve if you consistently keep the same schedule.

2. Relax with a nighttime routine

The next most important step is to follow a nighttime routine that relaxes you and signals to your body that it’s time to sleep. Plan a routine that works for you and follow it every night, setting aside 30 minutes to wind down.

During your 30 minutes, you may want to take a warm bath, read, or listen to music. However, avoid watching TV or using your electronics (see the next step).

3. Turn off electronics and dim the lights

The body’s sleep-wake cycle is regulated by melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that makes you feel tired and prepares your body for sleep by triggering changes like lowering your body temperature.

Melatonin is released in response to low light. During the day, your melatonin levels are low. When the sun goes down, and when you turn off the lights at bedtime, your brain releases melatonin so you can sleep.

If you leave the lights on or use electronics before bedtime, your melatonin levels drop and you struggle to fall asleep.

Electronics have a significant impact because they emit blue light, which disrupts melatonin production. If you’re using electronics, you’re also stimulating your brain and staying alert rather than letting your body relax.

Due to their impact, the Sleep Foundation recommends turning off the TV, computer, and other electronics 30-60 minutes before your scheduled bedtime.

4. Make sleep-promoting lifestyle changes

You’ll fall asleep easier and sleep better if you:

• Don’t eat large meals before bedtime
• Get some exercise every day because it helps you sleep
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine late in the day

Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but it can ruin the quality of your sleep by disrupting your sleep-wake cycle and REM sleep. 

5. Create a relaxing bedroom environment

Make your bedroom as comfortable as possible. Have a mattress with optimal firmness, and use a supportive pillow.

You should also aim to keep your bedroom temperature cool, use heavy curtains to eliminate outside light, and wear earplugs if noise keeps you awake.

6. Seek help if insomnia persists

If your insomnia doesn’t improve, you may have chronic insomnia. Chronic insomnia may be due to stress, worry, or being unable to turn off your brain. However, it’s often caused by medical issues, such as:

Medications

Many over-the-counter and prescription medications can disrupt sleep.

Medical conditions

Conditions like chronic pain, heart disease, GERD, thyroid disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and others can cause sleep problems.

Mental health disorders

Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, autism, post-traumatic) stress disorder (PTSD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and others can contribute to sleep issues.

Sleep-related disorders

You can struggle with sleep if you have sleep disorders like restless legs syndrome (RLS) and sleep apnea.

Your insomnia may not improve until we treat the underlying condition.

Get expert care for insomnia

Our Michigan Avenue Primary Care team offers several effective treatments for insomnia. In addition to providing help with improving sleep hygiene, we may recommend sleeping pills or cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).

CBT-I is a short-term therapy that focuses on teaching techniques for relaxing, dealing with persistent thoughts that disrupt your sleep, and what to do when you can’t sleep.

Call the office or use online booking to schedule an appointment for help with insomnia.