Slideshow: 10 Tips to Avoid Insomnia

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a condition in which you have trouble falling or staying asleep. Some people with insomnia may fall asleep easily but wake up too soon. Other people may have the opposite problem, or they have trouble with both falling asleep and staying asleep. The end result is poor-quality sleep that doesn't leave you feeling refreshed when you wake up.

What is transient insomnia?

Transient, or short-term, insomnia is inadequate or poor-quality sleep lasting anywhere from one night to a few weeks. Transient insomnia can be a single episode or recurring episodes of insomnia separated by periods of normal sleep.

On the following slides, eMedicineHealth provides sleeping tips intended to help overcome transient insomnia and maximize the chance of getting a healthy night's sleep:

Sleep tip #1

Keep the room free of clutter and distractions. Be sure you have the right bed and mattress for your needs. The wrong mattress can lead to musculoskeletal problems and sleep disturbances.

Sleep tip #2

Use the bed only for sleeping and sex. Avoid use of the bed for watching TV, eating, working, or any other activities. If you are one of the many people who wish to use the bed for a bit of nighttime reading, read only pleasure books in bed.

Sleep tip #3

Therapists often use "reconditioning" as part of a treatment plan for insomnia. With this method, people are "reconditioned" to associate the bed with sleep. If you find yourself unable to sleep at all, get out of bed and move to another room, so that you only associate the bed with sleep and not with wakefulness.

Sleep tip #4

Establish a regular sleep-wake cycle. Your body will learn to set its internal clock to your schedule and will eventually respond to internal cues to become sleepy at a given time and to awaken at a given time. A good way to begin this is by getting up at the same time every morning, even on weekends.

Sleep tip #5

No matter how tempting it may be, an afternoon nap can make falling asleep at night even harder. "Extra" sleep on weekends can also throw off your sleep schedule and worsen midweek insomnia.

Sleep tip #6

Limit your consumption of caffeine in the afternoon and evening. Remember that eating chocolates and drinking cocoa and colas also are sources of caffeine.

Sleep tip #7

Don't drink any alcoholic beverages in the few hours prior to going to bed. Excessive amounts of alcohol at any time in the day can also disrupt sleep patterns and lead to unsatisfying sleep. Cigarette smoking can also worsen insomnia.

Sleep tip #8

Fit in some exercise during the day, but don't exercise strenuously right before bedtime.

Sleep tip #9

Eating heavily in the evening or eating just prior to going to bed can disrupt your sleep.

Sleep tip #10

Establish a "winding down" period in the evenings just prior to bedtime. Try to free your mind of distracting or troublesome thoughts and engage in a relaxing, enjoyable activity like reading, listening to music, or watching a pleasant film.

More Reading on Insomnia

• Insomnia
• Primary Insomnia
• Sleep Disorders and Aging
• Sleep Disorders in Women
• Insomnia Medications
• Disorders That Disrupt Sleep (Parasomnias)
• Foods That Help or Harm Your Sleep