How to sleep better at night naturally

Have you ever wondered how you can finally cure your insomnia without pills or expensive remedies? Well, after visiting your doctor to ensure that your airways and overall health are good, it’s time to take insomnia by the horns, so to speak. Here are some simple tips to help you sleep better at night naturally:

1) Dim the lights in the evening: Our natural sleep cycles are actually quite dependent on light. This is why people in regions where the sun doesn't shine much often struggle with poor quality sleep. As the evening progresses, begin to close your blinds and/or dim your lights if possible. This sends a signal to your brain that it is time to begin to wind down. This is no different than how we raise babies. We typically put them in dim rooms as the evening progresses so that they learn that dim light means sleep time.

2) Avoid super spicy foods for dinner: This doesn't apply to everyone, but for some, spicy foods can cause heart burn and all types of stomach discomfort. So if you struggle with heart burn or gas because of specific foods, make a list of all your no go foods and ensure that you don’t eat them for dinner. That way your body has a chance to actually be at peace when you lay down at night.

3) Stop working in your bedroom: Yes, I know we live in a very busy, multitasking world, but the problem with having your bedroom double as an office, is that your bedroom becomes a cue for work, rather than rest. To break it down, if you use your bedroom for work, your brain gets so used to working in that space that when it’s bedtime, it becomes difficult to switch from work mode to rest mode. Imagine how you feel when you walk into the office. Your brain lights up and lets you know that it’s time to get work done. And the ideal situation you should be aiming for, is for your brain to get the memo that it’s sleep time the moment you walk into your bedroom at night. The solution? Pick another room in the house to be your office. Or consider going to the library, a coffee shop or even a co-working space to get work done. Your bedroom should be used for sleep, rest and sex alone.

4) Spend the last hour before bedtime just relaxing: If you struggle with poor quality sleep, you have to train your body to learn how to relax. Chances are not getting enough sleep has you on edge. When you’re laying down at night staring at the ceiling, you probably aren’t thinking of warm, fuzzy thoughts. So set some time apart each day to just relax. You can cozy up to a good book (I prefer paperback over e-readers, as e-readers produce melatonin inhibiting blue light), spend some time in prayer, practice yoga, drink some herbal tea, do some light cleaning, chat with a friend on the phone, or engage in any sort of gentle activity. You want your body to slowly begin to wind down before you jump into bed at night. Having a nighttime routine every day is a gentle reminder to your body to shut down at the same time each night.

5) Limit noise in the evening: To create a relaxing environment, limit noise within your home or bedroom when bedtime is approaching. Maybe even turn off the news, which can be quite triggering for some, and put on your favorite relaxing music. I’d also say to stay away from heated or spirited conversations in the evening so you can go to bed feeling peaceful and ready to relax.

6) Notice the negative thoughts you have about sleep: Many insomniacs have a very negative view of sleep. And it makes sense because insomnia can really produce a pessimistic view of sleep. If you find that you are dreading your bedroom at the end of the night, it’s time to begin to work on changing your thoughts about sleep. Some important facts to note about insomnia are that:

-It’s treatable. CBT for insomnia is actually much more effective than sleep medications.

-Begin with positive affirmations to help you combat those negative thoughts about sleep.

-You can seek help from a professional who is trained to treat insomnia so that you can begin to work on your thoughts and attitude towards sleep.

And if you have tried every possible remedy, but insomnia is still a thorn in your flesh, considered CBT for insomnia. In as little as 5 to 7 sessions, you can go from insomniac to normal sleeper. click here to schedule a free 15-min consultation to see if CBT for insomnia in the Murrieta/Temecula area and online is right for you.

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What exactly is CBT for Insomnia?

Most people know what insomnia is. About 30 percent of people will struggle with insomnia at some point in their lives. If you're not familiar with insomnia, count yourself lucky. Unfortunately your quality of sleep tends to worsen with age. Well, insomnia is simply difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. To make it more specific, most insomniacs or people who struggle with sleep problems, lay awake for more than 30 minutes per night before they're able to drift off to sleep. Some lay awake for as long as 1 to 2 hours each night. Others are able to fall asleep just fine, but for some reason, they wake up in the middle of the night and are unable to drift back to sleep within 30 minutes. So typically, 30 minutes is the benchmark we use. If you find yourself laying awake for more than 30 minutes multiple nights a week, for a month or more, then you most likely have chronic insomnia.

Many insomnia sufferers typically go to their physician for help, and they are prescribed either a sleep medication or a benzodiazepine. It all depends on whatever your doctor deems necessary. However, some people do not want to take medications, or they find the side effects of these sleeping pills to be too uncomfortable, so they opt for another type of treatment. Enter Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia or CBT for Insomnia. It's also known as CBT-I.

It's a 6 to 8 week treatment that targets your sleep thoughts, your sleep environment, your sleep habits and you learn relaxation techniques to help you sleep better. It also helps you taper down any sleep medications you might be on (with the approval of your physician of course). The premise of CBT for insomnia is that the thoughts that roam around your head when you're trying to fall asleep affect your feelings about sleep, and ultimately your behaviors concerning sleep. Here's a quick breakdown of what the treatment looks like.

Session 1- Learning about sleep and changing your sleep thoughts

When you have insomnia, you typically live with the anxiety that arises every evening. When the rest of your loved ones are winding down, your mind begins to race as you wonder how frustrating your night is about to get. During the first session, we work on how to fight those negative sleep thoughts and transform them into more positive sleep thoughts. You'll also learn more about sleep patterns so you know what's normal and what's not.

Session 2- Sleep medications and scheduling your sleep

In session 2, we'll talk more about the medications you're taking and your plan to taper them down, if that's what you choose. We'll also set a simple sleep schedule for you to follow each day of the week.

Session 3- Stimulus Control

In session 3 we'll introduce you to relaxation exercises, we'll continue to track and adjust your sleep schedule, and we'll dig deeper into your thought process. We also focus on your bedroom environment- what to avoid, and what to embrace. We discuss what exactly to do when you're having a hard time falling asleep.

Session 4- Relaxation

We practice different relaxation exercises to help you create a calm environment and get your mind prepared to shut down at night time. We also continually review the progress you've made thus far.

Session 5- Sleep hygiene 

Sleep hygiene is a funny phrase that simply means dos and don'ts of sleep. We focus on ways to cultivate good sleep habits during the day, as well as behaviors to avoid so that your insomnia doesn't worsen. By this session, you should see a definite improvement in your sleep.

Booster sessions

Some clients need more than 5 sessions, while others are completely satisfied with their progress after 5 sessions. Sometimes clients come back after a few weeks to ensure that they are on the right track. This is totally normal.

If you want to learn the benefits of CBT for insomnia, click here to read more.

So, if you're ready to kick insomnia out of your life for good, and finally know what it feels like to sleep soundly night after night, click here to schedule a free 15 minute consultation call to see if CBT for insomnia is right for you. You can also call me at 951-905-3181 to find out how CBT for insomnia can help you sleep again in as little as 5 sessions. If you do not live in the Temecula/Murrieta area and you’d like to sleep better, I also provide online treatments for insomnia within California.

Ready to finally sleep?

Find out the 5 myths about insomnia that have kept you awake- and how YOU can FINALLY sleep!

get your free download now