Practical Solutions For the Insomniac

Sleep problems seem to be prevalent in our family. Either we sleep too much or sleep too little.

I sleep too much. But my brother is an insomniac. Most nights he would stay up just playing games on the computer just to pass time as the night goes on. There are nights when he wouldn't sleep at all and go directly to school in the morning.

I decided to scrap out some tips on how to combat insomnia from the Web. I looked for practical solutions, just everyday habits that you need to have, in order to avoid becoming an insomniac.

1. Sleep and wake up at the same times.. Keeping to the schedule will help your body clock adjust itself to what you want your body to do. When this becomes a habit, your body will automatically tell you that it needs to sleep. Same goes for when you wake up.

2. Don't eat anything heavy within 4 hours before going to bed. A heavy stomach doesn't do well when you lie down. If ever you get hungry, go for light snacks or some crackers. I would also suggest hot milk, or maybe even hot choco.

3. No caffeine or alcohol before going off to bed. We know how caffeine works. It will only disrupt your sleep. Alcohol is also a no-no because it can wake you up at a wrong time, even if it makes you drowsy. Remember that sticking to a schedule is important.

4. Relax yourself. It's hard to sleep when you're troubled or stressed. Try some breathing exercises or do some stretching to get rid of some of the burden and relax your body.

5. Take a hot bath. Bathing with lukewarm water can have soothing effects on the body. You'll also feel clean and light, and wanting to go to sleep.

I guess my brother is wrong in not taking the initiative himself to make a schedule and relaxing himself to get to sleep. He just waits for his eyes to get drowsy. Maybe I should be pushing him to do what's on this list.