Ways To Overcome Insomnia

Over the counter medication

Several remedies are available at the pharmacies. These products will often contain anti-histamine, like those we find in medicines for fever, coughs and colds. These do work but they can make cause sleepiness well into the next morning. If we do use them, take the warnings seriously and don't drive or operate heavy machinery the next day.

However as our body gets used to the substance, we need to take more and more to get the same effect. It is best not to take anti-histamines for a prolonged period of time. If you are taking any medication for your blood pressure or any other sleeping tablets or tranquillisers, consult the doctor before using an over the counter remedy.

Psychological Treatments

A technique called cognitive behavioural therapy has been proven to be helpful. It involves looking at unhelpful ways of thinking that can make us more anxious, and so interfere with our sleep.

Sleeping at the wrong time - Shift Work and Parenthood

We may have to work at night and to stay awake when we would normally be asleep. If we only have to do this from time to time, it's quite easy to adjust. It is much more difficult if we have to do this more often. Shift workers, doctors and nurses working all night, or nursing parents may all have this problem. This is similar to jet lag, where rapid travel between time zones means that we find ourself awake when everybody else is asleep.

A good way to get back to normal is to waking up early at the same time every morning. It doesn't matter how late we fell asleep the night before. Use an alarm clock, and don't go to bed again before about 10 pm that night. If we do this for a few nights, we should soon be able to fall asleep naturally at the right time.