If you are one of the millions of people who cannot sleep, remember that insomnia itself is not a disease. Rather, it is a symptom that something else is going on for the person who is experiencing insomnia. Insomnia may be caused by pain, stress, environmental or schedule changes, eating too much too close to bedtime with resulting indigestion, overall diet, or a particular medical condition that causes disruption of sleep.



Whatever the cause, there are many things you can do to try to alleviate your episodes of insomnia. For example, you can try not eating two to three hours before bed, to give your stomach a chance to digest and therefore alleviate heartburn, you can set up a regular routine that will help your body begin to "shut down" and ready for sleep, and you can set up your bedroom or sleep area to make it conducive to sleep.

Dietary Changes Conducive to Sleep

One of the cures for insomnia is to avoid eating two to three hours before bed, to give your body a chance to digest and therefore minimize or eliminate heartburn. You may also wish to minimize or eliminate spicy foods in your last meal of the day.

Alcohol and caffeine are both substances that can impair your sleep. Alcohol is both a depressant and a diuretic, which stimulates your kidneys to increase urine output, which may have you getting up throughout the night. Because it is a depressant, it also impairs the quality of your sleep, in that it is not a natural or restful sleep. Therefore, even though alcohol may help you go to sleep, it will impair the quality of your sleep and may leave you feeling tired.

Caffeine is a stimulant that is also a diuretic. Not only does it cause increased urine output as alcohol does, but because it is a stimulant, it may keep you awake. Therefore, reduce or eliminate caffeine and alcohol, cutting off intake if necessary by about four in the afternoon, if you do not want either to interfere with your sleep.

There are also beverages that are cures for insomnia. One is chamomile tea. Another is warm milk. Warm milk especially contains an amino acid called tryptophan, which can help you fall asleep. Foods such as turkey are also high in this amino acid.

Other Methods for Good Sleep

Other methods to help you gain beneficial sleep include using calming scents in your bedroom, such as lavender. Getting your partner to give you a full body massage will also help relax you, so that you can fall asleep more easily.

Plan Your Way to Better Sleep

Perhaps the best cures for insomnia are to establish a regular routine whereby you go to bed by certain time every night and get up at the same time every morning. Soon, your body gets used to the fact that it needs to begin to shut down and prepare for sleep at a certain time, instead of being awake at all hours of the day and night. Incorporating regular exercise, both aerobic and strength training, into your routine will also help relax you enough to go to sleep, as long as you do it early enough in the day that it will not overstimulate you so that you are still wide awake at bedtime. Incorporating such practices such as meditation into your day will also help relax you and get you ready for bed.

As you go to bed, establish a routine that is going to relax you and get you ready for sleep. Do not do something that is going to overstimulate you, such as watch television or read an exciting book. Instead, take a relaxing bath, have a massage, or relax with a soft light in bed and a calming book that will make you drowsy. You can also listen to calming music, although again, it should not be stimulating music that will cause you to "wake up."

With a little practice, your body will get used to having a set routine so that you're ready to go to bed by the time the clock chimes your bedtime hour. Just like anything else, practice makes perfect; once these practices become habit, you'll have sweet dreams.