: Insomnia - (sleeplessness) is defined by a report of sleeping difficulties. While the term is sometimes used in sleep literature to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic evidence of disturbed sleep, insomnia is often defined as a positive response to either of two questions: "Do you experience difficulty sleeping" or "Do you have difficulty falling or staying asleep- Wikipedia
A difficulty in falling asleep and maintaining good sleep is how doctors describe insomnia. It is a symptom, not a disease or a diagnosis. The average person will experience insomnia once in their lifetime with up to 50 percent of people in the world suffering from it at one time or another for more than a few nights.
Many people do not like to take medications to help them sleep and look towards a more natural cure for insomnia. There are many things you can do to promote sleep, alleviate stress and reduce stimulation, the two major causes of insomnia.
1. Refrain from inappropriate or untimely consumption of food and beverages containing caffeine, nicotine or alcohol.
Those three are notoriously depriving many of better sleep. Most people habitually don't give much thought about how the choice of food and drinks can affect their sleep. So just exercise more care to what you eat and drink as well as when you eat and drink and you would have less trouble going to sleep and staying asleep.
2. Avoid taking heavy meals two hours before bed.
Doing so relieve our body, specifically our digestive system of having to work overtime while we go to sleep and hence, help us sleep better.
3. Don't drink too much water after dinner everyday so as to avoid having to wake up to go to toilet in the middle of your sleep.
Once awaken, it's generally harder to sleep as soundly as before.
4. Where feasible, try to stay away from environments that continually work as stimuli to our senses after 5pm.
(for those living in the tropic, could be earlier or later depending on the season if you're living in temperate countries) each day, for example, very noisy places. This practice works by helping to 'rest' and condition our bodies and minds through relaxation to better prepare us to sleep later at night.
5. Strictly stick to the rule that the bed is only meant for sleep.
If all you need is some rest, not sleep then go and rest yourself comfortably at the sofa. Just stay away from the bed.
6. Stop watching TV in bed if you have been doing that.
Such practice, especially when it happens just before you sleep, can keep your mind overly active and thus, makes it harder for you to go to sleep.
7. Resolve to start without delay to establish and maintain a consistent daily sleep schedule.
Regardless of your age (and even if you do shift work), if you have yet to set up such sleep routine.
8. Be conscious and deliberate about doing 'small' things that help relax our bodies and minds.
Try having a shower or enjoy a glass of warm milk before going to bed each night.
9. Healthy Environment.
Be mindful and put in efforts to create and up-keep an environment that is most conducive for sleeping like pampering yourself with an ideal room temperature, good air quality as well as ventilation.
10. Once you are in bed, learn to unwind yourself by 'switching off' your mind and relaxing your body.
Always refrain from doing anything 'heavy' just before bed like serious reading or holding a discussion with another person. I know this is often easier said than done but it is really a very healthy habit worthwhile cultivating.
11. Cultivate the habit of waking up the same time everyday.
Regardless if it's weekday or weekend. If need be, use an alarm clock. After doing it for some time, your body clock with enough tuning, will take over so waking up won't be as 'painful' as before.
12. Unless there's medical reason, avoid taking afternoon nap.
If you are someone who can't live without napping, then be sure to take your nap before 3pm. Also, the nap should not be more than an hour.
13. Try to exercise regularly as often as you can every week but refrain from exercising especially vigorously, at times too close to your sleep.
It's known that appropriate exercises done right regularly in the day can help our bodies get more 'restful' and hence, better sleep at night.
These are literally simple, safe but effective insomnia cures, minus the adverse side effects. Don't let insomnia starve you of sleep and ruin your health. Choose natural cures for insomnia, not pills.