Insomnia ¦ Trouble Sleeping: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Remedies for Kids and Adults

Everybody's different - that's why no advice can be applied to everybody. If you have trouble sleeping, you will need to find out what works for you and what doesn't. The best way to find out about it is to observe, and document it in a "sleep diary".

Make a chart with spaces for:

• The time you went to bed/woke up
• How long and well you slept
• If and when you were awake at night
• How much alcohol and nicotine have you consumed and when
• What and when you ate and drank
• What drugs or medication you took and when
• Stress situations you endured during the day
• Level of activity

You can find online many sleep diaries that you just need to print to use them. One of them can be found here. If you do this for a week or two, you might be able to determine what causes your irregular sleep or inability to fall asleep.

A consistent sleep rhythm is absolutely essential for a good "sleep hygiene". Try to go to bed every day at the same time and get up at the same time (+/- 1 hour), even during weekends. This will help your brain realize that at a certain hour, it's time for bed. Plan your everyday activities so that they don't interfere with your sleep schedule.

One of the causes for a sleep disorder and trouble sleeping is a poor quality of your mattress. Your mattress might be worn out or just plain wrong for you and it might be time to invest in a new one. Low-quality mattresses can cause you a number of health disorders, insomnia being one of them.

When it comes to mattresses, don't be stingy. Inform yourself to find out what is the best mattress for you and forget about the cost. Of course, that doesn't mean you should buy the most expensive mattress on the market. Just don't let the price stop you from buying a mattress you find comfortable and just to your taste. Perfect mattress can change your life. It is recommended you buy a new mattress every 8 to 10 years.

For tips how to find a mattress that suits you, visit WebMD.com.

If you wonder how to fight insomnia, avoid caffeine as much as possible. Caffeine is a well-known stimulant that can be found not only in coffee but also in many other beverages, snacks and medication. If you are drinking coffee and/or energetic drinks too often, you should stop drinking it immediately. It can be difficult to give up caffeine when you are always tired, but the sooner you break this circle, the better.

If you simply cannot live without coffee, try drinking it only early in the day so it leaves your body before bedtime. Bear in mind that it takes 6-10 hours for caffeine to leave your body.

If you are not sure why you don't sleep as well as you would like, then a sleep study may help: it will show in precise details  what happens while you are sleeping and help detect the causes of your sleep problems. 

Taking a sleep study in an accredited lab or sleep center is the best way to discover if you really have a sleep disorder. This kind of study is called a polysomnogram and it shows your doctor your whole sleep pattern. It is a scientific way to evaluate your sleep and to find out if there are any problems.

Most sleep centers have nicely decorated rooms that may remind you of a hotel. The environment is quiet and peaceful and most patients fall asleep quickly. It's natural that you might not sleep as well as you do at home. But this will not affect the results.

If you live in the US, you can easily find a sleep analysis center near you at sleepeducation.org.

If your troubles with sleeping persist and you want to learn more ways to sleep well, it might be a good time  for you to see a doctor. Your doctor can run some tests and exclude any health conditions that affect your sleep and identify your lifestyle habits that might interfere with a good night's rest. He can also refer you to a specialist if needed.

When you have trouble sleeping, even a tiny bit of light can disrupt your sleep. Make sure that your room is pitch black, which is one of the ways to sleep well. Then, you can try the following:

• Use heavy curtains that don't let any light through
• Remove any object that emits light (cell phone on a charger, turned off TV that has that standby light, digital clocks with fluorescent digits)
• Put on an eye mask

Ideally, the temperature in your bedroom should be 65-75 Fahrenheit (18-24 Celsius) or whatever temperature you find most comfortable and properly ventilated. If you get hot, your body will struggle to cool you down and make you sweat, which can wake you up and ruin your sleep.

If it gets too cold, you get shivers, your body struggles to keep you warm, and again, wakes you up. That's why it is important that the temperature in your room remains the same throughout the night.

If you don't know how to fight insomnia, try light therapy. Light therapy can be prescribed to patients with certain types of sleep disorder. During this therapy, you sit in front of a light box every day for a certain amount of time. The light from this box simulates daily light which is important for a healthy sleep pattern. For some people, it can shift sleep-wake cycle so they go to bed earlier or wake up later than before.

Light therapy is meant to be used for an extent period of time, which means you will have to integrate it into your daily life. The good news is that it won't interfere with your free time as you can read a book, watch TV or be on a computer during light therapy. Light therapy boxes can be bought in a number of places, including Amazon.

Note: While you can perform light therapy on your own, it is highly recommended that you do it under doctor's or therapist's supervision. Consult your doctor to see if you need light therapy in the first place.

If you are not sleeping well, try using sleep tracking gadgets. There are a couple of pieces of technology that can give you insight about what causes your irregular sleep and how to achieve a more peaceful night. Some of them are free (iOS/Android apps), and some cost money (various wristbands and similar gadgets), but all of them can record how much it takes you to fall asleep from the moment you went to bed, when certain sleep phases occur (REM and NREM) and many other things. 

You can then upload this data to certain websites that will analyze collected data and maybe help you determine what causes your restless nights.

Some of the most popular apps and gadgets are:

• Sleep Time (free app)
• Fitbit Charge ($146.00, wristband)
• Sleep as Android (free 2-week trial app)
• Vidonn Wristband (wristband)
• SleepBot ( free app)
• Sleep Cycle alarm clock ($1.07, app)

If you are not sleeping well, try a cognitive therapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia (also known as CBTi) is a standard approach to curing sleep disorder. It is usually performed by a professional therapist, but not necessarily. With a therapist, you can learn how to create a perfect environment for a good night rest, how to detect problems that are causing your insomnia and how to deal with those problems.

If you don't like seeing therapists, you can use online programs such as Sleepio that serve as a digital sleep intervention. It won't be free (neither is a therapist), but so far it shows great potential for improving the quality of sleep for people who use it. Also, you don't even have to leave your home! 

There are many causes of insomnia. One of the reasons for your inability to sleep might be the fact that you don't spend enough energy during the day to be tired enough to go to bed at a reasonable time. If your job doesn't require any physical activity, be sure to include some in your free time. Studies find that moderate aerobic exercise early in the day can improve sleep quality.

As an insomnia treatment, pick your favorite activity that includes moderate aerobic exercise and do it at least 3 times a week. Just make sure that you don't do it in the evening, close to bedtime, to allow your body to wind down before bed.

Studies show that sex and a good night sleep are closely related. One affects the other. Not only does sex leave you tired due to physical exertion (usually men more than women), but it also releases hormones that relax you and make it more natural for you to transcend into sleep.

As an insomnia treatment, engage in sexual activities before bed. Sex can relieve you of stress, depression and anxiety, all of which are often connected to a poor quality of sleep, and can make you sleep better and longer. Reversely, good night sleep can increase your sexual desire and quality of your sexual experience.

Does alcohol cause insomnia? Can birth control cause insomnia? How to diagnose insomnia? There are many books out there elaborating on insomnia that can teach you about and offer solutions on how to deal with insomnia, for both long-term and new insomniacs.

Some of the popular books are:

• The Effortless Sleep Method
• Say Goodnight to Insomnia
• Sleep Soundly Every Night, Feel Fantastic Every Day
• The Insomnia Workbook
• Sleep Smarter

One of the causes of insomnia can be said to be a bad pillow. A decent pillow goes a long way when it comes to a good night's rest. On the other hand, sleeping on a pillow that doesn't suit you, or on a pillow that is worn out, can negatively affect the quality of your sleep, cause you neck pain and intensify symptoms of various health conditions you might have.

When picking a new pillow, consider in what position are you sleeping. For people who like to sleep on their back, a thin pillow  with extra stuffing in the lower part for neck support should work. If you sleep on your side, you can get a firmer pillow. If you sleep on your stomach, you could probably sleep without any pillow at all, or on a very thin one.

You have lots of options for pillow fillings:

• memory foam
• latex
• wool
• cotton
• goose feathers

Pick the one that suits your needs and is affordable.

Make your bedroom a sanctuary. A place that will only be used for sleeping and making love with your partner. Don't work, eat or exercise there. Make sure that when you think about your bedroom, sleeping is first that comes to mind (or second, right after sex).

Researchers have found that foods containing melatonin, serotonin, tryptophan, potassium, magnesium and carbohydrates help to relax the body and mind. Also, high protein foods will help you get some rest by helping in the production of tryptophan. Such foods are all kinds of meat, eggs, dairy products, nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachio nuts), cherries, oatmeal, etc.

Be careful with using the TV or other electronic devices as part of your bedtime routine. Artificial, or blue light, produced by electronic screens, can severely impact your night rest in a negative way, especially when you watch at screens late at night.

Create a technology-free bedroom. The lure of the screen is too strong for many to turn off. If you simply must watch TV late at night, at least decrease brightness so it's affecting you less. 

If you’re not really tired, don’t force it. Tossing and turning can cause sleep anxiety. If it is late at night, and you cannot fall asleep, get out of bed and do something relaxing. If you wonder how to deal with insomnia, try meditation for insomnia, listen to soothing insomnia music, or walk around. When you start getting sleepy, go to bed. If you don't fell asleep in the next 20-30 minutes, get out of bed and try again.

If you are not sure how to deal with insomnia, try wearing ear plugs. Outside noises like traffic, neighbour's pet, loud party on the floor above you, all that can interfere with a good night rest. To cancel out agitating noises and enjoy a complete silence, use earplugs.

You can order them at Amazon. There are many types, so learn which ones works best fo you.

If you can't seem to sleep through the night and achieve recommended 8 hours of sleep and you are not sure how to stop insomnia, you might want to consider switching to alternative sleeping schedule.

Sleeping 8 hours per day in one block is called monophasic sleep pattern. It is natural and easy to maintain. You can pick when to go to bed and when to wake up. But, some people might not be suited for this kind of sleep pattern and could thrive on a biphasic sleep schedule.

Biphasic sleep pattern is common in Mediterranean countries and Latin America. It includes 4-6 hours of "core" sleep per night and one afternoon nap that usually lasts 30-90 minutes, or more if needed. Some studies show that, for some people, biphasic sleep pattern could lead to higher quality sleep, improved mood, work efficiency, and other health benefits. 

Biphasic sleep pattern could be a better option if you cannot stay asleep the whole night, suffer from a substantial dip in alertness during the day, have a work schedule or other obligations that prevent you from sleeping 8 hours straight.

Before trying prescription pills (or any kind of pills) consult your doctor.

Prescription sleeping pills will probably help you fall asleep or stay asleep longer — or both. Taking prescription sleeping medicine has risks and benefits that differ on the various prescription sleeping pills. To find which is the right prescription medication for you, your doctor will ask you several questions in order to get a clear idea of your sleep patterns. 

Insurance companies usually have restrictions on which sleeping medicine is covered, and they may ask you to try other approaches to your insomnia first. The most common types of prescription sleeping medicine used today include:

• Doxepin (Silenor),
• Estazolam 
• Eszopiclone (Lunesta)
• Ramelteon (Rozerem)
• Temazepam (Restoril)
• Triazolam
• Zaleplon (Sonata)
• Zolpidem (Ambien, Edluar, Intermezzo, Zolpimist)

AGAIN, always talk with your doctor before using a new treatment for insomnia.

If you don't know how to stop insomnia, try This type of gentle yoga will help you relax and make it easier for you to sleep. You don't need any previous yoga experience. Check this video for instructions:

If your child finds it difficult to fall asleep or keeps waking up multiple times during the night, he might be under stress. Find out what causes it and try to resolve it. There are many reasons for insomnia in kids, which could cause your child enough stress to prevent him/her from sleeping properly:

• Too many homework assignments that are also very hard to solve;
• Moving to a new school, town or even country;
• Problems with friends;
• Bullying;
• Constantly seeing his/her parents arguing.

If your child's insomnia lasts for more than a few weeks, it might be time to see a pediatrician. Your child's doctor can run some tests and exclude any health conditions that affect your child's sleep (there are many reasons for insomnia in kids) and maybe even refer you to a specialist, if needed.

If cause your child's poor sleep can't be determined, your child's doctor might recommend a sleep study to figure out if your child has diagnosable complications such as restless leg syndrome, apnea, snoring or some other health conditions. For more information about sleep studies visit WebMD.

Most kids are afraid of the dark and/or monsters. It usually manifests when kids are 2 or 3 years old. This fear can cause bad dreams and affect the quality of sleep all on its own, but it can also make your child want to sleep with lights, which can furthet disrupt your child's sleep.

Here is what you can try:

• Explain your child what is fear and that fear is a normal emotion. Everybody is afraid of something.
• Don't get frustrated and tell your child that fear of the dark is stupid or cowardly. Acknowledge his/her fear but calmly explain that there is nothing to be afraid of.
• Don't intimidate your child with the dark and monsters to make him/her obey you. That way your child may think that the monsters are real and you are supposed to convince him/her of the opposite.
• Get a night light that has adjustable intensity of light and gradually lower the intensity until your child is able to sleep in complete dark.

Not all children should go to bed at the same time. If you arbitrarily set a bedtime for you child, whether he/she is tired or not, that could cause your child to toss around, imagine things in the dark, think about all sorts of things, and get anxious which could make it impossible for him/her to fall asleep. 

Examine your kid's behaviour, the time it gets up, activities it engages into, during the day, and determine the right bedtime according to that. Once you find a bedtime that works, stick to it because going in the bed at the same time every day is important for good night's rest.

Watching TV for a long period of time, every day, is a bad habit on it's own. But not only is it a bad way for your child to spend time, it can also negatively affect your child's sleep.

Every electronic device emits blue light (including energy-efficient lightbulbs) that can suppress melatonin that we naturally release at night. That can lead to poor-quality sleep and insomnia.

How long your child spends in front of a TV or a computer is not the only thing that's problematic. What he sees is also important. Make sure not to expose your child to movies or games that contain elements of horror or explicit graphic violence. These images can get stuck in your child's brain and cause night terrors, bad dreams, and subsequently, irregular sleep or insomnia.

When lying in bed and having a hard time falling asleep, try squeezing and relaxing muscle by muscle, starting from your feet and going all the way up to your face.

Take your time, and concentrate on what you are doing. Breathe deeply while you are squeezing your muscles. This technique will relax your body and make it easier for your to fall asleep.

Magnesium has an important role in the quality of your sleep. It reduces activities in your brain and makes it less "rowdy" and makes it easier for you to fall asleep. Even the slightest lack of magnesium in your body can cause you problems with your sleep.

You can order magnesium supplement at Amazon.

Before trying any supplements, consult your doctor.

If you don't like insomnia pills, try Pzizz. It's an interesting app for Android and iOS with a patented algorithm. It uses isochronic tones, binaural beats and a combination of soothing male voice and music. 

Its success lies in the fact that each soundtrack is slightly different than the one before, so even though all soundtracks are very similar to each other, they are distinctive enough to prevent your brain getting accustomed to them. 

You can learn about it and download it from pzizz.com. It's completely free.

If taking insomnia pills is out of the question try using a white noise machine. For some people, white noise has a soothing effect and can sometimes treat insomnia. If you don't feel like spending money on a machine, you can try with simplynoise.com, a web-site that produces a white noise, along with some other noises.

Studies show that lavender oil is one of the essential oils for insomnia, which can improve the quality of your sleep, by increasing slow-wave sleep, the kind of sleep that is most important for a good night's rest. You can disperse it in air using an aromatherapy diffuser or just put a few drops under your pillow.

You can order lavender on Amazon (essential oil here and a diffuser here).

Yoga (especially meditation for insomnia) can be an efficient way of physical activity, reduce your stress, and decrease the intensity of symptoms for people with Restless Leg Syndrom.

It would be best if you could find a qualified yoga therapist or a teacher to work with you one-on-one. For group classes, a beginner class will be suitable. Make sure that the class you are taking is led by a qualified instructor who can show you safe and healthy poses for you and make adjustments for any limitations you may have. 

You can find yoga instructors from all over the world at Yoga Alliance.

 Before you start practicing yoga, consult with your doctor. 

Meditation is a well-known technique for reducing stress. And with reduced stress, sleeping becomes much better. Make meditation part of your bedtime routine. For meditation techniques visit life.gaiam.com.

Keeping your brain active and entertained during the day is a great way to improve your intelligence, memory and even reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. But, late at night, that is the last thing you want to do. A "busy" brain in the evening hours tends to stay busy at night as well and prevent you from sleeping.

In the evening, avoid watching complex movies, reading challenging books or engaging in activities that stimulate your brain (such as playing chess, or discussing the origin of the universe with your friends). Focus on light reading, or simple house chores.

Can depression cause insomnia? Possibly, it can. If it does, to fight against insomnia, you need to win the fight against depression, first. St. John's Wort is a plant that works as an antidepressant and as such can relieve your anxiety and help you sleep better. You can order St. John's wort pills at Amazon.

Always check with your doctor if you are trying any herbal remedy.

A 2009 study from the University of Sussex showed that just six minutes of reading can reduce stress by 68% as it clears the mind and gets the body ready for sleep. When our mind is engaged in a world of words, the body relaxes, the tension evaporates, paving the way for sleep.

Just make sure that the reading material is not work-related or too complex as it can engage your brain too much and make it harder for you to fall asleep. Read something light, something that you find relaxing.

There are glasses specifically designed to block blue light that can cause you sleep problems. It is emitted by most electronics (computers, TVs, cellphones, even certain lightbulbs).

If you are spending all day or all night (or both) on a computer, consider wearing blue light blocking sunglasses to protect your eyes and increase the chance of a good night sleep.

If you work night shifts, that means lots of sleeping during daytime. It also means that your sleep could be interrupted by friends coming by, doorbells ringing, neighbors asking for a cup of sugar, etc.

To minimize sleep disturbance, inform your neighbors, friends and relatives of your sleep schedule. Let them know at what days you don't want to be disturbed. Ask your household members to try to be as quiet as possible while you are asleep.

I know it's hard to work all night without a few cups of coffee, but if you plan to sleep as soon as you get home from work, consider not drinking coffee (or anything else that has a high amount of caffeine) couple of hours before your shift is over. That way, most of the caffeine will get out of your system and allow you to fall asleep easier.

Sometimes, after a night shift, especially if you had lots of caffeine, you might not feel like sleeping right away and go to bed 3-4 hours after your shift is done. Or even later. Avoid that.

Always try to go to bed immediately after you come home from a night shift. Going to bed always at the same time will keep your sleep-wake cycle regular and increase the quality of your sleep. That way, you will still have some daytime left when you wake up and will be more productive when carrying out your everyday activities, than you would be at doing something right after a night shift.

Cool pillows have a substance (usually a gel) that keeps your pillow cool all night long. That could help if you are experiencing hot flashes or excessive sweating that disrupts your sleep.

Check Amazon for various cool pillows.

Eating spicy food, especially in the evening, can decrease the quality of your sleep. Sweating, heartburn, flatulence, and general turmoil in your stomach can make it really hard for you to fall asleep or stay asleep.

Try to avoid eating spicy food, at least in the evening hours, if not completely.

If you have trouble sleeping during pregnancy, try sleeping with more pillows. Use multiple pillows to support your belly and back. That will make it easier for you to sleep on your side. You can even consider full-body pillows that are specifically designed to provide maximum comfort for pregnant women. 

For a wide selection of full-body pillows, check Amazon.

When booking a hotel room, make a thorough research about where is hotel located (if it's on a busy street, or if it's near nightclubs). If you can't pick a hotel, you can at least pick a room that's further from the street.

Use TripAdvisor or Oyster.com to check hotel reviews.

If you usually fall asleep listening to music and it's part of your bedtime routine, take your favorite songs with you so you can have the same bedtime routine even when away from home.

If you have a special pillow that has a great impact on the quality of your sleep, consider bringing it with you. I know it can add a lot to your baggage, but having a good night's rest might be worth it. 

If bringing your pillow is not an option, at least bring your own pillowcases and bed sheets. They don't take much space, and can make a hotel bed look like yours and help you fall asleep with ease.

When in a hotel, especially in a foreign country, it is not unusual to sense a smell that just doesn't suit you. And if you are sensitive to smells, that can prevent you from having a good night's rest. 

To avoid that, bring your own scent. It could be vanilla, lavander, or your favorite perfume (or your partner's perfume), or anything else that you find soothing and relaxing.

When trying to sleep in a strange bed, reading your favorite book can make you feel like you are at home and reduce your stress and take your mind off the fact that this is not your bed.

There is not enough evidence to suggest that herbal teas have any effect on your sleep. But if you enjoy a good cup of tea and find it relaxing, it might be enough to relieve you of stress and help you fall asleep easier.

Some of the popular herbal teas are:

• Chamomile
• Lavender
• Lemon balm

You already know that smoking cigarettes can affect your health in a number of ways. But did you know that it can also affect your sleep? Nicotine is a stimulant and just like any other stimulant, it makes it harder for you to fall asleep, especially if you smoke in high quantities and close to bedtime. It can also make you prone to developing sleep apnea, which can further disrupt your sleep.

The best solution would be to quit smoking altogether. But if you can't, at least have your last cigarette a couple of hours before going to bed.

Sometimes, our day gets so hectic that we forget about our problems. And then they sneak up on us, occupy our brain and mess with our sleep.

Each day, no matter how busy you are, dedicate 20-30 minutes, or more, to problems that are bothering you. It is less likely they will obstruct your rest at night if you resolve them, or at least contemplate about them, early in the day.

Having a 15- or 20-minute nap could give you that extra energy to perform better and successfully get through the day, especially if you are sleep-deprived.

But napping too long can interfere with your night rest, so don't nap more than 20 minutes or after 4 PM. For the benefits of napping and tips on how to make the most out of it, visit WebMD.

Even though the role of melatonin is complex and still not studied enough, it is certain that it affects the quality of your sleep. Don't spend an entire day inside. Go out and expose yourself to natural light as much as you can. That brings balance to your melatonin level, which can help you sleep easier at night. 

Eating a large meal late in the evening can occupy your digestive system for hours, make you bloated and gassy and give you heartburn, all of which could interfere with your sleep.

You don't want to go to bed too hungry because hunger can keep your brain alert and cause you discomfort and a sleepless night. The best thing to do is to have a moderate, healthy meal 2-3 hours before bedtime.

Lowering intensity of lights in your home signals the body that bedtime is near. You don't have to be in total darkness for hours, but you can install lights with adjustable level of brightness.

Avoid light bulbs (especially fluorescent and energy saving light bulbs) that have harsh, bright light. They often emit blue light that can affect the quality of your sleep. Look for light bulbs that are labeled "soft" and have a color temperature rating of less than 3000 Kelvin such as this one.

Alcohol may help you to fall asleep, however, it can disrupt your sleep cycles and make you restless at night. You don't have to completely abstain from alcohol, just don't drink it after 6 PM.

Even couple of beers late at night can cause you problems due to multiple visits to bathroom and dehydration that forces you to get up and have a glass of water in the middle of the night.

It is usually a bad idea (for insomniacs, anyway) to exercise right before bedtime, because you get all fired up (adrenaline is high, heartbeat is elevated), and all that makes it really hard for you to fall asleep. But, it seems that certain leg exercises can relieve your brain and appease your mind by redirecting blood to legs. Try some leg lifts or squats.

Many medications can cause issues with sleeping, such as:

• Allergy medications
• Heart and pressure medications
• Antidepressants
• Painkillers (pain medications)
• Weight-loss products

Make sure to be informed about possible side effects of any medication that you might use. Consult your doctor for alternative medications, if possible.

If you are used to sleeping with pets in the same room, or even bed, it might be hard for you to put them in a different room. But, if they keep waking you up in the middle of the night or causing you discomfort (jump all over you or trying to cuddle while you are asleep), putting them in a different room is exactly what you need to do.

For tips on how to teach your dog to sleep in his own bed, visit petful.com

Bedtime routine is crucial for your child's good sleep. Decide at what hour should your child go to bed and when it should wake up, and stick to it. Have a ritual you can share with your child every night before bed:

• Play a game with your child or watch a cartoon that he or she can connect to bedtime.
• Give him/her a cup of warm milk, cocoa, or something else he/she likes.
• Give him a bath always at the same time (right before bed).
• Read to him in bed.

Sugar and caffeine can have a huge negative impact on your child's quality of sleep. Limit anything that contains sugar or caffeine during the day and completely avoid it in the evening.

Remember that caffeine is not only found in coffee or energetic drinks. It can also be found in tea, cocoa, carbonated beverages and all sorts of candies and cookies. Read the label to find out if a certain product contains caffeine.

Having a proper nap in the middle of the day can have lots of benefits for you child. Studies show that children with regular daytime naps ahve better learning and cognitive abilities. And of course, it gives you some free time.

But if your child continuosly sleeps 2-3 hours in late afternoon or evening, this could seriously disrupt his sleep-wake schedule and make it hard for him/her to fall asleep at an appropriate time. So, make sure that naps are taken early in the afteroon or before that.

I know it doesn't make any sense, but according to a study conducted by Glasgow University, if you lie in bed and try to stay awake with your eyes open (you are allowed to blink) it will make you fall asleep faster then having your eyes closed and actually trying to sleep. It appears that trying to stay awake is quite tiresome and it may lead to falling asleep.

When in menopause, many women experience hot flashes and excessive sweating. If you often wake up due to hot flashes and/or sweating, consider having a cloth in a bucket of ice near your bed. That way you can cool yourself quickly and continue with your sleep without getting out of the bed.

Have a glass of water around as well to replenish the water you lost through sweating.

Even though antidepressants such as Prozac or Paxil are primarily designed to fight depression and anxiety (among other things), they can also be used to reduce menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats.

Consult with your doctor before trying any medication.

If you are lying in bed, unable to fall asleep, try visualizing yourself in some soothing and relaxing environment, maybe on a meadow full of flowers, or on a soft cloud. It can be a place from your everyday life, where you felt relaxed and calm, or it can be an imaginary one. Imagine yourself sleeping there without a care in the world.

This technique can reduce your stress and anxiety, and ultimately help you fall asleep faster.

If you are travelling in multiple time zones, you are likely to suffer from jet lag. Try adjusting your body clock several days before your trip. If you are traveling from east to west, your body clock needs to be delayed, which means you should try going to bed one hour later and waking up one hour later than the day before. Do the opposite if you are traveling from west to east.

If you apply this technique several days before your trip, you will endure jet lag much easily, or maybe even completely avoid it. If you are staying in a different time zone only for a few days, it's not worth adjusting your sleep schedule. Just stick to your local time.

Melatonin is naturally produced in our bodies and it helps with regulating our sleep rhythm. Some studies have shown that melatonin supplements can help you fight jet lag by adjusting your sleep rhythm. You can buy some at Amazon.

Consult your doctor before taking any supplements.

Consider over-the-counter sleeping pills as a quick solution to help you fall asleep. You should use them only occasionally when other methods are not available to you, for example, when you are traveling. Constant use of sleeping pills will raise your tolerance to them and will eventually make them useless.

You can pick from dozens of types at Amazon. Consult with your doctor before trying any medication.

Having a hot bath can relax your muscles and your mind, which is a prerequisite for a quality sleep. Make hot bath part of your bedtime routine.

Writing down what's bothering you can clarify your thoughts and make you see a solution that you wouldn't see otherwise. It is also a form of meditation and as such it can reduce your stress. 

Try writing about your emotions in a diary, or you can write short stories, maybe even a novel. All of that can really help you deal with stress.

I know you need to have some type of clock in your bedroom for the alarm. Most of us have cell phones that serve that purpose.

But, once you set up the alarm, turn the front of your clock or cell phone or whatever you use, away from you. If you happen to wake up in the middle of the night, do not look at the clock as this will only increase your anxiety. Just close your eyes and fall back to sleep.

Studies show that people are more likely to have a good night's sleep when they sleep in a tidy bed with a clean and tight sheet, pillowcase and cover.

Taurine is an amino acid that we usually get from animal protein. As a supplement, it can reduce your stress and anxiety which allows you to fall asleep easier. You can buy a taurine supplement at Amazon.

Before trying any supplements, consult your doctor.

Vitamin B-6 has a very important role in regulating your sleep-wake cycles. Deficiency in vitamin B-6 can disrupt your sleep pattern or even cause you insomnia. You can order it at Amazon.

However, taking too much vitamin B-6 can also cause you problems with sleeping so it is not advised to use it on your own. Consult your doctor to find out if vitamin B-6 deficiency is what's causing you insomnia.

Always talk to your doctor before trying any supplements.

Several studies have shown that valerian root can help you reduce anxiety and make it easier for you to fall asleep with it's mild sedative effects. But you usually have to take it for 10-15 days before you notice any improvements in the quality of your sleep. 

You can order various valerian root preparations from Amazon.

Before trying any supplements, consult your doctor.

Milk doesn't have any substances that would help you fall asleep. It does have tryptophan, an amino acid that can induce sleepiness, but not nearly enough to be effective.

But, having a glass of warm milk can have a psychological effect on you. It can calm your mind and remind you of the good old days, when your parents or grandparents would give you warm milk before bed. All that could help you fall asleep easier.

Massaging your calves for 10 minutes right before bed can reduce symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrom. You can do it yourself or ask one of your family members to do it for you.

If you have Restless Leg Syndrom, it is possible that you have iron deficiency. Ask your doctor if you need iron supplements. It may help you relieve RSL symptoms.

You can buy iron supplement at Amazon.

It's suggested to not look at screens before you go to bed, as our brain thinks of light as the sun, making it harder to fall asleep. 

If you cannot do without screens before bedtime, install f.lux which is a neat little software which changes the colors of your display so that they don't resemble the sun, but instead prepare your brain to go to bed. 

Stress, disease, and poor diet will all drain magnesium from your body. Most people are deficient of this mineral. Magnesium helps to relax the muscles and nervous system.

Best type is magnesium citrate or malate as they are easiest to absorb. Avoid magnesium oxide as this type has the lowest absorbance and can give you stomach issues. 

Experiment with dosage but don't go over 1000mg per day. If your initial reaction is diarrhea consider this normal and a sign that you were deficient. Magnesium itself does not irritate anything but relaxes the intestinal walls, hence the faster intestinal transit time or loose stool. Lower dose and build up slowly.

Suggested by: http://insomniacnextdoor.com

Sometimes the cure for insomnia requires more than a lifestyle change. You might need a tool to finally help you get to sleep. One of the simplest tools to try is a white noise machine. 

White noise is beneficial for several reasons. A white noise machine can drown out other distracting external noises that grab your attention and stir your thoughts, which can prevent deep sleep. A white noise machine can give you something to focus your attention on that is not thought provoking and is unremarkable. This serves to quiet your mind so you can drift into a peaceful sleep. 

If a primary cause of your insomnia is Tinnitus, then a white noise machine is indispensable. White noise can overwhelm the ringing in your ear caused by Tinnitus and provide some peace to quietly doze off into a deep sleep. We have a detailed article on what white noise is and why it works for insomnia on our website at letscureinsomnia.com

I know what you're thinking... "Huh? You tell me to make sleep my top priority? That's your advice? Why do you think I'm on this page!?"...

Yes, maybe you are already determined to fix your sleep issues, and that's great. But maybe you're not. Maybe you're bothered by your poor sleep, but don't really give all you can do to fix the issue. Go through the other solutions and think: "Do I actually give those suggestions a real try? Or am I just looking for the easy, quick fix?" 

Most likely there won't be an easy fix. You need to take it really seriously, and invest the time and effort (e.g. update your sleep diary, take time and reflect how to improve your sleep, stop looking at screens before bed time etc.). No pain, no gain. 

Again, if you're already doing this, then great. You can ignore this advice. But I didn't take it seriously enough, and only when I did, things started to improve. 

Spend time on it - it's worth it. Sleep is absolutely crucial for a happy, energetic and creative life. 

I frequently woke up during the night, and my mind started to become active, and getting upset about not sleeping (thinking I need the sleep to feel rested in the morning), which caused an issue of itself. 

I managed to reduce this issue by reminding myself that just lying in bed without sleeping can also be very restful. It's the same with naps: you don't have to sleep in order for the nap to give you new energy. 

Try it out: one time you get up during the night and become active (e.g. work), and on another occasion you stay in bed, with your eyes shut, and letting your thoughts wonder about. See how much more rested you feel during daytime in the latter case. 

I don't know why this is - maybe just keeping your eyes shut, blocking out visual signals is helping to recover - but I don't care about the exact reasons why. For me this is the case, so every time I awake during the night, I just stay in bed, reminding me about this fact, and not getting upset anymore than I cannot sleep. Which, ironically, helps me to sleep again.