Can't sleep, what to do?

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In modern life, we always have to follow the busy work cycle to achieve our goals. In the long run, this leads to stress and fatigue. Those pressures can be the cause of frequent insomnia, directly affecting health and daily life.

Insomnia causes many psychological and health effects such as decreased concentration of attention; lose balance, easy to fall; arrhythmia, hypertension, myocardial infarction. Choosing a method to improve sleep plays an important role. Some of the following measures are effective solutions to improve sleep.

1. Create a suitable sleeping space yourself

You should create a comfortable space to sleep. A little bed trick can help you fall asleep like using cotton bed sheets because they are light, highly absorbent and do not cause itching. Another suggestion is that you should use a satin pillow instead of cotton because it will give you a comfortable, cool feeling when sleeping. The most suitable bedroom temperature is from 26-28 degrees Celsius. The room must ensure air circulation.

2. Turn off all lights including night lights

This is because light inhibits sleep hormones as well as increases body temperature by producing the hormone cortisol, making you feel more awake
Complete darkness is essential for relaxation and a deep sleep.

3. Don't use electronic devices

A habit of many people is to use social networks before going to bed to entertain and update new information. In fact, electronic devices such as phones, televisions, and computers wake up the brain and must be alert. The light from them also greatly reduces the quality of sleep. So, to make it easier to sleep, you should put your beloved phone away. Using your phone before going to bed will only make your insomnia worse.

4. Lighten the bladder

Do not drink too much liquid such as water, smoothies, before sleeping because you will have to get up in the middle of the night to solve hygiene problems. This disrupts deep sleep and makes it difficult to get a good night's sleep again. So before you go to bed, ease your bladder to bring a feeling of relief and comfort.

5. Get out of bed

When in bed, in a state of restlessness and discomfort, the brain becomes more awake. If you feel like you can't sleep, get up and do something else like read a book or play sudoku (a combination logic-based number-sorting puzzle game). When you feel tired, you need to immediately want to go back to bed. From time to time, you should also try sleeping on the sofa or sleeping in another room to help you fall asleep more easily.

6. Minimize stress

An important way to get a good night's sleep is to temporarily put stressful thoughts out of your mind. If you are a heavy thinker, avoid thinking about the day's happenings. Nor should you fantasize about things that create feelings of horror or violence. If you find yourself distracted too much, try listening to a tune and letting your soul into the music is also a great solution.

7. Change your sleeping position

Sleeping position is very important to a good night's sleep. You need to make sure that you keep your back straight and that your pillow is not too high or low. Avoid lying on your stomach and maybe try placing a pillow between your knees to keep your hips balanced. At the same time, when it is difficult to fall asleep, you should keep your sleeping position and limit rolling over.

8. Try some gymnastics techniques

Exercise : Learn and practice these exercises before going to bed for about 10 minutes. Meditation: This is a popular method of relaxing the mind and avoiding stress. However, to be able to meditate properly, you need a guide and a lot of practice. Enter a fantasy world: You can try to imagine something that makes you happy or dreamed of. Try to think of your ideal day, beautiful children, the beach or simply the loved ones you love. Breathing with the "4-7-8" maneuver: First, close your mouth and inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, then hold the breath, hold it for 7 seconds. Finally, exhale completely through your mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat these steps until you fall into a deep sleep.

9. Control your diet

Limit the amount of food consumed in the evening because it can make you gassy and bloated. Avoid drinking stimulants such as alcohol or caffeine right before bed as it will disturb sleep. Instead, you should take a warm shower, cleanse your body, relax and drink a glass of hot milk.

10. Use some herbs from nature

You can use natural herbs with sedative effects that have been used for a long time by our forefathers to treat insomnia very effectively such as: lotus heart, Tam ventricular flower tea, Vong Nem...
When you have applied all the above measures and still have no effect, you should visit and treat by a specialist doctor. Depending on the cause of your insomnia, your doctor may prescribe medication to treat the underlying cause of your insomnia. If insomnia persists for no apparent reason, it is necessary to combine lifestyle adjustments, psychotherapy or other rehabilitation measures.
If you have a need for consultation and examination at Vinmec Hospitals under the national health system, please book an appointment on the website (vinmec.com) for the best service.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.