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Can’t sleep? Here’s what you can do

4min reading
Can’t sleep? Here’s what you can do

Can’t sleep and out of ideas on what to try? Unfortunately you’re not the only one Around 30% of adults in the US have symptoms of insomnia, that is difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, and around 10% are considered to have chronic insomnia.  A significant amount of people turn to sleeping pills in an attempt to set their sleep right, despite side-effects, risk of dependence and other potentially devastating consequences. The good news is that we have some other things you can try when you can’t sleep, from simple actions you can try tonight to more long-term solutions if the problem persists. 

How to fight against insomnia

There are  much safer, non-invasive and effective ways to improve your sleep, notably Cognitivie Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) for cases of chronic insomnia. CBT-I involves techniques and exercises designed to address the patterns of thoughts and actions that contribute to insomnia. In large part, this involves modifying the behavior and thinking behind our sleep, in order to replace them with healthier, more sleep-friendly ones. 

 

Ritualization

Setting up a sleep ritual helps to fall asleep. Our bodies are particularly sensitive to habits. When your body detects behavioral signs, it starts to prepare for sleep.  Try reading a few pages of a book, meditating, taking a bath, laying out your clothes for the next day…the important thing is not so much the type of ritual (provided that it is not detrimental to sleep itself), but its consistency.  This automatic sleep preparation can reduce anxiety levels and contribute to a reduction in the time it takes to fall asleep. 

Relaxation

Relaxation combats stress, one of the main causes of insomnia. Whether you’re replaying the day’s events or worrying about tomorrow… Stress is a natural physiological response that allows the body to respond quickly to a dangerous situation, and so enhancing the vigilance levels in the body.  There are tons of  different exercises out there to help you unwind before bedtime: listening to relaxing sounds, meditation, free or guided breathing… The key is to try several techniques until you find the one that suits you best.

can't sleep

Body conditioning

To fall asleep, the body goes through a number of changes. Lowering its core temperature, decreasing the respiratory rate, suspending of coherent thinking … Conditioning exercises will ask you to consciously bring your body closer to a sleep-friendly state. For example, lowering your heart rate or encouraging your brain to stop ruminating by interfering with consistent thought process with random words. Even more effective when integrated into a bedtime ritual, these conditioning exercises can be very powerful.
The different techniques mentioned above are used by Dreem, with a major advantage: biofeedback. Dreem tracks brain and body activity in real time. So exercises adjust according to your , able to adjust the exercises spontaneously, depending on your wake level

Cool head, warm feet

Did you know that a simple pair of socks can help you fall asleep? 

Our biological clock naturally regulates our body temperature. It drops at the end of the day, from 7pm, and reaches its lowest point around 3am. This drop in body temperature is necessary to fall asleep. In the evening, must, therefore, facilitate the cooling of the body and eliminate excessive heat.

How? Hands and feet are the body’s main “heat exchangers” with the environment, it is here that excessive heat is released. If they are too cold compared to the rest of the body, heat will be blocked inside the body. Which means a delay in the cooling of the body necessary to fall asleep. Keeping them warm promotes blood expansion and a better evacuation of the heat. Just think, a pair of warm socks can help you to fall asleep faster when you can’t sleep. 

And don’t forget, it is important to sleep in a cool area to maintain a low average temperature, conducive to sleep.

Can’t sleep? Dreem can help! 

The Dreem 2 headband and app solution can provide  you with a better understanding of sleep.The headband monitors your sleep throughout the night. And when you can’t sleep, this objective sleep data is used to tailor a program of  personalized advice and exercises for you. Helping you take the steps you need towards improving your sleep. 

 

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Lydia
"I now understand how I sleep and what I can do to improve it."
Jeremy