Globally, between 10% and 30% of the population experience insomnia, and in the United States approximately 12% of adults have been diagnosed with chronic insomnia, which is a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting quality sleep that occurs more than three times a week for at least three months and ends up affecting daily life. Insomnia is also frequently associated with other health problems, such as depression and anxiety, each amplifying the other, according to a material published in Nature.
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Miranda is 23 years old and can't remember a time in her life when she slept normally. He says he has struggled with insomnia since childhood, and as he got older, it got worse. Every evening she takes several medicines, but most of the time she falls asleep only in the morning, and by noon she does not manage to be functional. He dropped out of college because he couldn't consistently attend classes, and for the same reason, he can't keep a job. Lack of sleep also exacerbates her other medical problems, including migraines and fibromyalgia. “It affects everything”she says.
Cases like Miranda's explain why there is so much interest in creating new treatments. Medicine is beginning to offer alternatives: recently developed drugs that reduce wakefulness through a different mechanism than classical therapies. At the same time, researchers have identified promising effects of certain molecules in cannabis, and medical devices capable of influencing brain activity could significantly change the way insomnia is approached, offering millions of affected people the chance for more effective and better-tolerated solutions.
Beyond these medical innovations, many people are also looking for complementary solutions, which they can more easily integrate into their daily routine. For example, material published in Holistics points out that lack of sleep accumulates over time and can have serious effects on health and overall well-being, emphasizing the importance of creating habits that can support more restful sleep.
Sleep therapists say most adults need six to eight hours of sleep a night to function well, although there are people who do better with fewer hours of sleep and a short afternoon rest break. Beyond the number of hours, the quality of sleep matters. It is the time when the body replenishes its reserves, repairs cells, regulates brain activity, organizes the information accumulated during the day and allows the body to relax and recover.
When sleep is slow to come, it's useful to have a few simple things on hand that you can integrate into your daily routine.
Here are 9 methods, proposed by the authors of Holistica, that can help you sleep better.
1. Breathing, as support for relaxation
Slow, conscious breathing exercises can help the body calm down before sleep. Sit comfortably, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling gently through your mouth. Repeat until you feel your body's rhythm begin to slow down.
You can also try the 4-7-8 technique: exhale through your mouth, inhale through your nose for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of seven, then slowly exhale for a count of eight. Repeat this exercise several times. This simple rhythm helps the nervous system to come out of the alert state and gradually relax.
2. Pressure points for relaxation
In shiatsu, several points are used which, once pressed, could calm the body before sleep. Start with the middle of the forehead: press there gently for 10–15 seconds. You can also press for a few seconds towards the end of the eyebrows, between the eyebrow and the outer corner of the eyes. Another point is on the sole of the foot, about a third of the distance between the toes and the heel, here they press gently for 10–15 seconds. No force is needed. Slow movements are enough.
3. Visualization exercise, for a state of calm
When thoughts keep coming, a simple visualization exercise can help. Close your eyes and imagine that you are in a place that calms you… it can be at the sea, in a forest or any space where you feel good. Look at it in your mind as clearly as possible, note the light, colors, sounds around.
Then choose a calming color, such as blue, and imagine it slowly spreading throughout your body from head to toe. Breathe slowly and stay with this image in your mind for a few moments, until you feel the thoughts begin to subside.
4. Warm bath with essential oils
A warm bath with a few drops of essential oils can help the body relax before sleep. You can try a simple combination: four drops of chamomile oil, two of lavender, four of neroli and two of marjoram.
If you don't have time for a bath, a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow can create a state of calm before bed.
5. Reading, as an evening ritual
Reading before bed can be a good way to end your day. A simple story or a few pages from a motivational book, which, however, does not keep you “on the hook” can bring a bit of peace. Avoid suspenseful novels or horror stories as they are meant to keep you awake. More suitable are light readings, which you can put down without feeling like you're missing out.
6. Writing before bed
If things to solve, worries or unfinished business keep running through your mind before bed, writing them down can help. Write them down briefly on a piece of paper and leave them there, thinking that you will deal with them the next day. For many people, just putting them down on paper is enough to calm the mind and make sleep easier.
7. Music
You can try listening to slow music that also includes nature sounds like rain, waves or rustling leaves…They are easier for the brain to ignore and can help the body get into a slower rhythm. Some prefer classical music, others very simple songs or recordings specially created to induce a state of sleep. Choose something without lyrics and without sudden changes in rhythm that will not attract your attention.
8. Ideal plants
Before you take sleeping pills, you can try simpler things. Passionflower, hops, lavender and valerian are herbs that have long been used to calm agitated states. Sometimes a cup of tea in the evening makes the difference, experts say. There are people who also use flower essences to treat problems related to insomnia. If you choose this option, it would be ideal to look for clear information or call an expert in the field. However, one thing remains true for everyone: in the evening, coffee and green or black tea have no place on the list.
9. The bed
Change the mattress around ten years, especially if it sags, squeaks or you feel the springs. Turn it over from time to time and air it out; when you can, leave it in the sun.
Also take care of the environment in the room where you sleep: it should not be too hot or too cold and it should be ventilated. A closed or overheated bedroom can ruin your sleep.
