I can't sleep and I don't know where to start
A difficult night and a recurring sleep problem need different answers. Before trying many solutions at once, it can help to observe when the difficulty appears and how it affects your day.
What can you observe
Write down approximately when you go to bed and wake up, if you are late to sleep or wake up during the night, and how you feel the next day. It's a record of your experience, not a diagnosis. You can take him to a consultation to explain the problem with concrete examples.
Prepare for the break
The NHLBI recommends relatively consistent schedules, a cool, dark, and quiet bedroom, and avoiding caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol close to bed F3. Choose a possible change for your routine and see what happens. There's no need to turn the night into a to-do list that creates more pressure.
A quiet moment of activity before bed can be part of your routine. Its function is to prepare a break, not to guarantee that you will go to sleep in a certain number of minutes.
If the difficulty persists
When the problem recurs or affects your activities, seek a specific evaluation. According to the NHLBI, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, TCC-I, is often recommended as a first option for prolonged insomnia F3. It includes more than general sleep hygiene tips.
Don't stop or change medication to try a rest practice. You can talk to your professional about what you are using and the difficulty you are experiencing.
What does Human Instrument offer
We offer complementary accompaniment with sound, Acutonics and practices at home. We can work on a goal of rest as part of that process; we don't offer a cure for insomnia or treatment for other sleep disorders. Learn about the approach in Sleep and Rest.
Authorship
Written by Leonardo Murillo, sound therapist at Human Instrument. It is not a medical review or a peer review.
References
- F3 — NHLBI. Insomnia Treatment. NHLBI website. Source on sleep habits and on the location of CBT-I. Do not equate this treatment with sound or strobe light.