Not able to sleep properly? Here’s what you can try.

A good night’s sleep helps in a lot of ways. It not only makes you start your day with a positive mind but also keeps you fresh and active the whole day. However, if you are unable to sleep properly at night, that may result in not being able to focus and concentrate and feeling constantly tired for the rest of the day.

Most of us go to bed every night wishing to get proper rest but end up surfing the internet and sleeping very less. This problem has become very common in metropolitan cities and is usually called insomnia. 

Usually, people doze off on someone’s shoulder while travelling or sometimes even sleep in movie theatres. We all have heard about people who can sleep in the worst situations as well as in not-so-comfortable places. How can one identify whether they have a sleeping disorder?

If you’ve slept the whole night but still feel tired after waking up and during the day, then you are most likely suffering from a sleeping disorder. There could be multiple reasons behind this. Poor lifestyle, erratic work hours, and/or stress are the most common of them. Being hyper active on social media, watching television for long hours, working in bed with laptops, or stressing over work add to a sleeping disorder. 

People with unusual working hours like night shifts are also more prone to sleeping disorders due to erratic sleep schedules. 

Dr Praveen Pratap Singh, Chief Medical Officer of Cantonment General Hospital in Delhi Cantt, told CitySpidey, “People may complain of difficulty in being able to sleep or staying asleep, intermittent wakefulness during night, early morning awakening or combinations of any of these. Transient episodes are usually of little significance. This is what we call insomnia or difficulty in falling asleep.”

If you think you are not able to fall asleep then your first step should be identifying the cause. According to Dr Singh, “There are many causes of insomnia. Stress, excessive consumption of caffeine, physical discomfort, day-time napping, early bedtime, depression, manic disorders, alcohol abuse, heavy smoking, habitual use of sedatives and hypnotics are some of them.” 

The doctor, however, suggested some lifestyle changes to tackle sleeping disorders instead of seeking medical help, unless, of course, the disorder is severe. 

Small and useful tips include going to bed only when one is sleepy and using the bed and the bedroom only for sleeping. If you are still awake after 20 minutes, then leave your bedroom and return only when you feel sleepy.

“Try to get up at the same time every morning, no matter how many hours you have slept at night. Discontinue caffeine and nicotine, at least in the evening, if not completely. Establish a daily exercise regimen. Avoid alcohol if you are a heavy drinker. Limit fluids in the evening. Learn and practice relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation,” Dr Singh added.