Solution: Take nutrients that calm the body and mind, getting you ready for sleep.
Don’t drink alcohol to help you sleep. Look for a calming formula that has some of the following: amino acids, L theanine, taurine, 5 HTP and GABA, and herbs like lemon balm, passion flower, chamomile, and valerian root. Taking calcium and magnesium at night is also helpful. For some people, especially those over fifty, melatonin can be helpful, too. This is because the body produces less melatonin with advancing age and may explain why elderly people often have difficulty sleeping and respond well to melatonin.

Mistake #8: Watching television to fall asleep.
Because we have no trouble at all falling asleep in the living room in front of the TV, many of us watch TV in bed to help us fall asleep. But when we do that, we invariably wake up later on. This sets up a cycle or conditioning that reinforces poor sleep at night. I have had many patients over the years develop insomnia due to this type of conditioning.

Solution: Get the TV out of the bedroom.
Don’t watch TV in bed. The bed should be associated with sleep (and sex).

Mistake #9: Staying in bed hoping to fall asleep.
If you can’t fall asleep within thirty to forty-five minutes, chances are you won’t for at least another hour, and perhaps even longer. You may have missed the open “sleep gate,” or missed catching the sleep wave. A sleep gate is the open window of time your body will allow you to fall asleep. Researchers have found that our brain goes through several sleep cycles each night where all sleep phases are repeated. These cycles last from ninety minutes to two hours, and at the beginning of each cycle, the body’s sleep gate opens. You won’t be able to fall asleep when your sleep gate is closed.

Solution: Catch the sleep wave.
If you find you can’t fall asleep within forty-five minutes, get up and get out of the bedroom. Read a book, do a restorative yoga pose, or do some other calming activity for another one and a half to two hours before trying to sleep again. Staying in bed only causes stress over not sleeping.

Sleep is like surfing; you need to catch that sleep wave. Have you ever been exhausted and yet you avoid going to sleep and then a few hours later when you’re ready for bed, you’re suddenly wide awake? You missed the wave.

Mistake #10: Making sleep a performance issue.
Often just thinking about sleep affects your ability to fall asleep. What happens frequently is that the way you cope with the insomnia becomes as much of a problem as the insomnia itself. It often becomes a vicious cycle of worrying about not being able to sleep, which leads to worsening sleep problems. Like so many things in life, sleep is about letting go, going with the flow. It needs to become a natural rhythm like breathing, something that comes automatically that you don’t think about.

Solution: Let go and go with the flow.
Use the time to practice breathing exercises or meditation and to become aware of how what you eat, what medications you take, what behaviors or certain activities can affect your sleep cycle. Increase your awareness by paying attention to your body and becoming conscious of how you react to different foods and situations. Use this time productively, instead of getting upset that you can’t fall asleep.

One final point.
For chronic insomniacs, especially if you’re a heavy snorer, make sure sleep apnea is not the cause. This is a serious condition that affects at least 12 million Americans, many of whom have not been diagnosed. Usually they are heavy snorers. What happens is that the tissues at the back of the throat relax, and in so doing, block the airways. The brain senses oxygen deprivation, and sends wakeup signals. There is a release of adrenaline and cortisol, the stress hormone. Not only does this interfere with sleep, it can increase blood pressure, raising your risk of heart problems and stroke. It can also interfere with insulin sensitivity, and increases your risk of diabetes.

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