Insomnia is a wretched condition that affects 70 million Americans on a regular basis. 20-40% of all adults in the United States have insomnia in the course of any given year. Sufferers are constantly on the lookout for insomnia relief.
It seems like an eternity as you lay in the dark, awake and alone, staring at the ceiling. Oftentimes you don’t even know how long you’ve been lying there because you are so afraid to look at the clock and see how late it is.
Thoughts begin to gallop through your mind at breakneck speed. You worry and fret and cry, desperate for insomnia relief. Eventually, the blaring siren of the alarm clock will scream at you, and you will drag yourself out of bed like some kind of zombie.
What can you do when you suffer through this night… after night… after endless, miserable night? Well, don’t despair. Although the ultimate cause of insomnia is largely unknown, there are several factors that many sufferers are unaware of. Avoiding these causes has provided insomnia relief for many people.
Watch Out For Hidden Stimulants That Are The Opposite Of Insomnia Relief
If you have insomnia, you probably already know that caffeine is not your friend. But did you know that there are also hordes of other stimulants that lie hidden in the foods you consume every day?
First off, coffee is not the only source of caffeine. Along with teas (and that includes green teas), almost three-quarters of all sodas produced in the U.S. contain caffeine. Chocolate is another common food that contains caffeine.
Another hidden source of caffeine is medication, including prescription and non-prescription. Caffeine can linger in your bloodstream for as many as 12 hours, so make sure you do not consume it past noon, if you must have it at all.
Even worse, many people do not consider the other stimulants that hide in their favorite foods. For example, chocolate also contains a substance known as theobromine, which is closely related to caffeine.
And don’t forget sugar, the ultimate stimulant. Too much sugar can cause irritability, anxiety, and that jittery feeling that often accompanies insomnia.
Darkness Is An Insomnia’s Best Friend
All insomniacs have heard that they are supposed to sleep in total darkness. However, few of them realize how crucial it is to actually make sure that no light is in their bedroom.
Your internal body clock actually uses signals such as sunlight and darkness to know when to produce certain active hormones. Sunlight–or lack thereof–is also a signal for when to shut these same hormones off and release the nighttime sleep hormones. These cycles are known as circadian rhythms.
In the evening, our body clock recognizes that light is withdrawing. As darkness increases, brain activity, blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature all decrease. Essentially, this means that the body slows down and slips into an altered state of consciousness. During the darkness of the night, the body continues to produce sleep hormones.
When the body clock does not receive the necessary light and dark signals at the appropriate times of day, it quits functioning properly and becomes weak. It will not produce the right amount of hormones at the right times.
It is absolutely essential for insomniacs to be sure that no light touches their bedroom when they are supposed to be sleeping. Turn off the television, put up heavy drapes, and replace that digital alarm clock with an old-fashioned battery-operated clock. Even the smallest amount of light can upset your circadian rhythms, so if you’d like to take advantage of this simple solution to relieve your insomnia, make sure your room is in total darkness as you sleep.
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