Hey guys,
I am battling extreme insominia lately. I am hoping to avoid the pharmaceutical route. Any suggestions?
OK, first let me say there is no "cure" for insomnia. With that said, here are some tips that can help.
1. Make sure that the place you sleep is used only for sleep. You should not use your bed for anything other than sleep. This can really help to clear your mind, and condition you to sleep when you are supposed to.
2. Make sure that your bedroom is incredibly dark. Light suppresses Melatonin, which is a hormone that promotes sleep. If you need to have some lights in your room, use red lights, as those do not affect the circadian system as much as white, blue, or green lights.
3. Similarly to #2, make sure you get enough light during the day, and dark at night. This is what resets your natural biological (or circadian) rhythm, and allows you to sleep more easily.
4. Try to keep a regular schedule. This will also help keep your circadian rhythm entrained, and will help you get good sleep.
5. Deal with any emotional or mental things you need to deal with. A lot of insomnia is caused by simply being too stressed, and simply won't go away until you deal with the stress. I would recommend seeing a therapist, if this is your problem, and it is constantly keeping you awake at night.
6. And finally, stay away from too many of those drugs. They are just a quick fix, that in many cases will just make it impossible for you to sleep without them, and they don't really fix the problem, just mask it.