– starting in the morning and ending at night. Even if we feel tired during the day and have time for a nap, naps can worsen insomnia. If we are facing such issues, it’s better to establish a good night-time sleep. As bedtime approaches, create a sleep routine, ideally avoiding electronic devices, create a calm sleeping environment, and engage in relaxing activities.
– No snoozing! Snoozing disrupts our overall sleep cycle and makes us feel worse than if we woke up immediately. Set the alarm for the time you need to get up and get out of bed right away. It may be challenging in the beginning, but it will get easier, and you’ll feel better.
– a dark room helps us sleep better, e.g., with good curtains or shutters. Also, exposure to bright natural light first thing in the morning, by opening curtains, signals to the body that it’s time to wake up and reinforces a sleep-wokeness routine.
– a morning walk regulates sleep hormones like melatonin. Even just 10 minutes of fresh air and exercise can help us wake up better and indirectly assists the body get used to the hours that it is awake and the hours that it is asleep.
– reducing caffeine and alcohol, especially close to bedtime, can make a big difference. Try to stop or reduce the amount of coffee you drink, and if you have any have in the morning. While alcohol may initially help us fall asleep, it doesn’t provide refreshing sleep. Complete abstinence from alcohol leads to more restful and rejuvenating sleep.
– when we struggle to sleep, it is common to worry about it, and think about how tired we’ll be the next day. Desperately trying to fall back asleep can stimulate our brain more and keep us awake for even longer creating a vicious cycle. Instead of pressuring ourselves to go back to sleep, it’s actually better to get out of bed and do something relaxing or distracting. This helps deactivate the part of the brain keeping us awake and allows us to sleep.
Professional sleep support 
– If these natural tips don’t work sufficiently, you may need medication for sleep. However, whether this is a good decision requires a discussion with your doctor as these medications have side effects, and some can be addictive. Also, there may be an underlying medical cause contributing to your insomnia, such as anxiety disorder, sleep apnoea, or menopause, which need to be addressed.
