Insomnia self-care: 10 strategies to manage sleeplessness
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA
If you're struggling with insomnia, self-care can help. We share practical tips to help ease insomnia including managing stress, and creating a sleep schedule.
POV: It’s the middle of the night. While the rest of the world is asleep, you find yourself staring at the ceiling, wide awake. Tossing, turning, checking the clock...insomnia can turn your sacred sleep time into an anxiety-fueled ordeal.
Rest assured (no pun intended), you're not alone. Millions of people worldwide are lying awake at night. Fortunately, reclaiming peaceful, restorative sleep is possible with the right self-care steps.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a consistent difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early, which leads to exhaustion and impaired daytime function.
Short-term insomnia, lasting days to weeks, often arises from stress or a major life event. But for some, sleepless nights persist for a month or more - a condition known as chronic insomnia. Sometimes insomnia is the main issue, while other times, it's linked to other health conditions or the medications we take.
What causes insomnia?
Whether acute (or transient) insomnia that lasts for a few nights or chronic insomnia that persists for months, the toll it takes on your quality of life can be significant.
Identifying the root causes of your insomnia can be a powerful step toward managing it effectively. Causes are often diverse, spanning from emotional to physical including:
Stress and anxiety
Pressures from work, school, relationships, finances, or general life can spark worry and anxiety that keep the mind wired at bedtime. Plus, anxiety about insufficient sleep can create a particularly vicious cycle of suffering.
Medical conditions
Chronic pain, cancer, asthma, arthritis, acid reflux, Alzheimer's, and many other illnesses can disrupt sleep patterns and quality. Changes in women’s hormones is also a well-known trigger.
Medications
Drugs like antidepressants, steroids, stimulants, and blood pressure medications can cause insomnia as side effects. If you suspect this may be the case for you, discuss alternatives with your doctor.
Mental health disorders
Conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction often co-occur with insomnia and exacerbate it. The relationship between sleep and mood disorders is complex and often cyclical. E.g., depression can lead to sleep disturbances, while sleeplessness can aggravate depression.
Poor bedtime habits
An unhealthy sleep environment can make it harder to nod off. Electronic distractions, such as social media or binging TV shows in the bedroom, can also hinder sleep.
Lifestyle factors
Regular use of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine can wreak havoc on your sleep. Although alcohol can initially make you sleepy, it interferes with the quality of your sleep. Similarly, caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that can keep you awake.
Irregular schedules
Irregular sleep schedules, late-day napping, working night shifts or jet lag can disrupt your body's circadian rhythms, leading to insomnia. Ditto excessive weekend napping (sorry!).
Why self-care matters when you’re struggling with insomnia
Most of our days are spent juggling countless responsibilities like work, family, friends, health, home, and on and on. Such a delicate balancing act often disrupts our sleep patterns, leaving us wide awake when we’d rather be dreaming.
That’s where self-care comes in. By helping reduce anxiety, manage stress, and restore a sense of balance, self-care can pave the way for a peaceful night's sleep.
Prioritizing self-care is pivotal for managing insomnia both in the short and long term. Self-care helps by:
Reducing stress, anxiety, and worry through lifestyle changes and mental health practices. This removes common contributors to sleeplessness.
Establishing healthy sleep habits and environment to make falling asleep easier. This trains your body's sleep mechanisms to function optimally.
Providing tools to cope with insomnia flare-ups to prevent the perpetuation of the cycle. This empowers you to get back on track quicker.
Building emotional resilience so insomnia has less of a daily impact on your mood, relationships, and work performance.
How to ease insomnia: 10 self-care tips
Despite all of the very real challenges posed by insomnia, there's good news. Incorporating self-care into your routine can significantly alleviate symptoms and improve sleep quality. Here are some practical self-care tips:
Enhance your sleep environment
Make your bedroom a sleep-friendly oasis with cool temperatures (around 65°F), minimal noise, and low light. Consider a high-quality mattress and comfortable pillows to make your bed a snuggly nest.
2. Establish a consistent sleep schedule
Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can help regulate your body's internal clock. Develop a relaxing pre-sleep routine 60-90 minutes before bedtime. Unwind with a warm bath, a good book, gentle yoga, or meditation during this transition time.
💙 Try our Nighttime Wind Down playlist or an Evening Wind Down stretch as you get ready for bed.
3. Limit screen time
The blue light emitted by screens can suppress melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycle. Try to turn off all screens at least one hour before bedtime to ensure your brain gets the signal that it's time to rest.
4. Practice relaxation techniques
Techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided imagery can help you relax and ease the transition into deep sleep. Incorporate meditation or mindfulness into your routine to help reduce anxiety and promote relaxation.
💙 Learn all of the best mindfulness tools to help you relax into sleep in the 7 Days of Sleep series.
5. Focus on managing your anxiety and stress
Developing strategies to manage stress can significantly improve your sleep quality. This could involve journaling, practicing yoga, exercising regularly, or talking to a friend or therapist.
💙 Try this short Pump the Brakes on Stress meditation throughout your day to help keep stress at bay.
6. Exercise daily
Regular physical activity, particularly aerobic exercises, can help you fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper sleep. However, try not to exercise close to bedtime, as it may interfere with your shut eye.
💙 Stretch it out with today’s Daily Move, or put on the Take a Walk playlist and get outside to move your body.
7. Limit caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol intake
These substances can interfere with the quality and quantity of your sleep. Try to limit your intake, especially in the afternoon and evening. Caffeine can disrupt sleep even 6+ hours after consumption!
8. Avoid large meals and heavy snacks before bedtime
Large meals can cause indigestion, making sleeping hard. Have a light, healthy snack if you're hungry late at night. Also, avoid excess liquids before bed unless you want a middle of the night trip to the bathroom.
9. Use sleep sounds, soundscapes, or soothing music
Ambient sounds or relaxing music can help drown up disruptions and create a serene atmosphere conducive to sleep.
💙 Maybe you want to try White or Brown noise at bedtime. Or maybe, you’d rather drift to sleep while listening to Ocean Waves or a Solo Piano.
10. Clear your mind by writing in a journal
Documenting your thoughts, worries, or to-do lists can free your mind from rumination and make it easier to fall asleep.
💙 Our free 7-day Calm Mindfulness Journal is a great place to start!
Results may not happen overnight, but sticking diligently to these self-care fundamentals can significantly improve sleep quality within a few weeks. If you need some further guidance, check out our free Sleep Journal and The Sleep Superpower Playbook.
Coping with chronic insomnia
For temporary insomnia sparked by changing schedules, travel, short-term stressors, or health issues, the self-help tips above will often rectify, or at least ease, the problem. But chronic, unrelenting insomnia usually requires more intensive medical treatment including:
Prescription medication: There are different medications that can help with underlying conditions keeping you up as well as with insomnia directly. Keep in mind that these can carry risks of side effects or dependence, so please talk this through with your doctor.
Cognitive behavioral therapy: CBT teaches healthier thought patterns around sleep and establishes habits that enable rest. It is proven to have long-lasting results.
Sleep studies: If underlying disorders like sleep apnea are suspected, overnight studies at sleep centers can uncover issues impacting sleep.
You don't have to resign yourself to perpetual exhaustion. Check-in with a doctor or mental health professional if insomnia persists for over a month after integrating these self-care tips. It's always important to seek extra support when you need it.
Insomnia FAQs
How can I treat insomnia myself?
The most effective self-care strategies for insomnia include:
Practicing good sleep hygiene.
Relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga.
Avoiding stimulating substances near bedtime.
Managing stress through healthier habits and seeking help if needed.
How do you beat insomnia fast?
Some of the fastest ways to help quickly improve insomnia include sticking to a fixed sleep schedule, limiting caffeine/alcohol, using white noise, and establishing a calming pre-bedtime routine. But addressing the underlying cause is key.
How can I cure insomnia?
Treating the root causes of insomnia through medical treatment of contributing conditions, therapy for anxiety, improving sleep environment, learning stress management, and sometimes sleep medications paired with CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) can help end chronic insomnia.
How can I treat insomnia without medication?
The safest ways to treat insomnia without medication include maintaining good sleep hygiene, cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation practices like meditation and yoga, regular exercise, and dietary improvements like limiting alcohol.
Calm your mind. Change your life.
Mental health is hard. Getting support doesn't have to be. The Calm app puts the tools to feel better in your back pocket, with personalized content to manage stress and anxiety, get better sleep, and feel more present in your life.
Images: Getty
