There is nothing as stressing as having sleeping problems as a parent because that means more fatigue and stress and that can lead to medical conditions. Everyone at some point in their life may experience insomnia mostly acute insomnia which is short term and mostly caused by temporary situations such as pressure from the workplace, a traumatic event or family pressures. On the other hand there are a big percentage of people who are dealing with chronic insomnia that can last for months or years.
The first step to cure insomnia is first identifying its cause. Once the cause is identified then it is easy to know what you are dealing with. Some of the common causes of insomnia include:
Anxiety
Anxiety is the most common cause of sleep problems for parents. When one is stressed and anxious, it is hard for them to sleep as they may get anxiety attacks.
Medications
There are some medical prescriptions that may interfere with the natural sleeping patterns leading to insomnia. There are some drugs that are prescribed for hypertension, depression, anxiety, colds and allergies that cause sleeplessness.
Depression
This is also a common cause of insomnia for parents. When depression kicks in, one is likely to have a light sleep in short intervals and for some it may be completely difficult to fall asleep.
Those are some of the common causes of insomnia but there are many more. Some of the effective ways of dealing with insomnia include:
Exercise regularly
Exercise helps to keep our bodies in check and ensure optimum performance. It is also a good way of relieving stress and tension which is the common cause of insomnia. This should however not be done close to bed time.
Have regular sleeping hours
It is said that it takes 21 days for the body to adapt a certain habit and hence the body will respond according to how we program it. If we sleep at the same time everyday then the body will get used to it and that will help you have healthy sleeping patterns.
Have the right sleeping environment
If the environment is right then it is likely to stimulate sleep. The bed should be comfortable and cozy, the lighting should be right and there should be minimal noise. That will help encourage getting sleep.
Avoid caffeine before bed
Caffeine has a way of disrupting the sleep pattern for most people especially if it is taken just before bed. If you have to take caffeine it should be at least one hour before bed time so that it does not disrupt the natural sleeping pattern.
Practice a relaxation technique before going to bed
If you particularly suffer from insomnia, there are many relaxation techniques that you can do that can help improve your sleep pattern. This may include aroma therapy with some essential oils such as jasmine and Ylang ylang that can stimulate sleep. There are some yoga moves that can help stimulate sleep. Good music is also a way of ensuring healthy sleep.