Addiction can be a stressful and uncomfortable disease, one that does not discriminate. When abusing or overcoming addiction, a person may experience symptoms and other disorders. One of the most common and disruptive symptoms/disorders people experience is insomnia. Addiction can be bad enough alone but throwing insomnia in the mix can be extremely disruptive.
Apart from medical treatment for insomnia, there are a few tips you can try to help with your insomnia. If you are experiencing insomnia, you can improve the layout of your bedroom, select a soft mattress, take melatonin and try meditation. You could also choose natural supplements that contain magnesium (which helps to relax the muscles, increase levels of serotonin, and prevent insomnia). Knowing how to treat insomnia without medication can be very helpful in the long run.
Many experts have recommended natural supplements that could modulate the circadian rhythm, but you should avoid medications that may cause side effects. Some medications can increase fatigue, reduce attentiveness, affect your appetite, and decrease coordination. Let’s take a look at how to treat insomnia without medication.
What is Insomnia?
Before diving into nonmedical or medical treatment for insomnia, it’s important to define the term. Insomnia is a sleeping disorder that makes it hard for a person to go to sleep or stay asleep. This can be a short-term or long-term disorder depending on the person.
Ways to Deal with Insomnia
Let’s take a look at how to treat insomnia without medication and other alternative options.
Meditation
Generally, meditation can prevent insomnia, increase levels of endorphins and enhance well-being. Once a person meditates, the brain may also release extra serotonin, which can modulate the circadian rhythm and prevent insomnia.
Choosing a Comfortable Mattress
Before you select a mattress, you should evaluate soft mattresses that can decrease muscular tension, improve comfort, and relieve stress. Several reports have indicated that soft mattresses could substantially reduce insomnia, and while you are sleeping, a soft mattress may increase delta waves within the brain. Delta waves can enhance the quality of sleep, regulate your circadian rhythm, and improve cognition.
Conversely, you may choose a firm mattress that can consistently support your joints, your muscles, and your bones. Numerous surveys have suggested that a firm mattress could decrease chronic soreness, and the efficient mattress can evenly distribute your weight.
Many insomniacs have purchased mattresses that feature memory foam, and typically, these mattresses are made of polyurethane. The memory foam can significantly increase the density of the mattress, the durability of the materials, and the firmness of the mattress. While you are sleeping, the memory foam consistently reduces stiffness, decreases chronic pain, and improves the quality of sleep.
Preventing Distractions
Many reports have suggested that distractions can substantially increase the risk of insomnia. If you are experiencing insomnia, you should develop a list of distractions. You can also examine multiple situations that may cause chronic stress. Once you examine numerous distractions, you can evaluate strategies that could minimize distractions, improve attentiveness and reduce chronic anxiety.
Improving the Environment and Customizing the Room
While you organize your bedroom, you should eliminate clutter, add several decorations, remove unnecessary electronics, and open the windows. According to numerous surveys, an organized bedroom could significantly decrease the risk of insomnia as well as minimize chronic stress.
During the evening, you should turn off multiple lights. Purchasing dim lights can also substantially improve relaxation. Once you turn off the bright lights, the brain may produce extra melatonin, which can prevent insomnia.
Reducing the Temperature of the Room
If your bedroom is warm, you should utilize an air conditioner that could consistently decrease the temperature of the room, reduce humidity and improve comfort. Once experts evaluated how to treat insomnia without medication, the specialists indicated that this technique could considerably improve the quality of sleep, and the strategy may reduce stress, prevent insomnia and mitigate the symptoms of restless legs syndrome.
Working out and Exercise
Generally, you should frequently complete training sessions that can increase strength, improve endurance, decrease anxiety, and enhance your flexibility. While you are exercising, the brain may release extra norepinephrine, which is a neurotransmitter. Norepinephrine can increase attentiveness during the daytime, but after each workout, you may experience fatigue. If you become tired, you could easily improve the quality of sleep, reduce disturbances and increase the duration of sleep.
Once you complete an enjoyable workout, the brain can produce extra endorphins, and sometimes, the nervous system may create additional endorphins for more than 24 hours. According to numerous reports, natural endorphins can prevent insomnia, reduce chronic soreness and increase neurogenesis.
Requesting a Massage and Evaluating the Benefits of Massages
After you have experienced insomnia, you should receive a massage. A masseuse can relax your muscles, alleviate anxiety, decrease chronic pain and prevent muscle spasms. Once experts examined how to treat insomnia without medication, the researchers indicated that massages can also increase the levels of endorphins within the central nervous system.
When a person is suffering from a sleep aid addiction, the natural endorphins could noticeably improve well-being, increase attentiveness, and enhance cognition, yet the endorphins can also prevent insomnia. Moreover, the endorphins may considerably reduce the level of cortisol within the adrenal glands. Subsequently, the endocrine system can increase levels of beneficial hormones, and the pineal gland may release extra melatonin.
Eating Foods That Contain Tryptophan
Typically, you should frequently choose foods that provide tryptophan, which is an amino acid. Once a person eats these foods, the brain can produce extra serotonin, which can, in turn, reduce anxiety, increase motivation, and improve long-term memory.
Some insomniacs frequently eat bananas, turkey, chicken, and sesame seeds. These foods contain high levels of tryptophan, and consequently, the foods could reduce chronic stress, decrease muscle spasms, and mitigate the symptoms of insomnia.
Avoiding Caffeine and Improving Relaxation
Caffeine is a stimulant that can increase the production of adenosine, triphosphate, and caffeine could temporarily improve attentiveness while increasing energy. However, caffeine could also cause anxiety, affect the circadian rhythm, and increase the risk of insomnia. If you are experiencing insomnia, you should avoid caffeinated beverages, and you should avoid energy drinks that contain synthetic ingredients.
Evaluating the Benefits of Melatonin
During the nighttime, the pineal gland will naturally produce extra melatonin, a hormone that can prevent insomnia, reduce anxiety, and regulate the circadian rhythm. If a person is suffering from addiction, the pineal gland may not create enough melatonin. Consequently, the patient may experience insomnia, chronic anxiety, and restless legs syndrome.
Some insomniacs frequently take supplements that provide at least 5 milligrams of melatonin. Typically, melatonin can improve relaxation for more than seven hours, and the natural hormone could enhance the quality of sleep, increase delta waves while preventing disturbances.
Melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant and several reports have indicated that the natural hormone can considerably reduce inflammation. While you are sleeping, melatonin could help the nervous system to heal itself. During the nighttime, the natural hormone can significantly decrease oxidation that may affect the neurons, the axons, and the dendrites.
Reducing the Brightness of Phone Screens
According to several reports, more than 55 percent of people frequently utilize their smartphones before bedtime. Sometimes, the bright screen can increase wakefulness, and when the light enters your eyes, the bright light may affect the pineal gland, which can produce melatonin.
Before you use your smartphone, you can easily customize the settings, reduce the brightness of your screen and deactivate your ringtone. If you are watching videos, you may also reduce the sound, and you should deactivate autoplay, examine the length of the videos and choose relaxing videos.
Creating a Detailed Schedule
Typically, you should develop a schedule that helps avoid distractions and garner more sleep. Along with a set schedule, there are also several mobile apps that can allow you to manage your schedule, evaluate important tasks, receive many notifications, and create detailed notes. You should also take a look at when you decide to go to sleep as well.
Considering Medical Treatment for Insomnia and Addiction
If you are suffering from a sleep aid addiction, we invite you to learn more about our multiple treatment options, valuable resources, and our informative blog. After our experts provide medical treatment for insomnia, the specialists can increase the quality of sleep, improve your circadian rhythm, relieve anxiety, and decrease disturbances.
We’re ready at a moment’s notice to help you find the treatment that suits you best. Our team is ready to evaluate your needs, schedule an appointment and recommend multiple types of treatments. Don’t wait, give us a call today and get started on your journey towards recovery.