Allison Arida, FNP-C

What to do when you can't fall asleep at night?

It’s 11pm and you're wide awake. You're lying in bed starring at the ceiling wondering if you are ever going to get to sleep before your alarm goes off at 5:30am. Does this sound familiar?  In medical terms, lack of sleep is termed insomnia. I do want to mention, there are many conditions that can cause insomnia including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, asthma, hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperthyroidism (over active thyroid gland), diabetes, and pregnancy just to name a few.  You need to check with your medical doctor first to make sure an underlying condition is not causing your lack of sleep. I want to make it clear, insomnia is recognized as a medical disorder without any of the above conditions. So how do you get some sleep? Here’s my list:

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• Make sure your not drinking that extra cup of coffee after 2pm. Coffee is a stimulant and is great at making you more alert. If you really do need coffee at work, then have ONE cup, don’t fill your mug up thinking it’s only one cup.
• Establish a bed time you can stick to most days of the week. Wake up at the same time most days of the week. Trying to “catch up” on sleeping on the weekend is not helping your lack of sleep. The body likes a routine.  This is called homeostasis by the way.

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• Get off your phones, ipads or TV while in bed, that goes for the TV too.  These are light stimulating screens. Stop checking facebook, instagram, twitter, and snapchat. Just shut it off.
• Try to resolve your worries or concerns before you go to bed.
• Exercise!
• ​Eat a well balanced diet, that means no alcohol before bed. Yes, wine is considered alcohol. 

• Try some Melatonin. I find the sublingual version (the tablet dissolves under tongue) works the best.  Take 10mg to start, approx.. 30 mins. before  bed.  Melatonin is a naturally produced hormone in body that helps makes you feel sleepy. 
• Try some Magnesium.  Low Magnesium levels are often associated with insomnia. There are many forms of Magnesium supplements, make sure you check the labels. The best ones are easily absorbable. The recommended dose for females over the age of 19yr old is 310-320 per/day. Magnesium is found in many foods including sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, black beans,  shrimp, peanut butter and broccoli. Try to eat more of these foods and see how you feel.  ​

Conclusion: In todays society we are so 'connected' that it's hard to 'un-connect' at the end of the day. Just be patient. The body wants to sleep, we just have to learn what we can do to slow everything down to allow our bodies to rest. Don't get frustrated, you will eventually learn what works for you.

Allison Arida, FNP-C