What to Know About Treating Insomnia
Plenty of treatment options for insomnia are available. Good sleep habits and a balanced diet can remedy many cases of insomnia. Behavior therapy or medication may be necessary in some cases.
It's important to determine whether or not an underlying issue or medical condition is causing your insomnia.
Some cases of insomnia are a result of stress or some other emotional or physical condition that needs separate treatment. Many times, sleep patterns return to usual when these conditions are successfully treated.
Read on for more information about what you can do to treat insomnia.
Lifestyle changes
Often, making lifestyle changes can relieve your insomnia. You might want to try:
going to bed when you feel tired
using your bedroom only for activities that don't stimulate the brain
trying to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day
reducing the stressors in your life that are disrupting your sleep
You may also want to incorporate other lifestyle changes, such as:
Avoiding smoking
If you currently smoke, try a smoking cessation program. Nicotine is a stimulant that triggers insomnia and influences your sleep patterns.
Ask your doctor about smoking cessation programs or products to help you quit if you're having difficulty quitting.
Watching what you drink
Avoid drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. Alcohol is a sedative that may induce sleep initially, but it can disrupt deeper stages of sleep that allow your body to rest fully.
Caffeinated drinks, such as coffee and soft drinks, are other stimulants to avoid. A 2023 review found that caffeine consumption can:
decrease total sleep time
increase the time it takes to fall asleep
reduce sleep efficiency
It's advised to avoid drinking alcohol at least three hours before bed and avoid consuming caffeine at least eight hours before bed. This may vary from person to person.
Drinking too much of any fluid before bedtime can disrupt sleep with repeated nighttime trips to the bathroom.
Exercising
Regular physical activity for at least 30 minutes can encourage a good night's sleep. Keep exercising even if you don't see immediate results.
A 2023 review found that exercise can help you fall asleep better and improve the quality of your sleep. This is because exercise stimulates the release of melatonin, which is a hormone that helps with sleep and wake cycles.
Regular exercise can also help manage stress and improve mood.
Maintaining a balanced diet
Avoid foods that are difficult to digest, particularly if you eat them late at night or right before bed, as this can make it difficult to sleep.
Instead, consume foods high in protein and essential amino acids. Some fruits, such as kiwis and cherries, also contain sleep-inducing antioxidants.
Complementary approaches
Complementary approaches include psychological and behavioral therapies that can teach you how to make your environment more conducive to sleep.
Behavioral therapies are often conducted by a psychologist, psychiatrist, or another trained healthcare professional.
Behavioral therapies may be as effective as sleep medications, such that therapies are often the first line of treatment for people with insomnia.
Complementary approaches may include:
Relaxation techniques
Progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback, and breathing exercises are ways to reduce anxiety at bedtime. These strategies help you control your:
breathing
heart rate
muscle tension
mood
A warm bath before bedtime, a massage, and light stretching all work to relax the body and could help you wind down at night.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
In group sessions or one-on-one counseling, mental health therapists can help you learn to change negative patterns of thinking.
This can help you learn to replace worried or fearful thoughts with more pleasant, relaxing thoughts. This type of mindset is more helpful for developing healthy sleep habits.
Sleep restriction
Sleep restriction requires that the time you spend in bed is temporarily restricted, causing partial sleep deprivation. You're then more tired the next night.
Once your sleep has improved, your time in bed gradually increases.
Light therapy
Some sleep experts recommend light exposure for people who tend to fall asleep too early at night or wake up too early in the morning. This helps adjust your internal clock.
During times of the year when it's light outside later in the evenings, going outside for 30 minutes or using a medical-grade light box can help adjust your sleep patterns.
Insomnia medications
Your doctor may turn to medication if lifestyle changes and behavior therapies don't help your insomnia.
Let your doctor know if you're experiencing symptoms of depression. This may be the root of your insomnia and will require other types of treatment.
Talk with your doctor about a medication treatment plan if you have insomnia.
Prescription sleep aids
Prescription medications for insomnia include:
Doctors don't recommend taking sleeping pills for more than 2 to 3 weeks, as they can become habit-forming. Dose and duration will vary depending on your diagnosis, medical history, and current condition.
Some common prescription sleep medications, also called Z-drugs, include:
eszopiclone (Lunesta)
ramelteon (Rozerem)
trazodone (Desyrel)
zaleplon (Sonata)
zolpidem (Ambien)
doxepin (Silenor)
estazolam (Prosom)
triazolam (Halcion)
suvorexant (Belsomra)
These prescription sleep medications slow activity in the brain, which can improve the quality of your sleep.
Other aspects of sleep that sleep medications can affect include:
total sleep time
waking up after falling asleep
how quickly you fall asleep
Sleep medications sometimes have unpleasant or even dangerous side effects. Make sure to discuss the side effects of any medications they might prescribe with your doctor.
Also, talk with your doctor immediately about any side effects you experience while taking the medication.
Over-the-counter sleep aids
Many people prefer to use nonprescription sleep aid medications, such as antihistamines, to initiate drowsiness. But these shouldn't be used as a long-term insomnia treatment.
Antihistamines can also reduce the quality of sleep and cause side effects, such as:
daytime drowsiness
dry mouth
blurred vision
People also commonly use melatonin as a sleep aid to fall asleep faster. Melatonin is a dietary supplement — not a medication — available at most pharmacies.
While safe for short-term use, melatonin shouldn't be used in the long term as its safety hasn't been evaluated for long-term use. It's also possible to overdose on melatonin if taken incorrectly.
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