5 ways to combat insomnia

Insomnia has been on the rise in young adults for years, with one in four Americans developing insomnia each year, according to sciencedaily.com. There are many causes of insomnia or sleeplessness, with anxiety, stress and depression being at the top of the list.

If you are one of those who suffer from sleepless nights, here are five ways you can conquer insomnia.

Limit the use of electronics before bed. The blue light that comes from electronic devices like your television, laptop or phone affects your sleep schedule. By powering down all of these producers of blue light, you have a stronger chance for restful sleep. Alternatively, the use of screen time control on smartphones can help you limit the amount of phone usage at night.

Work out before bed. By exercising before bed, any excess energy leftover from the day has a chance to escape in order to avoid being pent-up. This can be anything from yoga to a jog around the neighborhood or the school’s campus. Simple stretches can also get out excess energy and wind the body down for sleeping.

Establish a regular sleep schedule. As a college student, you might find it difficult to manage a consistent sleep schedule. However, by finding one and sticking to that routine, you will have an easier time falling asleep and staying asleep since your body will adjust to the schedule. In order to maintain a routine, try to develop good time management and avoid cramming or staying up extremely late.

Avoid stimulants like caffeine and nicotine. Coffee is a well-known stimulant of the senses, which typically helps to keep people awake. This can cause insomnia, since long hours of use can leave the body jittery and unable to power down. Similarly, nicotine is another stimulant and causes withdrawal symptoms that can cause insomnia.

Make your bed a place of sleeping. An important and often overlooked strategy for combating sleeplessness is to use your bed only for sleep. That way, your brain will associate your bed with sleep and not other activities, like playing video games or studying. You can even expand it to your entire room, turning it into more of a place of relaxation than a place of cramming and stress.