how to solve the problem of insomnia

When You Can’t Sleep: How to Treat Insomnia

You lie awake at night staring at the ceiling. You feel like you’re cursed — but you’re not alone. Experts  estimate  that between 1 in 10 and 1 in 3 people suffer from some degree of insomnia , meaning they have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or wake up earlier than they intend to in the morning (or a combination of the above).

There are many reasons  why you might be struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep through the night, including stressful life events (such as getting fired from a job) and health issues. What’s more, those periods of short-term insomnia that last just a few days or a week ( acute insomnia ), can turn into longer-term insomnia, which is known as chronic insomnia, meaning your sleep troubles last beyond the initial stressor.

But you don't have to suffer through short- or long-term insomnia, and you shouldn't. Lifestyle changes, therapies, and other treatments do exist to retrain your mind and body to get the sleep you need to stay not only happy but healthy , too.

Here are some of the treatment options your doctor or a sleep specialist might recommend if you have insomnia.

Sometimes Lifestyle Changes Alone Can Help With Insomnia

For a mild case that’s been a problem only for a few days or weeks, doctors will likely recommend a few lifestyle changes to promote better sleep .

Hrayr P. Attarian, MD , a sleep medicine specialist at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, says he always starts by analyzing a person’s sleep and wake habits.

Here are some good sleep hygiene practices Dr. Attarian recommends.

• Stick to a sleep schedule. This means going to bed and waking up around the same time, whether it’s Wednesday or Sunday.
• Get natural light.  “Something that’s happened a lot since 2020 is that because a lot of people are now working from home, there is no daily routine,” Attarian says. For a lot of people whose work schedules have changed, there’s no getting outside first thing in the morning to physically get to an office or place of work. “But one thing that’s very important is to have a routine that involves some exposure to outside natural light.” Morning exposure to natural light signals to your brain that it’s time to be awake and helps keep your body clock on schedule, which means later that evening you'll be more likely to fall asleep at an appropriate time.
• Avoid anything that messes with your ability to fall asleep. This means substances like caffeine and tobacco, for instance, that can stay in your system for eight hours. And don’t rely on a nightcap, either. “You should steer clear of alcohol close to bedtime,” says Attarian. He suggests leaving at least an hour per serving of alcohol between imbibing and bedtime.
• Limit daytime naps to no more than 30 minutes.
• Turn off electronics at least one hour before bedtime.
• Reserve the bed solely for sleep and sex.
• Create a sleep-promoting environment that’s quiet, dark, and cool.

If you’re doing all that and still having trouble, don’t lie in bed for hours struggling.

If you are wide awake in bed and worrying about not being able to sleep, get up after 20 to 30 minutes and do something relaxing, says Attarian. But if you’re comfortable, relaxed, and feel yourself starting to drift off, stay in bed, he adds.

If you do get up, Attarian says, it’s important not to do anything productive, like chores. “When you accomplish something in the middle of the night on your to-do list, whether it’s folding the laundry or cleaning the kitchen, your brain rewards you for being up in the middle of the night,” which can make you more likely to establish a habit of night activity, he explains. Instead, do something relaxing that will calm you down, like reading or gentle stretching. And do stay off your phone, computer, or other devices with a screen; the blue light they emit can further mess with your sleep  by promoting wakefulness.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Is the Gold Standard for Treating Chronic Insomnia

If improving sleep hygiene and other lifestyle changes alone don’t help with your sleep, the next step is cognitive behavioral therapy to improve sleep and reverse chronic insomnia.

“Cognitive behavioral therapy basically retrains your brain not to associate the bed and the bedroom with not sleeping,” says Attarian. “Its effectiveness, overall, is either equal to medications for the short-term or better than the meds. And definitely in the long-term, cognitive behavioral therapy is significantly better than meds.”

The American College of Physicians recommends cognitive behavioral therapy as a first-line treatment for insomnia.

According to a research review , cognitive behavioral therapy was better at improving sleep efficiency than common drugs, and led to an extra 30 to 60 minutes of sleep time when the two treatment strategies were compared in clinical trials.

A paper published in December 2019 in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews found that cognitive behavioral therapy produced clinically significant effects for insomnia that lasted up to one year after the therapy.

And, a 2015 study found that just one session of cognitive behavioral therapy plus a self-help pamphlet effectively treated about half the cases of acute insomnia.

Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches techniques to help you relax, control your breathing and mood, slow down your racing mind, and get to sleep.

The American Board of Sleep Medicine has a helpful list of therapists on its website. Therapy is usually offered as a series of in-person sessions over the course of four to six weeks, but some online programs may be helpful for people living in remote areas or for those without insurance.

Attarian notes, however, that there’s a shortage of sleep medicine doctors who offer CBT for insomnia (a fact documented in a paper published in 2020 in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine ). “That’s a big problem we have,” Attarian says.

Prescription and OTC Sleep Aids Can Help, but They Are Meant to Be Short-Term Solutions

Before turning to medication, your doctor should rule out other possible health issues. Insomnia is often a side effect of an underlying issue, such as depression or an anxiety disorder , in which case an antidepressant might be more beneficial than a sleep aid.

Attarian says sleep apnea and medication side effects are also common culprits that can lead to insomnia.

In some cases, over-the-counter or prescription sleep medication can be helpful if used for a short period of time while you establish a healthier sleep routine and form good sleep habits. Ideally, once you do get into a routine, you can stop taking the medication and still continue to sleep well.

If medication is prescribed, take it for as little time as necessary — three months max — since it can be habit forming. And be sure to discuss the medication’s purpose and side effects with your doctor.

For example, some medicines may help you fall asleep but leave you dealing with grogginess in the morning. Others can cause complications, such as sleepwalking or sleep-driving. And some drugs have been found to increase mortality risk, regardless of preexisting conditions, according to research . Your doctor should discuss any previous, current, or potential mental health problems with you before prescribing a sleep aid, as some of these medications can heighten the risk of depression and suicide, according to a study published in the January 2017 American Journal of Psychiatry . Types of prescription sleep aids include, according to Stanford Medicine and the guidelines published in 2017 in the journal American Family Physician :

• Benzodiazepines (including estazolam , flurazepam , quazepam, temazepam , and triazolam )
• Nonbenzodiazepines — hypnotics or “z-drugs” (such as eszopiclone , zolpidem , and zaleplon )
• Selective gamma-aminobutyric acid medication
• Dual orexin receptor antagonists (such as lemborexant and suvorexant )
• Histamine antagonists
• Antidepressants (such as doxepin )
• Melatonin receptor agonists (such as ramelteon )
• Barbiturates
• Antipsychotics

Sleep medicine researchers have pointed out that there’s not a lot of evidence comparing the effectiveness of various insomnia medications in a head-to-head way, according to a review published in the  Lancet in July 2022 . To try to answer this question, those researchers conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis of existing data.

The researchers concluded that some of the drugs with highest efficacy and safety profiles did not have high-level data to support long-term use. Additionally, some drugs that had high-quality data to show they were safe did not necessarily have high-quality data showing they were effective. The researchers concluded that patients should discuss the risks and benefits of various drug options with their doctor before starting any.

Over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids, in some cases, can help insomnia. Some include:

• Melatonin This hormone naturally helps you regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Studies suggest it’s better at treating circadian rhythm issues (such as jet lag) than insomnia. “ Melatonin is not an effective medication for everyday insomnia, and it’s not FDA-approved,” explains Attarian. He says melatonin may be helpful in very specific instances, where people might have jet lag or a delayed sleep/wake cycle due to shift work. “In those cases, careful timing of melatonin at very low doses can help,” he says, recommending a dosage of .5 milligram (mg) to 1 mg.
• Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) Benadryl is an antihistamine that has a sedating effect. While the medicine may help you fall asleep at first, most experts warn that it shouldn’t be used regularly as a sleep aid. Studies over the years have shown people can develop a tolerance to antihistamines after taking them for just a short amount of time. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine doesn’t recommend antihistamines as an appropriate treatment for chronic insomnia. Side effects of antihistamines may include dry mouth, daytime drowsiness, constipation , and urinary retention. “Chronic use of this drug can also lead to dementia,” says Attarian. This has been well-established in research , he adds, so doctors and patients should avoid this as a long-term approach to treating insomnia.
• Doxylamine (Unisom) Like Benadryl, Unisom is a sedating antihistamine. It can also lead to tolerance and causes similar risks and side effects.

“You should absolutely talk to your doctor before trying any type of over-the-counter medicine for insomnia,” says Attarian.

Integrative Medicine Techniques and Supplements for Insomnia

For some people, integrative medicine techniques and supplements may help with insomnia, either alone or in tandem with other treatment approaches. Some have more evidence to support their use than others. It’s a good idea to talk to your doctor before trying integrative or complementary therapy techniques to help with insomnia, particularly if you are taking other medication. Remember that some supplements can interact with medications, rendering them either ineffective or dangerous.

Some of these integrative-medicine insomnia remedies and supplements include:

• Herbal remedies, like valerian or chamomile Some evidence shows chamomile (either drunk in tea form or used as an essential oil in aromatherapy) can have sedative and sleep-promoting effects. The same is true for valerian supplements, according to Mayo Clinic . Note that this research, for these and other herbal remedies, suggests rather than confirms a benefit. Unlike other insomnia treatment options, less is known about who these remedies might work for, appropriate dosing, and side effects. Additionally, these products aren’t regulated by the FDA like drugs and medications are, Attarian says. As with other at-home treatment options, it’s a good idea to talk with your doctor before you try herbal remedies or supplements for sleep.
• Biofeedback Biofeedback allows doctors to track biological reactions in your body, such as your heart rate, breathing, and muscle tension, according to Mayo Clinic . Sleep specialists may use this information to identify patterns that are affecting your sleep and develop adjustment strategies.
• Yoga  Studies  have shown yoga may improve sleep quality. The practice may also lower stress and improve physical health. “In specific cases, a natural modality, like yoga, can help,” says Attarian.
• Mindfulness meditation Mindfulness meditation involves using breathing methods, guided imagery , and other techniques to help you become more aware of thoughts, sensations, and feelings. Research  has shown that mindfulness-based stress reduction programs improve insomnia and overall sleep patterns.
• Hypnosis Hypnotherapy is a treatment that helps you feel relaxed and more open to suggestion. Several small studies  have found that hypnosis performed by a trained professional had a positive effect on sleep outcomes.
• Massage Massage therapy has been shown to improve sleep quality, sleep disturbance, and daytime dysfunction — with a small study  finding it may even work better than certain drugs for certain people with insomnia .
• Acupuncture  In acupuncture , tiny needles are inserted into specific points in the body, and in studies this therapy helped symptoms of insomnia . One review  found that acupuncture may improve sleep by acting on specific neurotransmitters in the body.

Can My Insomnia Be Cured?

Absolutely. It may not be easy though, as curing insomnia often means improving your sleep hygiene and establishing habits that are more conducive to good sleep. And habits, especially routines you follow every day, can be tough to break.

But it is possible.

“The key is recognizing it early and intervening early,” Attarian says. The longer it goes on, the higher the chance insomnia will lead to other complications and the harder it can become to treat, he explains.

Additional reporting by Julie Marks .

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy . We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

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• What Is Insomnia? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute . March 24, 2022.
• Sleeping Pills: Medications to Help you Sleep. American Sleep Association .
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• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). SleepFoundation.org . August 11, 2022.
• Ellis JG, Cushing T, Germain A. Treating Acute Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a “Single-Shot” of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia. Sleep . June 1, 2015.
• Behavioral Sleep Medicine Specialists. American Board of Sleep Medicine .
• Kripke DF, Langer RD, Kline LE. Hypnotics’ Association With Mortality or Cancer: A Matched Cohort Study. BMJ Open . February 27, 2012.
• McCall WV, Benca RM, Rosenquist PB, et al. Hypnotic Medications and Suicide: Risk, Mechanisms, Mitigation, and the FDA. American Journal of Psychiatry . January 1, 2017.
• Melatonin and Sleep. SleepFoundation.org . August 11, 2022.
• Dannenberg TB, Feinberg SM. The Development of Tolerance to Antihistamines: A Study of the Quantitative Inhibiting Capacity of Antihistamines on the Skin and Mucous Membrane Reaction to Histamine and Antigens. Journal of Allergy . July 1, 1951.
• Sateia MJ, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline for the Pharmacologic Treatment of Chronic Insomnia in Adults: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Clinical Practice. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine . February 15, 2017.
• Halpern J, Cohen M, Kennedy G, Reece J, Cahan C, Baharav A. Yoga for Improving Sleep Quality and Quality of Life for Older Adults.  Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine . May–June 2014.
• Gross CR, Kreitzer MJ, Reilly-Spong M, et al. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Versus Pharmacotherapy for Chronic Primary Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.  Explore (NY) . March–April 2011.
• Chamine I, Atchley R, Oken BS. Hypnosis Intervention Effects on Sleep Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Journal of Clinical Sleep Med . February 15, 2018.
• Tang H, Chen Z, Pang J, Mo Q. [Treatment of insomnia with shujing massage therapy: a randomized controlled trial]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu . August, 2015.
• Acupuncture for the treatment of insomnia. International Review of Neurobiology . 2013.
• Collen JF, Wickwire EM, Capaldi V, Lettieri C. Losing Sleep! Are We Missing the Future of Sleep Medicine? Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine . April 15, 2020.
• Treating Insomnia With Medication. Stanford Medicine .
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• Common Anticholinergic Drugs Like Benadryl Linked to Increased Dementia Risk. Harvard Medical School . January 19, 2022.
• Mayo Clinic Staff. Insomnia Treatment: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Instead of Sleeping Pills. Mayo Clinic . September 28, 2016.
• Valerian: A Safe and Effective Herbal Sleep Aid? Mayo Clinic . February 15, 2018.
• Srivastava JK, Shankar E, Gupta S. Chamomile: A Herbal Medicine of the Past With a Bright Future (Review). Molecular Medicine Reports . September 27, 2010.

• Patient Care & Health Information
• Diseases & Conditions

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. It also can cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep. You may still feel tired when you wake up. Insomnia can drain your energy level and affect your mood. It also can affect your health, work performance and quality of life.

How much sleep is enough varies from person to person. But most adults need 7 to 9 hours a night.

At some point, many adults have short-term insomnia. This can last for days or weeks. Short-term insomnia is usually due to stress or a distressing event. But some people have long-term insomnia, also called chronic insomnia. This lasts for three months or more. Insomnia may be the main problem, or it may be related to other medical conditions or medicines.

You do not have to put up with sleepless nights. Simple changes in your daily habits often can help.

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Insomnia symptoms may include:

• Having a hard time falling asleep at night.
• Waking up during the night.
• Waking up too early.
• Feeling tired or sleepy during the day.
• Feeling cranky, depressed or anxious.
• Having a hard time paying attention, focusing on tasks or remembering.
• Making more errors or having more accidents.
• Having ongoing worries about sleep.

When to see a doctor

If insomnia makes it hard for you to do daily activities, see your doctor or another primary care professional. Your doctor will search for the cause of your sleep problem and help treat it. If it's thought that you could have a sleep disorder, your doctor might suggest going to a sleep center for special testing.

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Insomnia may be the main problem or it may be related to other conditions.

Long-term insomnia is usually due to stress, life events or habits that disrupt sleep. While treating the cause of your sleep problem may stop your insomnia, sometimes it can last for years.

Common causes of long-term insomnia include:

• Stress. Concerns about work, school, health, money or family can keep your mind active at night, making it hard to sleep. Stressful life events, such as the death or illness of a loved one, divorce, or a job loss, also may lead to insomnia.
• Travel or work schedule. Your body's "internal clock," known as circadian rhythms, guides things such as your sleep-wake cycle, metabolism and body temperature. Disrupting these rhythms can lead to insomnia. Causes include feeling jet lag from traveling across multiple time zones, working a late or early shift, or changing shifts often.
• Poor sleep habits. Poor sleep habits include going to bed and waking up at different times each day, taking naps, being too active before bedtime and having a sleep area that is not comfortable. Other poor sleep habits include working, eating or watching TV while in bed. Using computers or smartphones, playing video games, or watching TV just before bed can disrupt your sleep cycle.
• Eating too much late in the evening. Having a light snack before bedtime is OK. But eating too much may cause you to feel uncomfortable while lying down. Many people also have heartburn. This is when stomach acid backs up into the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach. This tube is called the esophagus. Heartburn may keep you awake.
• Mental health disorders. Anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, may disrupt your sleep. Waking up too early can be a sign of depression. Insomnia often occurs with other mental health conditions.
• Medicines. Many prescription drugs can interfere with sleep, such as certain antidepressants and medicines for asthma or blood pressure. Many medicines available without a prescription, such as some pain medicines, allergy and cold medicines, and weight-loss products, contain caffeine and other stimulants that can disrupt sleep.
• Medical conditions. Examples of conditions linked with insomnia include ongoing pain, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), overactive thyroid, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
• Sleep-related disorders. Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing at times during the night, disrupting your sleep. Restless legs syndrome causes a strong uncomfortable urge to move your legs when trying to fall asleep. This may keep you from falling asleep or getting back to sleep.
• Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Coffee, tea, cola and other drinks that have caffeine are stimulants. Drinking them in the late afternoon or evening can keep you from falling asleep at night. Nicotine in tobacco products is another stimulant that can disrupt sleep. Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but it prevents deeper stages of sleep and often results in waking up in the middle of the night.

Insomnia and aging

Insomnia becomes more common with age. As you get older, you may:

• Change your sleep patterns. Sleep often becomes less restful as you age, so noise or other changes in your surroundings are more likely to wake you. With age, your internal clock often moves forward in time, so you get tired earlier in the evening and wake up earlier in the morning. But older people typically still need the same amount of sleep as younger people.
• Change your level of activity. You may be less physically or socially active. A lack of activity can disrupt a good night's sleep. Also, the less active you are, the more likely you may be to take a daily nap. Napping can disrupt sleep at night.
• Have changes in your health. Ongoing pain from conditions such as arthritis or back problems, as well as depression or anxiety, can disrupt sleep. Issues that make it more likely that you'll need to urinate during the night, such as prostate or bladder problems, can disrupt sleep. Sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome become more common with age.
• Take more medicines. Older people typically use more prescription drugs than younger people do. This raises the chance of insomnia related to medicines.

Insomnia in children and teens

Sleep problems may be a concern for children and teenagers too. But some children and teens simply have trouble getting to sleep or resist a regular bedtime because their internal clocks are more delayed. They want to go to bed later and sleep later in the morning.

Risk factors

Nearly everyone has an occasional sleepless night. But you're more likely to have insomnia if:

• You're a woman. Changes in hormones during the menstrual cycle and in menopause may play a role. During menopause, night sweats and hot flashes often disrupt sleep. Insomnia also is common during pregnancy.
• You're over 60. Because of changes in sleep patterns and health, it's more likely you'll have insomnia as you get older.
• You have a mental health or physical health condition. Many issues that affect your mental or physical health can disrupt sleep.
• You're under a lot of stress. Being stressed can cause short-term insomnia. Major or long-lasting stress can lead to long-term insomnia.
• You do not have a regular schedule. For example, changing shifts at work or traveling can disrupt your sleep-wake cycle.

Complications

Sleep is as important to your health as a healthy diet and regular physical activity. Whatever is keeping you from sleeping, insomnia can affect you mentally and physically. People with insomnia report a lower quality of life compared with people who sleep well.

Complications of insomnia may include:

• Lower performance on the job or at school.
• Slowed reaction time while driving and a higher risk of accidents.
• Mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety or substance misuse.
• Higher risk or worsening of long-term diseases or conditions, such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

More Information

Insomnia care at Mayo Clinic

• Lack of sleep: Can it make you sick?

Good sleep habits like these can help prevent insomnia:

• Keep the time you go to bed and the time you wake up the same every day, including weekends.
• Stay active. Regular activity can lead to a good night's sleep.
• Limit naps or do not nap at all.
• Limit or do not use caffeine, alcohol and nicotine.
• Do not eat large meals or drink a lot of fluids before bed.
• Make your bedroom comfortable for sleep and only use it for sex or sleep.
• Create a relaxing bedtime ritual, such as taking a warm bath, reading or listening to soft music.
• Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
• What is insomnia? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/inso#. Accessed March 10, 2023.
• Insomnia. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office on Women's Health. https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/insomnia. Accessed March 10, 2023.
• Personality disorders. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5-TR. 5th ed. American Psychiatric Association; 2022; doi:10.1176/.9780890425787.x12_Sleep-Wake_Disorders.
• Sleep disorders. National Alliance on Mental Illness. https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Common-with-Mental-Illness/Sleep-Disorders. Accessed March 10, 2023.
• Approach to the patient with a sleep or wakefulness disorder. Merck Manual Professional Version. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/neurologic-disorders/sleep-and-wakefulness-disorders/approach-to-the-patient-with-a-sleep-or-wakefulness-disorder. Accessed March 10, 2023.
• Sutton EL. Insomnia. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2021; doi:0.7326/AITC202103160.
• A good night's sleep. National Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/good-nights-sleep#aging. Accessed March 10, 2023.
• Insomnia. In: Ham's Primary Care Geriatrics. 7th ed. Elsevier. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 23, 2023.
• Bonnet MH, et al. Clinical features and diagnosis of insomnia. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed March 10, 2023.
• Bonnet MH, et al. Risk factors, comorbidities, and consequences of insomnia in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed March 10, 2023.
• Insomnia and other sleep disorders in older adults. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2022; doi:10.1016/j.psc.2022.07.002.
• Valerian. Natural Medicines. https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com. Accessed March 10, 2023.
• About AASM accredited facilities. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. https://aasm.org/membership/facilities/. Accessed March 10, 2023.
• Winkelman JW. Overview of the treatment of insomnia in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed March 10, 2023.
• Olson EJ (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. March 29, 2023.
• Perez MN, et al. Insomnia. Continuum Journal. 2020; doi:10.1212/CON.0000000000000879.
• Aronson, MD. Acupuncture. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed March 29, 2023.
• Neubauer DN. Pharmacotherapy for insomnia in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed March 14, 2023.
• Sateia MJ. Highlights and modifications. In: International Classification of Sleep Disorders. 3rd ed. American College of Chest Physicians; 2014; doi:10.1378/chest.14-0970.
• Sateia MJ, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline for the Pharmacologic Treatment of Chronic Insomnia in Adults: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2017; doi: 10.5664/jcsm.6470.
• Drugs@FDA: FDA-approved drugs. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/index.cfm. Accessed March 30, 2023.
• Ambien: Is dependence a concern?
• Insomnia treatment: Cognitive behavioral therapy instead of sleeping pills
• Insomnia: How do I stay asleep?
• Prescription sleeping pills: What's right for you?
• Valerian: A safe and effective herbal sleep aid?

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Insomnia quiz

Take a quiz to find out if you have insomnia.

First steps to consider

• Mild to moderate insomnia may be treatable with at-home strategies.
• Changing your bedtime routine, limiting screen time, limiting caffeine, keeping a sleep schedule, and changing other daily habits may improve your sleep.

When you may need a provider

• Insomnia doesn’t improve after about 4 weeks of home treatments
• Moderate to severe insomnia

Take insomnia quiz

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a common sleep issue. Worrying about not getting enough sleep makes insomnia worse and people get stuck in a negative sleep cycle. — Dr. Bobbi Wegner

If you have trouble falling asleep at night, you may have insomnia, a common sleep disorder. Waking up in the middle of the night and taking a long time to fall back to sleep is also considered insomnia. So is waking up too early in the morning and feeling exhausted.

Some people have insomnia every night for years—or a lifetime. Others may have it for a short period of time during stressful situations.

Insomnia affects people of all ages, though it becomes more common in older adults. It can negatively affect your quality of life—such as how productive you are at school or work, your health, and your mental health.

It can be treated through a combination of behavioral strategies, therapy, and/or medications. Though it can be difficult to treat in some people.

Symptoms of insomnia

• Difficulty falling asleep at night.
• Waking up throughout the night.
• Waking up earlier than you would like.
• Having a hard time concentrating during the day.
• Feeling tired or falling asleep during the day.
• Having a hard time remembering things you have to do.
• Feeling depressed, anxious, or irritable.

There are many other sleep disorders that have symptoms that are similar to insomnia. Obstructive sleep apnea , narcolepsy, circadian rhythm disorder, depression, and restless legs syndrome are a few of them. Your doctor can help figure out if you have one of these sleep disorders.

Insomnia causes

A misconception is that sleep doesn’t matter. Sleep matters a lot. It is a building block of health and fundamental in both feeling good and functioning well. Although it takes time and effort to adjust your sleep hygiene, it is well worth the effort. — Dr. Wegner

The most common cause of insomnia is anxiety . Anxiety or stress make your mind active throughout the night, which makes it hard to fall and stay asleep. Insomnia is also a symptom of depression and other mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Also, there are certain behaviors that can make insomnia worse, such as watching TV or looking at your phone before bed.

The following conditions and behaviors can increase your risk of developing insomnia.

• Anxiety and/or depression.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Having short-term or chronic pain.
• Working nights or traveling a lot.
• Having a medical condition that affects sleep, like hyperthyroidism or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
• Consuming caffeine.
• Eating before bedtime.
• Taking weight loss medications.
• Drinking alcohol.
• Sensitivity to light, noise, and temperatures.
• Having poor or irregular sleep habits.

Ask your doctor: What type of insomnia do you think I have—primary or secondary (related to another issue)? What can I do at home, starting today, to work on this? Who treats insomnia—mental health clinician, sleep specialist, etc? — Dr. Wegner

How can I stop my insomnia?

If you are having trouble sleeping, see a mental health clinician or sleep specialist. They can help you figure out lifestyle changes to help with your insomnia. In some cases, they may prescribe medication.

Often, treating insomnia involves changing your bedtime routine and other daily habits that may affect sleep. It is known as having good sleep hygiene.

• Avoid eating an hour or two before bed.
• Don’t look at your phone or television at least two hours before bed.
• Avoid caffeinated beverages, especially in the afternoon and evening.
• Exercise daily.
• Limit or eliminate naps.
• Follow a consistent sleep schedule, going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day.
• Practice relaxation techniques or activities like yoga and meditation.
• If you are suffering from anxiety or depression, it’s important to treat these conditions with therapy and/or medications.
• Do your best to decrease the stressors in your life.

If these don’t help, your therapist may suggest cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This teaches you how to control and get rid of any negative thoughts that might keep you awake at night. It also incorporates sleep hygiene recommendations.

Melatonin is the most common over-the-counter remedy for insomnia. It is a natural hormone that signals your body that it’s time to go to sleep.

Or, your doctor might write you a prescription for a sleep medication. Most likely it would be zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta), zaleplon (Sonata), and others. However, these come with side effects and risks if using over the long term. In some cases, antidepressants have sedating effects and can help with insomnia.

Ready to treat your insomnia?

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• Sleep Disorders

How to Cure Insomnia

Last Updated: January 2, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was medically reviewed by Jeremy Bartz, PhD . Dr. Jeremy Bartz is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice based in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Bartz specializes in treating depression, anxiety, OCD, mind-body syndromes, chronic pain, insomnia, relationship difficulties, attachment trauma, and resolving the effects of narcissistic trauma. He received a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Brigham Young University and completed a fellowship In Pain Psychology at Stanford's premier pain management clinic. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 142,166 times.

Studies show that around 1 in 3 people deal with at least a mild form of insomnia. [1] X Research source Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep and/or get enough sleep, which can eventually cause many physical and emotional problems. Acute or short-term insomnia may last for days or weeks, and it's often caused by moderate-to-severe stress. Chronic or ongoing insomnia can last for a month or even longer. Experts agree that curing both acute and chronic insomnia usually requires a multi-factorial approach, including reviewing your medications and daily routines as well as changing your sleeping habits and diet. [2] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source

Improving Your Sleeping Habits

• If you live in a noisy neighborhood, consider wearing earplugs or buying a white noise machine. White noise (like the sound of static) drowns out other more distracting noises.
• Make your bed with comfortable sheets that don't make you too hot or cold at night. In general, try to keep your room cool — around 60 to 65 °F (16 to 18 °C) (though this may be too cold or impractical for some). [4] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public Go to source
• Wait until you're comfortably drowsy to go to bed and don't try too hard to fall asleep. If you can't sleep, get out of bed after 20 minutes and do something relaxing.

• Use thick black-out shades to prevent light from coming in through your windows, or wear a sleep mask over your eyes.
• Avoid bright (and noisy) alarm clocks and remove them from view. Once you set your alarm, hide your clock so the light and time don't distract you. Watching the time can increase anxiety and make insomnia worse. [5] X Research source

• Progressive muscle relaxation or PMR teaches you how to relax your muscles through a 2- step process: first, you intentionally tense muscle groups in your body, such as your neck and shoulders; next, you release the tension, focusing intensely on 1 body part at a time. Try this each night before bedtime.
• Deep breathing techniques prior to bed can help you relax and get to sleep. Place a hand on your lower abdomen and breathe in deeply so your hand rises (called stomach breathing). Hold your breath for a count of 3 and then exhale fully and watch your hand fall. Do these 3x per night.
• A warm bath can also help cure insomnia. Make sure the water isn't too hot and add a couple scoops of Epsom salts — it's rich with magnesium, which can absorb through your skin and relax muscles. Light some candles. Soak in the tub for 20 to 30 minutes while reading something light and funny.

• If you need a snack after dinner, stick to healthy and light stuff, such as fruit, veggies, low-fat dairy and whole grains.
• Some foods, especially poultry, contain amino acids (tryptophan and glutamine) that promote sleepiness. Thus, consider having a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread for an evening snack.
• Avoid eating snacks, particularly spicy stuff, within 1 hour of bedtime. This strategy will let your GI system properly digest the food and allow for any energy rush to subside.

wikiHow Quiz: Why Can't I Sleep?

Which of the following best describes your nighttime routine.

Most nights, I scroll on my phone or look at emails before dozing off.

I spend a long time laying in bed before going to sleep.

I’m usually doing chores or work right before turning out the light.

I have a specific pre-bed routine. I don’t look at screens, and I might even try to meditate.

Making Lifestyle Changes

• Be reasonable about your obligations and responsibilities. Many people get stressed because they are over-committed or over-scheduled. Don't promise what you can't reasonably deliver.
• Feel free to reduce contact with people who cause you lots of stress. [8] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
• Manage your time better. If running late causes you stress, leave for work a little early each day. Plan ahead and be realistic.
• Use moderate exercise to handle stress instead of binge eating. People who are stress tend to binge eat on "feel good" food, but this can lead to weight gain and depression. Instead, be active and go exercise when stressed out (see below).
• Talk to friends and family members about stressful issues. Simply venting about your stressful issues can help. If you can't talk to someone, write your feelings down in a journal.

• Establishing an exercise routine takes effort. Try to be active at the same time each day, either early in the morning, during your lunch break, or right after work before you eat.
• Exercise also promotes weight loss, which can reduce annoying aches and pain, make you more comfortable in bed at night, and reduce the risk of snoring and other breathing problems.
• Don't engage in vigorous exercise too close to bedtime because your body produces adrenaline and it will prevent you from falling asleep quickly. Make sure your workouts occur 5 to 6 hours prior to bedtime.

• If you are still using nicotine products, stop smoking or chewing nicotine gum a few hours before bedtime.
• Nicotine is found in cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco. There are also nicotine patches and chewing gums meant to help you quit smoking. These can all make it more difficult for you to sleep.

• Caffeine increases the activity of brain neurons, which may cause your mind "to race" with more thoughts and ideas.
• Coffee, black tea, green tea, hot chocolate, dark chocolate, colas, some other sodas and virtually all energy drinks are significant sources of caffeine. Some cold medications also contain caffeine.
• Keep in mind that sugar (especially the heavily processed types) is also a stimulant and should be avoided for at least an hour before heading to bed.

Seeking Professional Help

• Common causes of insomnia include: chronic pain, depression, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea (severe snoring), bladder control problems, arthritis, cancer, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), menopause, heart disease, lung disease, and chronic heartburn. [10] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
• Ask your doctor if any of your prescription drugs can potentially trigger insomnia — problematic drugs include those used for depression, hypertension, allergies, weight loss and ADHD (such as Ritalin).
• Check the labels of any medications you take regularly. If they contain caffeine or stimulants like pseudoephedrine they may be causing your insomnia. [11] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source

• First-choice sleeping pills for short-term insomnia include eszopiclone, ramelteon, zaleplon and zolpidem. [13] X Research source
• Additional prescription medications used to treat insomnia include diazepam, lorazepam, and quazepam.
• Note that some insomnia medications can be habit-forming and may come with unpleasant side effects, including low blood pressure, nausea, anxiety, daytime drowsiness, and sleepwalking.

• CBT can involve sleep education, info on sleep hygiene, relaxation training, cognitive control, psychotherapy and/or biofeedback.
• CBT promotes behavioral changes by getting you to keep regular bedtimes and wake-up times, as well as eliminating afternoon naps.
• If you can't get a referral from your doctor, you should be able to find a list of CBT providers through your insurance.

• People with chronic insomnia usually don't experience much or any time in the REM (rapid eye movement) phase of sleep compared to people who sleep normally.
• REM sleep should occur about 90 minutes after falling asleep — intense dreams happen in this stage.
• People with insomnia also have difficulty initiating non-REM sleep to start with, but once there, often don't transition to deep non-REM and finally REM sleep.

Experimenting with Alternative Therapies

• Magnesium can help to relax you and promote better sleep. Try taking a 400 mg supplement daily.
• Valerian root has a mild sedating effective on people, which leads to sleepiness. [16] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source You can take it as a capsule or drink it as a herbal tea for 1 to 2 weeks at a time. In very high doses, valerian root can have a negative effect on the liver.
• Chamomile flower is also a mild sedative that can calm the nerves, promote relaxation and trigger sleepiness. Chamomile tea is very popular and should be drank about an hour before bedtime.
• Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland in your brain. It's essential for circadian rhythm and triggering deep sleep at night when it's dark. Taking it as a supplement can potentially help with insomnia, although research is currently inconclusive. [17] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source

• Breathe in essential oils directly from a piece of tissue / cloth or indirectly through steam inhalations, vaporizers or sprays. You can also mix essential oils into your bath water.
• Start an aromatherapy session about 30 minutes prior to bedtime. If you buy a special vaporizer, let it run throughout the night.
• Some candles are infused with essential oils, but never let candles burn unattended or while you're asleep.
• Aromatherapists, nurses, chiropractors, massage therapists and acupuncturists are often the health professionals who practice aromatherapy.

• Acupuncture can increase night-time melatonin production, which can help treat patients with anxiety-induced insomnia.
• It's likely best to look into acupuncture treatment for insomnia if other methods (mentioned above) don't work. [19] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
• Acupuncture is practiced by a variety of health professionals including some physicians, chiropractors, naturopaths, physiotherapists and massage therapists — whoever you choose should be certified by NCCAOM.

• Get a referral to someone reputable who practices hypnotherapy and be sure to ask for their credentials and licensing information.
• A growing number of physicians, psychologists, psychologists and counselors practice hypnotherapy.
• Always take a friend or family member with you (at least initially) because people are very vulnerable once hypnotized.

Expert Q&A

• Most people need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, although some can get by with as little as 3 hours without exhibiting any negative side effects. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Jet lag from traveling long distances and dealing with time changes can trigger short-term insomnia. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Taking an over-the-counter antihistamine can cause drowsiness, which may help you fall asleep if you're experiencing insomnia. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Clinical depression is a common cause for insomnia and should not be self-treated. See your doctor or a licensed therapist qualified to deal with depression Thanks Helpful 11 Not Helpful 2

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-disorders/insomnia-2
• ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12119-insomnia
• ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/no-more-counting-sheep-proven-behaviors-to-help-you-sleep-2018110515313
• ↑ https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/CCI/Mental-Health-Professionals/Sleep/Sleep---Information-Sheets/Sleep-Information-Sheet---04---Sleep-Hygiene.pdf
• ↑ Jeremy Bartz, PhD. Clinical Psychologist. Expert Interview. 8 January 2021.
• ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044476?pg=1
• ↑ https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/sleep-hygiene
• ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355167
• ↑ http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Insomnia/Pages/Treatment.aspx
• ↑ http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/tc/insomnia-treatment-overview?page=2
• ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/basics/alternative-medicine/con-20024293
• ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/acupuncture/basics/definition/prc-20020778
• ↑ http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/insomnia/Pages/hypnosis.aspx

About This Article

Medical Disclaimer

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

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To cure insomnia, you might want to try a natural sleep aid, such as valerian root or chamomile flower, both of which are mild sedatives and can be made as a tea an hour before bedtime. While aromatherapy can't cure insomnia, it can be a great relaxation tool. About 30 minutes before bedtime, prepare a vaporizer or bathwater with essential oils such as lavender, rose, orange, or sandalwood. If you know that your insomnia is caused by anxiety, acupuncture can increases night-time melatonin production, which is essential to a good night's sleep. To learn more from our Medical Review Board co-author, like when to seek medical attention for your insomnia, keep reading the article! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Insomnia: what is it, what's the cause, and how to tackle it

Reclaim your bedtime with everything you need to know about insomnia

• 4 types of insomnia
• How to tackle insomnia

Lying awake at night while fruitlessly wishing our brains would switch off and let us sleep is a situation we’re all familiar with. But when does an inability to sleep become an issue, and how can we tackle it? And when is it considered insomnia?

To help you understand more about insomnia, including the causes and the potential treatments, we’ve done the research and spoken to Dr Lindsay Browning, a sleep expert at  Trouble Sleeping  and author of the self-help sleep book  Navigating Sleeplessness . Read on for everything you need to know about banishing insomnia and getting a good night’s kip.

• Do you lie in bed for hours yet can't sleep? 9 expert tips to get to sleep fast

What is insomnia?

First things first: you’ve probably heard of insomnia, but what exactly is it? “Insomnia is a problem falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early and not feeling refreshed,” explains Dr Browning. But how does this differ from having an occasional night of sleeplessness? “Insomnia is a prolonged period of poor sleep, which differs from the odd night of poor sleep, such as the night before an exam,” adds Dr Browning.

Understandably, insomnia can be incredibly difficult to deal with. After all, most adults need between seven to eight hours of kip to be able to function at their best throughout the day, so missing out on this crucial time can leave you feeling drained while tackling low energy and a low mood . But rest assured, there are treatments available to help.

What causes insomnia?

Knowledge is power, so understanding the causes of insomnia can help you to nip it in the bud more effectively. As Dr Browning explains, insomnia can have many different causes. “Insomnia can be caused by things such as stress and anxiety, pain causing discomfort at night, poor sleep hygiene or even side effects from certain medications,” she says. If you’re struggling to pinpoint what could be causing your insomnia, take a look at the techniques at the end of this article; there could be an (easily fixed) lifestyle factor at play.

What are the different types of insomnia?

There are a number of different types of insomnia that could be affecting your ability to enter the land of nod. These include:

Sleep onset insomnia: This is where “someone has difficulty falling asleep,” explains Dr Browning. Do you find yourself lying in bed, wide awake, from the moment you turn out the lights to the small hours of the morning? Then yep, you could have sleep onset insomnia

Sleep maintenance insomnia: “This is where someone can fall asleep, but then wakes up in the night and struggles to fall back to sleep again,” explains Dr Browning

Primary insomnia: “This means that your sleep problem is not caused by any other physical or mental health conditions,” says Dr Browning. Which leads us on to…

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Secondary insomnia: “This is when your sleeping problem has been caused by another factor, such as iron deficiency, PTSD, depression or cancer treatment,” says Dr Browning. The good news? “If you treat the other condition, the insomnia may improve.”

How do I know if I have insomnia?

You might be wondering whether those few nights of sleeplessness you had recently would 'count' as insomnia. If you’ve experienced sleeplessness over a period of less than three months, then this is typically known as ‘short-term insomnia’ or ‘acute insomnia’. However, if you’ve struggled with sleeplessness for longer, you could be experiencing ‘chronic insomnia’.

“Chronic insomnia is where someone takes 30 minutes or more to fall asleep, wakes up during the night for 30 minutes or more, or wakes up 30 minutes or more earlier than their ideal waking time and feels un-refreshed,” explains Dr Browning. “This happens for at least three nights each week and has been happening for three or more months.”

Can you cure insomnia?

Happily, the answer to the question of whether you can cure your insomnia is generally a resounding yes. The treatment method will depend on the cause of your insomnia. If lifestyle factors are affecting your ability to drift off, such as drinking caffeine late at night or not having a comfy sleep environment, then tweaking these should prove effective. Equally, “if the insomnia is caused by a very stressful period at work or home, then once the stressful event has stopped, the insomnia may recover by itself”, adds Dr Browning.

If you’re still struggling to sleep, it might be worth booking a doctor’s appointment, to discuss treatment options such as therapy or medication. “The recommended treatment for insomnia is CBT-I , which is a highly effective psychological therapy specifically targeting insomnia,” explains Dr Browning. “Sleeping medication may also be offered in the short term to reset the body back into a good sleeping habit. However, sleeping medication is not a long-term solution since people become tolerant to the medication and it does not fix the underlying cause of the insomnia.”

4 techniques to tackle insomnia

Are you feeling ready to tackle your insomnia and reclaim your bedtime? Try tweaking your lifestyle according to these four techniques, and hopefully counting sheep will become a thing of the past.

#1. Implement a wind-down routine before bed

It might sound obvious, but getting your mind and body into a relaxed state before bed is one of the most effective ways of tackling insomnia. “We sleep better when we’re relaxed,” points out Dr Lindsay. “Therefore, a relaxing wind down routine, including a warm bath, reading a good book or doing some yoga, may be helpful.” You could also try a spot of mindfulness; research suggests that just 20 minutes of mindful meditation a day could help tackle insomnia.

#2. Keep your room dark and quiet

A dark and quiet room is the ideal environment for sleep, so you might want to consider investing in some blackout blinds or earplugs. A dark room signals to our brains that it’s time for bed and kickstarts the release of a hormone called melatonin , which regulates our sleep patterns. “If someone’s bedroom is too light, then this can interfere with melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep,” explains Dr Browning.

Equally, a noisy environment is likely to keep you up throughout the night, as anyone who has a snoring partner can attest. “If the bedroom is noisy, this can make it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep, because the noise will wake you back up again,” adds Dr Browning.

#3. Try cutting down on caffeine

Don’t panic, coffee lovers – you can still get your caffeine fix while tackling insomnia. The key thing is to think about when you’re drinking it. “Caffeine has a long half life ,” says Dr Browning. This means that it can stay in your system long after drinking it, so avoiding all caffeinated drinks in the late afternoon and evening is crucial. “It’s advisable to not drink caffeine within at least six hours of bedtime,” adds Dr Browning.

#4. Make sure your mattress is comfortable

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to splurge on a new mattress, then this is your moment, because having a comfortable sleep environment is one of the main ways to tackle insomnia. You want your mattress to be firm and supportive , and a mattress topper could help, too. “Generally speaking, mattresses have a finite lifespan and should be replaced every eight years or so,” says Dr Browning. “You may need to replace your mattress sooner than that if you have put on a lot of weight or lost a lot of weight, or started sharing a bed with someone else."

Sarah is a freelance writer who has been published across titles including Woman & Home, The Independent, and the BBC. Sarah covers a variety of subjects, including health and wellness. For Tom's Guide Sarah often writes about sleep health and hygiene, and interviews leading sleep experts about common issues such as insomnia and sleep deprivation.

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A Simple Trick for Beating Insomnia

Lessons from a chronic insomniac who finally learned how to sleep..

Updated July 7, 2023 | Reviewed by Tyler Woods

• Why Is Sleep Important?
• Find a sleep counsellor near me
• Insomnia is aggravated, paradoxically, by trying too hard to fall asleep.
• Thus, experts recommend healthy sleep hygiene habits that replace obsessive thoughts about insomnia.
• When sleep hygiene isn't enough, a simple trick for distracting your brain from sleep anxieties could work.

“Your biggest problem falling asleep,” my doctor observed, “is your anxiety about falling asleep.”

I’d been struggling for years with insomnia , and my physician’s insight seemed right on target. Each night, when my head hit the pillow, I’d try to relax but obsessive thoughts would creep in. “What if I can’t sleep again? I’ll be a zombie tomorrow. I’ll get sick. Sleep deprivation could trigger yet another horrible bout of my recurring depression .”(1)

How could anyone sleep with those anxieties buzzing around their brain?

Recognizing this vicious-circle nature of insomnia, sleep experts advise insomniacs not to perseverate on their fears, but to stop trying to sleep, get out of bed (so the brain does not permanently link the bed with sleep problems), and put anxious thoughts aside by reading a book or engaging their brain in some other absorbing activity incompatible with obsessive thoughts. (2)

Sleep experts also recommend keeping a regular schedule, not eating too late, filtering out blue light at night that tricks the brain into thinking it’s still daylight, cutting down on caffeine and alcohol , getting therapy for stress , engaging in regular meditation , and getting regular exercise (2,3,4).

I more or less followed all of this advice and, being a neuroscientist familiar with what chemicals do to the brain, also avoided drugs and supplements such as melatonin and herbs.

But I still routinely struggled to get to sleep and stay asleep.

The really nasty part of having this kind of problem is that, the harder you try to solve it, the more power you give it, and thus the more the problem persists. Paradoxically, I sensed that the solution lay in not trying to solve my insomnia, in order to rob it of its power.

So, I gave up the struggle and...drum roll... still suffered chronic sleep problems.

When I shared all this with my father shortly before his death, he revealed that he had also suffered chronic insomnia years before I was born, but had stumbled on to a simple trick that almost always worked for him.

The life-changing discovery arose from his enduring interest in visual perception. Although he was a rocket scientist, Dad read every research article he could on visual psychophysics and physiology. One night at bedtime, after reading an article on phosphenes—the random blotches and tiny speckles of light you see when you close your eyes or in total darkness—he started paying close attention to his own phosphenes, relishing the idea that he was directly visualizing random, normal “resting” activity of individual neurons in his brain’s visual pathway.

But, night after night, his attempts to carefully study his phosphenes were frustrated because he kept falling asleep before noting anything of interest.

Then it hit him. After years of failing to overcome insomnia, he had finally found a “cure” in the tiny speckles of light produced by the spontaneous activity of his visual neurons. After discovering it, this simple trick had been getting him to sleep for over 50 years, because, he theorized, it gave his brain something to do other than obsessing about insomnia.

“You can never tell your brain not to do something,” he observed, “because it will inevitably do exactly that thing in its attempt to avoid doing it." But focusing on phosphenes, which, unlike thoughts, never come and go but are ever-present, Dad reasoned he could actively do something incompatible with worrying, by informing his brain that he was doing it out of pure scientific curiosity, not fear of insomnia.

Naturally, I tried the same trick the very night my dad revealed it and it worked that night, and almost every other night up to the present, but in a very different way than it did for my father. While I was “looking” at my phosphenes, I began to have waking visual hallucinations that perceptual psychologists call “hypnagogic images.” These images, which possess a clarity somewhere between images in a dream and real images seen with my open eyes, are quite normal and healthy, and experienced by most people just before they fall asleep (5). My hypnagogic images come in short flashes, but some people experience them as fragments of a visual narrative, or even “hear sounds” or “feel touch” accompanying the images. Hypnogogic images, for me, are three-dimensional objects like horses, fences, tables, landscapes, and…for some weird reason, fruits and vegetables.

Over the years, I’ve refined the technique of summoning sleep-producing hypnagogic images without my brain noticing what I’m doing long enough to start obsessing about what I’m doing. The key to success, I’ve learned, is to say, “Now, see here brain, I’m not trying to fall asleep, but simply watching the light-speckled curtain of darkness in front of me, waiting for visual 'visitors' to poke through the curtain of darkness so I can greet them.”

My brain has always been satisfied with that explanation, and, deprived of anything to worry about, quickly turns off, taking me along with it.

I hope gazing at phosphenes or waiting for hypnagogic visitors from the darkness works for you too, in case you need fresh ideas for beating insomnia. But if these tricks for tricking your brain fail, keep looking for other techniques that might succeed for precisely the reason that they—like my nightly wait for hypnagogic images—do not try to succeed.

1 https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/sleep-disorders/what-are-s… .

2 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/symptoms-causes…

3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6977539/

4 https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene

5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10078162/

Eric Haseltine, Ph.D ., is a neuroscientist and the author of Long Fuse, Big Bang.

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Tell us: how do you cope with insomnia?

If you suffer from insomnia, we would like to hear from those with insomnia about what they do when they can’t sleep

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can make it difficult to fall asleep or even stay asleep. It skyrocketed during the pandemic – but for many of us, it existed long before that too.

If you experience insomnia, we want to hear what you do when you can’t sleep. Do you count sheep, read a book, play the piano or even go for a walk? How long have you had it, and how do you cope?

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