Sleep is essential to our physical and mental well-being, but sleep disorders can negatively affect our quality of life. If you are experiencing difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings at night, or a feeling of lack of rest, it is time to seek help. 

​

Sleep disorders cover a wide range of conditions that affect sleep quantity and quality. Some common disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, parasomnias, night terrors, nightmares, bruxism, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, and shift sleep disorder, among others. These disorders can lead to difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, achieving a deep and restful sleep and, as a result, feeling tired the next day, not having a high level of concentration and not performing well during the day. In the long run, it creates excessive concerns about the problem, the feeling of not solving it and seriously affects the quality of our life.

​

A holistic approach must be used to address these issues. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is a highly effective form of therapy that addresses the cognitive and behavioral factors that contribute to insomnia or other problems. It is important to identify and change negative sleep-related thoughts and beliefs. In addition, you should learn sleep hygiene techniques and establish regular routines and schedules that favor a healthy sleep pattern. Furthermore, Motivational Interviewing helps identify the dysfunctional and ineffective patterns that you usually use. Even though your solutions don't work, you continue applying them and get the same result: sleep problems.

​

Stress and anxiety are often triggers of sleep disorders. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation may help you reduce mental activation and create a calm state before bedtime. You can find the description of these techniques on the page about Anxiety.

 

I leave you some guidelines to improve your lifestyle and promote healthy sleep. These include recommendations on eating, physical activity, using electronic devices before bedtime, and managing stress in your daily life.

​

1. Keep a regular sleep schedule: Try to lie down and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps establish a healthy circadian rhythm and regulate your sleep patterns.

2. Create a sleeping environment: Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark and cool. Use blackout curtains, earplugs, or a white noise machine if needed. Also, make sure your mattress and pillow are comfortable and suitable for you.  

3. Avoid exposure to screens before bedtime: Blue light emitted by electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablets and computers, can interfere with the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Turn these devices off at least an hour before bedtime.

4. Practice relaxation before bed: Take time to relax and slow down before bed. You can try relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, soft stretching or yoga to calm your mind and body.  

5. Establish a sleeping routine: Create a series of relaxing activities before bedtime, such as reading a book, taking a hot bath, or listening to soft music. Doing these activities consistently every night will signal to your body that it’s time to sleep.

6. Avoid stimulants: Limit or avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine, especially before bedtime. These substances can interfere with the quality of your sleep and make it difficult to fall asleep.  

7. Exercise regularly: Regular exercise can help promote healthy sleep. However, avoid intense exercise just before bedtime, as it can have a stimulating effect on your body.  

8. Control your sleep environment: Keep your room as quiet and dark as possible. Use earplugs, sleep masks, or any other tool to help you block unwanted noise and light.

9. Use your bedroom only for sleeping. Don't work from your bedroom. The body is activated when we have to work and we usually associate the workspace with being awake. Don't play in your bedroom either. Find another space in your house to study, work or play.

 

Likewise, there are certain paradoxical interventions that work quite well. They consist of doing the opposite of what we usually do to fall asleep. For example, people who have insomnia often try to fall asleep. Even though it doesn't work, they keep doing it every night. Why don't you try getting up and leaving the bedroom? You can read or watch something boring. What's more, you can "negotiate" with your brain: either it goes to sleep or you start cleaning the kitchen. Another effective technique would be to try not to fall asleep. Simply set the goal of staying awake, think about it non-stop and you will see that your brain will gradually get tired.

 

Although we do not usually give importance to sleep disorders and problems, these can deeply affect our daily performance and quality of life. Regain your rest and increase your quality of life!