Insomnia prevention:

 Don’t use phones or e-books before bed. Their light can make it harder to fall
asleep.

 Get regular exercise. Try not to work out close to bedtime, because it may make
it hard to fall asleep. Experts suggest exercising at least 3 to 4 hours before bed.

 If you can't fall asleep and aren’t drowsy, get up and do something calming, like
reading until you feel sleepy.

 If you tend to lie awake and worry about things, make a to-do list before you go
to bed. This may help you put your concerns aside for the night.

 Practice breathing exercises and relaxation techniques.

 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

 Yoga for Insomnia

What can cognitive behavioral therapy do?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) aims to change thought patterns that may be
keeping you from sleeping. This is not the same as "positive thinking." It is about
changing exaggerated, unrealistic beliefs about sleep. For example, if someone
believes that they will always wake up at three in the morning and then not be able to go
back to sleep, it may turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Another example of a negative thought that can affect sleep is: "If I don't fall asleep now
I definitely won't make it through tomorrow." A more realistic thought might be: "This
happens from time to time. But I might still get some sleep. And it's no big deal if I
don't."
A more realistic attitude towards sleep also includes not worrying about how much sleep
you end up getting. It's more important that your sleep is restful enough for you to feel
good the next day.
When treating insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy methods can be combined with
other approaches, such as relaxation techniques and better sleep hygiene.
Even if you don't have cognitive behavioral therapy, you can still examine your own
thinking and try to change negative thought patterns. That could help to get rid of
thoughts that are keeping you from sleeping.
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. Aouad says it’s a better option than medication.

“Medication will help you as long as it’s in your system, so that’s a day or two,” she
says. While there are some appropriate uses for prescription sleep aids (if they are used
correctly), they can come with extremely dangerous side effects, and they tend to be
highly addictive. (3) “The benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy, a specific type of
counseling to help with the anxiety around sleep that comes with chronic insomnia,
have been shown to far outlast medication,” Aouad explains.

According to a study published in May 2012 in the journal BMC Family Practice,

cognitive behavioral therapy is better at improving sleep efficiency than common drugs,
and led to an extra 30 to 60 minutes in sleep time when the two treatment strategies
were compared. (4)

Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on teaching techniques to help you relax, control
your breathing and mood, slow down your racing mind, and get to sleep. “Really, the
basis of it is providing education, talking about sleep drive and teaching people things
like stimulus control and avoiding anything stimulating around bedtime,” Aouad says.
Think of it as reteaching your body how to sleep.

The therapy also involves sleep restriction. (5) “Some people have this
misunderstanding that if I can’t sleep, then I should spend more time in bed to try to get
myself to sleep,” Aouad says. “Actually you should really only be in bed for the time that
you’re sleeping.” The idea is by cutting down on the amount of time you spend lying in
bed awake, you’ll be more tired and more likely to fall asleep quickly next time.

A study published in June 2015 in the journal Sleep found just one session of cognitive
behavioral therapy plus a self-help pamphlet effectively treated about half of the cases
of acute insomnia. (6)

Aouad suggests seeking a therapist who has experience providing cognitive behavioral
therapy for insomnia — the American Board of Sleep Medicine has a helpful list
published on its website. (7) Usually it’s offered as a series of in-person sessions over
the course of four to six weeks, though there are some online programs that could be
helpful for people living in remote areas or for those without insurance, Aouad says.
Note: Don’t use over-the-counter sleeping pills for insomnia. They might have side
effects, and they tend to work less well over time.

How do relaxation techniques work?

The aim of relaxation techniques is to achieve physical and mental relaxation. They are meant to
reduce physical tension and interrupt the thought processes that are affecting sleep. Studies show
that people who have learned relaxation techniques sleep a bit longer at night. The main benefit
of the relaxation techniques was being able to fall asleep somewhat more quickly. But these
approaches don't help everyone.
There are different types of relaxation techniques:
 Progressive muscle relaxation, also called Jacobson's or deep muscle relaxation: This
technique involves tensing groups of muscles all over the body one by one and then
consciously relaxing them again. You can learn muscle relaxation by visiting a course or
using an audio training course.
 Autogenic training (AT): Autogenic training involves focusing awareness on different
parts of the body and consciously relaxing them. At an advanced level, even involuntary
bodily functions like pulse and breathing can be influenced to achieve deep physical
relaxation. Autogenic training is taught in courses.
 Biofeedback: This method helps you to feel how your body reacts to tensing and
relaxing. It involves placing electrodes on your body to measure muscle tension, your
pulse and brain activity. You can monitor these different measurements on a screen and
see how muscle relaxation or thinking particular thoughts affects them. Biofeedback can
be done at the doctor's or by using a portable biofeedback device at home once you've
been instructed in how to use it.
 Imagery (visualizations): Another common type of relaxation training is imagery, where
you visualize peaceful, pleasant scenes or imagine yourself breathing quietly, gently
falling asleep and having a good night's sleep.

Wim Hof Method Breathing

WHY WE BREATHE
Regulated by the autonomic nervous system, inhaling oxygen is an unconscious
process. Fortunately, it’s an unconscious praxis, otherwise we simply wouldn’t have a
break, as we’d have to deal with it incessantly. The amount of oxygen that we inhale
through our breathing, influences the amount of energy that is released into our body
cells. On a molecular level, this progresses via various chemical and physiological
processes. Breathing is the easiest and most instrumental part of the autonomic
nervous system to control and navigate. In fact, the way you breathe strongly affects the
chemical and physiological activities in your body. Throughout the years, Wim Hof has
developed special breathing exertions that keep his body in optimal condition and in
complete control in the most extreme conditions. The breathing technique is first and
foremost premised on inhaling deeply and exhaling without any use of force!

TRY IT OUT!
Wim Hof Method breathing is simple and easy — everyone can do it! Just follow the steps below. We
recommend practicing right after waking, or before a meal, when your stomach is still empty. Note that
WHM breathing can affect motor control and, in rare cases, lead to loss of consciousness. Always sit or
lie down before practicing the techniques. Never practice while piloting a vehicle, or in or near bodies of
water.

Step 1: Get Comfortable

Assume a meditation posture: sitting, lying down — whichever is most comfortable for you. Make sure
you can expand your lungs freely without feeling any constriction.

Step 2: 30-40 Deep Breaths

Close your eyes and try to clear your mind. Be conscious of your breath and try to fully connect with it.
Inhale deeply through the nose or mouth, and exhale unforced through the mouth. Fully inhale through
the belly, then chest and then let go unforced. Repeat this 30 to 40 times in short, powerful bursts. You
may experience light-headedness, and tingling sensations in your fingers and feet. These side effects are
completely harmless.
2

Step 3: The Hold

After the last exhalation, inhale one final time, as deeply as you can. Then let the air out and stop
breathing. Hold until you feel the urge to breathe again.

Step 4: Recovery Breath

When you feel the urge to breathe again, draw one big breath to fill your lungs. Feel your belly and chest
expanding. When you are at full capacity, hold the breath for around 15 seconds, then let go. That
completes round number one. This cycle can be repeated 3-4 times without interval. After having
completed the breathing exercise, take your time to bask in the bliss. This calm state is highly conducive
to meditation — don't hesitate to combine the two.

4
Yoga for insomnia

How Does Yoga Help You Sleep?

There are many ways that yoga can help improve the quality of sleep:
 Mindfulness. This is a practice of judgment-free awareness in the moment.
Mindfulness is a common component of many types of yoga. Mindfulness can
increase melatonin levels11 and reduce nighttime sleep disturbances12 in adults.
 Breathing awareness and regulation. These are also elements of yoga. Deep
breathing is a relaxation technique that can induce sleep.
 Regular exercise. Frequent movement is an important element of sleep hygiene.
Moderate exercise several times a week can improve overall sleep.

 Nidra yoga is done while lying down and focuses on breathing or perception
of certain parts of the body17.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H0FKzeuVVs&t=3s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL6RzpaVcgg