10 tips to cure insomnia

Ten tips to combat insomnia
Heat and changes in habits increase sleep problems, especially affecting children, the elderly and women
Lack of sleep makes it difficult to concentrate and is associated with an increase in road accidents, stress and irritability

The increase in light hours and temperatures typical of summer can increase episodes of insomnia. "Heat affects sleep by altering the body's thermoregulation. We are more restless and move around more. Thus, the body temperature does not adapt and we enter a vicious circle", explains Alberto Sacristán, member of the Nutrition Group of the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine and member of the board of directors of the Phytotherapy Research Centre (Infito).

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"Children, women, the elderly and people with sleep disorders are the ones who suffer most from insomnia", in the words of Milagros Merino, a member of the Spanish Sleep Society. According to a survey conducted by Infito in which 1,400 people participated, 7 out of 10 Spaniards would suffer from sleep disorders due to heat and changes in sleep habits that occur in the summer period.

The inability to fall asleep or maintain sleep has important consequences for people's health and safety. The most common is "a lack of concentration at work, tiredness and lack of energy. But it can also lead to anxiety, stress or irritability," says Sacristan. Merino, for her part, highlights the effects of excessive daytime sleepiness, often caused by lack of rest during the night. "In these cases, we have to be careful because this symptom is one of the main causes of traffic and labour accidents," she says.

Sleeping well in summer is a question of temperature and habits. These are the experts' tips to combat insomnia and avoid its negative effects:

Avoid intense exercise before going to bed
Sport generates endorphins that can make it difficult to fall asleep immediately, so it is not recommended after 8pm. It is indicated during the day, since moderate physical activity helps to keep fit and sleep better.

Create a relaxed atmosphere in the bedroom
The room must be conditioned to facilitate the rest. The intensity of light should be regulated and radio, television or other devices that do not contribute to a relaxed atmosphere should be avoided.

Avoiding objects and factors that may wake us up
It is advisable to remove mobile phones from the bedroom, close the windows to avoid outside noise and lower the blinds so that excess light does not interrupt sleep. It is not advisable for pets to sleep in the same room: they can move around or make sounds that will keep you awake.

Establish positive routines associated with sleep
Trying to go to bed always at the same time and after a warm shower are healthy habits that help prepare the mind for rest. Furthermore, according to Merino, "the shower increases the body temperature, followed by a compensatory cooling that helps to fall asleep".

Mentally linking bed and sleep
It is important not to use the bedroom as a workplace or for activities that are not related to rest.

Air-conditioning the bedroom
Leaving the air conditioning on all night is harmful. "It is not recommended, and even less directly, because it can cause a cold, angina and even cervical or lumbar contractures," warns Sacristan. It can be used before going to sleep to regulate the temperature of the room, or to ventilate it by opening the windows minutes before going to bed.

Avoid large meals and alcohol before going to bed
"In the summer, alcohol consumption increases and dinners come later and are often more plentiful than usual. These factors are the perfect cocktail for having problems with sleep," says Merino. In addition, drinking plenty of fluids before going to bed increases the desire to urinate, a need that can interrupt sleep.

Eating foods that help you sleep
Bananas, eggs or milk "are foods rich in tryptophan that will help you sleep," says Sacristan.

Take a short nap
A "nap" after a meal can compensate for the lack of rest during the night and reduce the consequences of insomnia such as stress or irritability, "even though the hours of sleep at night are not recovered either during a nap or at any other time," points out Sacristán. The nap should be brief and never exceed 30 minutes, or it will be counterproductive and could prevent sleep at night.

Medicinal Plants
When insomnia is occasional, phytotherapy may be a solution. "Valerian is calming and sleep-inducing. Passionflower helps to maintain sleep, so it is recommended for people who wake up during the night. The California poppy also prevents early awakenings," explains César Valera, a member of the Medicinal Plants Committee of the Madrid College of Pharmacists.

According to the survey conducted by Infito, 91 percent of Spaniards would prefer to take medicinal plant preparations rather than synthetic drugs to combat insomnia. These treatments "do not have the side effects of synthetic sleeping pills," which sometimes make it impossible to drive or operate machinery, he said. The specialist recommends buying them at the pharmacy, since "the pharmacist is the best trained health professional in phytotherapy and can resolve patients' doubts about their health disorder," he concludes.