3 Curious Strategies That Your Brain Will Appreciate To Combat Insomnia

Something we all know is that our brain regulates its sleep-wake cycles by harmonizing with the hours of darkness and the hours of light.

At first glance, it seems simple to most of us, however, and here comes the real problem, such a relationship is not always fulfilled.

If that were the case, it would be enough for night to come so that, when we went to bed and closed our eyes to that serene and dark dimension, the dream would embrace us completely for eight hours at a time.

Now, people who suffer from chronic or occasional insomnia know that such magic does not happen so easily.

It is not enough that it is eleven at night for sleep to envelop us. In fact, sometimes even feeling deeply exhausted in mind and body does not seem to be enough for us to find that long-awaited rest.

What then happens to our brain so that it is not able to satisfy such biological need?

The factors are multiple, we know. Sometimes it’s age; others are associated diseases, such as diabetes, arthritis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia …

Now, this time we want to delve into three aspects that, perhaps, you did not know.

We want to propose three keys that have to do, precisely, with that relationship between the brain and our sleep cycles and that can help you sleep a little better.

1. Blue-green wave blocking glasses to take care of your brain

This data is curious, as well as interesting, and it is convenient to know it.

All the electronic devices that we use on a regular basis, such as the computer, mobile phone and our tablets emit a spectrum of blue-green wave light that has a serious impact on our brain.

• It is a very strong stimulant. In addition, its effects include significantly reducing our production of melatonin, the sleep hormone that is released after exposure to darkness.

• So, if one of your habits is, for example, staying at night to work with the computer or watch any movie or series on television, it is best to wear specific glasses where this type of light wave is blocked.

• In fact, it would be enough for you to wear these glasses for 3 hours before going to sleep to notice their effects.

Also, it is necessary to remember that, as we get older, we produce less melatonin.

So, if we add to this the impact of electronic devices, we will understand why it is increasingly difficult for us to fall asleep.

Do not hesitate to consult with your ophthalmologist about the convenience of using this type of glasses.

2. Yes to eat certain foods before going to sleep

There are many people who experience the following: they lie down and fall asleep instantly, but after an hour to an hour and a half they are awake, activated and rolling from side to side on the pillow.

• If you’ve experienced this on a regular basis, you may very well need to stabilize your blood glucose levels for that rest to hold steady, without those disastrous spikes.
• To avoid this, you can do a little test: Just 10 minutes before going to bed, drink a glass of warm water with a generous spoonful of organic honey.

It’s just about doing a little experiment and seeing how it works for you.

There are people who can experience the opposite effect and wake up. However, if it works for you, you already know that in your case you experience a drop in your glucose levels.

3. Control your “wandering” mind

When we sleep, part of our brain does too. We say “part” because, for the most part, it takes advantage of our unconsciousness to perform multiple maintenance tasks.

• Among those parts of our brain that also sleep are the posterior cingulate cortex, the medial prefrontal cortex, and the inferior parietal cortex.

These regions are zones that regulate psychological dynamics such as self-awareness, autobiographical thinking, the analytical mind, and also the wandering one.

• When a person sleeps deeply they have these areas “off”. However, many individuals with insomnia have high brain activity in these areas.
• The reason? Because their erratic mind does not stop “wandering”, thinking about what they have done and what they have not done, what they will do tomorrow, what that person has told them , in what worries them, in what they have read or seen on television …
• This mental sway is often triggered by stress and anxiety, and it is an agonizing cycle that is very difficult to break or stop.

• To achieve this, we must create routines, for example, 2 hours before going to bed, we will take a relaxing shower and read a book.

We will tell ourselves that we are not going to think about anything, we will only limit ourselves to navigating the reading, to let ourselves be carried away by a story foreign to ours.

Let’s rest the mind.

Feel free to try these simple tips to see how they work for you.