Are you (like me) struggling with insomnia? Here’s what can actually help:
If you’ve ever stared at the ceiling at 3 a.m. wondering why sleep won’t come, you know how discouraging insomnia can be. I hear from so many people—especially women over 50—who say their once-peaceful nights have turned into restless ones.
The good news? There are practical ways to manage insomnia—and no, they don’t all involve sleeping pills. You might have seen them referred to as “sleep hygiene” and the nutritionist I work with highly recommended I pay attention to this.
Here are a few tried-and-true strategies that really can make a difference:
🕰️ Stick to a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day—even on weekends. Yes, even Sunday. It helps regulate your body’s internal clock and trains it to expect sleep at the right time.
📵 Shut Down Screens Early
Turn off your phone, computer, and TV at least an hour before bed. The blue light they emit interferes with melatonin production, the hormone that helps you fall asleep. Try reading a physical book, journaling, or listening to calming music instead. My best trick is listening to podcasts using ear buds on relatively low volume but setting a 30-minute timer. That means I don’t need to put a light on or expose myself to screen light. And I’m usually asleep in that 30 minute window.
🌿 Avoid Stimulants Late in the Day
Caffeine and alcohol can both mess with sleep, even if you fall asleep quickly after drinking. Try cutting caffeine after 2 p.m. and limiting alcohol in the evening. I stop all liquids at 5pm so I don’t have to get up often middle of the night.
🧘 Try Progressive Muscle Relaxation or meditation
This simple practice helps release tension: starting at your toes, tense each muscle group for a few seconds, then relax. Work your way up to your head. It’s calming and signals your body it’s safe to rest. And simple meditation techniques can be found online. My favorite is to imagine my thoughts are clouds drifting by.
🛏️ Get Out of Bed If You Can’t Sleep
Tossing and turning for more than 20–30 minutes? Get up. Go to another room, read something low-stimulation (not your phone), then return to bed when you feel drowsy. You want your brain to associate bed with sleep—not frustration. Sometimes I go to the family room and fall asleep there.
🎧 Use Guided Hypnotherapy or Meditation
I often recommend guided audio designed for sleep, including hypnotherapy sessions that help calm the nervous system. These are especially helpful for “mind racing” nights. As a hypnotherapist, I see clients for insomnia all the time. But I also use the Calm app, especially the brown noise designed to help lull me to sleep. Or the pink noise. Or white noise.
🕯️ Create a Wind-Down Routine
This might include a warm bath with Epsom salts, herbal tea (like chamomile or valerian root), or 10 minutes of gentle stretching. A consistent bedtime ritual cues your body that it’s time to slow down.
Insomnia can be a symptom of stress, hormonal shifts, grief, or simply a brain that won’t quit. Be patient with yourself. Rest is possible—and your body wants to sleep, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.
If you’d like help working to combat the emotional or subconscious roots of your insomnia, that’s exactly the kind of personalized support I offer in my hypnotherapy sessions. You don’t have to go it alone.
Another thing that helps is acceptance. ‘I’ll sleep when I’m ready,’ I tell myself, rather than fighting insomnia. For some reason, that relaxes my mind and next thing I know, it’s morning (or close to it).
Great post, Carol. I’m pretty on top of all those tips plus getting sunshine on my eyeballs every morning before they even get a glance at a screen. Supposed to help with circadian rhythm. Sweet dreams!
This truly resonated with me. It’s amazing how much our well-being can be affected by something as simple, yet essential, as a good night’s sleep. Wishing you restful nights ahead.
Great tips-I’ve struggled with difficulty sleeping for more than half my life unfortunately. These recommendations are so valuable-I would also add regarding the blue light-I’ve put a red light bulb in my lamp by my beside table so there is no “blue light” when I am getting ready for bed and reading, etc. I also try to get off all screens one hour before bed- I think it really helps! Thank you!
The last couple of months, I’ve been having such a hard time sleeping, sometimes not falling asleep until 3 or 4am! I have to cut down on screen time before I head to bed, that’s for sure.
I will definitely have to try some of these. I do get out of bed and use the bathroom, I feel like getting up cools me off a bit and then getting back in bed makes me feel cozy.
Insomnia can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you know you need the rest but your mind simply won’t cooperate. I appreciate how practical these tips are, from maintaining a consistent sleep schedule to creating a calming bedtime routine. The reminder to get out of bed rather than lying there frustrated is one many people overlook.
All are wonderful tips and can be ideal when they work to help insomniacs get some much needed rest. I find that meditative music helps me on those challenging nights. A swirling fan or AC work wonders too. I’m not a proponent of sleeping pills but when all else fails, they are an effective last resort.
While reading the post, I learned a lot and have a lot of realizations. Nowadays, sleep is essential for me as it will depicts my overall health and energy also.
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Oh, to sleep like a baby!
I have never slept like a baby. I have slept, but not that soundly. I love these tips.
Last night was a rough one for me.
Thank you so much for these tips! I don’t have true insomnia, but I do have a very difficult time falling asleep. I want to fix that if I can!
LMK how these work for you.
Another thing that helps is acceptance. ‘I’ll sleep when I’m ready,’ I tell myself, rather than fighting insomnia. For some reason, that relaxes my mind and next thing I know, it’s morning (or close to it).
oh now that’s got to be comforting.
I know meditation to be of great help for those in my life dealing with insomnia. Melatonin has worked for some, too.
I get a weird histamine reaction to melatonin.
Great post, Carol. I’m pretty on top of all those tips plus getting sunshine on my eyeballs every morning before they even get a glance at a screen. Supposed to help with circadian rhythm. Sweet dreams!
Then you’ve got it down!
Ugh, I hate when I cannot sleep. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I am not happy. I’ll keep these tips in mind.
It’s the worst, isn’t it?
This truly resonated with me. It’s amazing how much our well-being can be affected by something as simple, yet essential, as a good night’s sleep. Wishing you restful nights ahead.
True. Its value is under-rated.
Great tips-I’ve struggled with difficulty sleeping for more than half my life unfortunately. These recommendations are so valuable-I would also add regarding the blue light-I’ve put a red light bulb in my lamp by my beside table so there is no “blue light” when I am getting ready for bed and reading, etc. I also try to get off all screens one hour before bed- I think it really helps! Thank you!
We shall talk next month, more about this.
The last couple of months, I’ve been having such a hard time sleeping, sometimes not falling asleep until 3 or 4am! I have to cut down on screen time before I head to bed, that’s for sure.
I hope you try these tips.
I will definitely have to try some of these. I do get out of bed and use the bathroom, I feel like getting up cools me off a bit and then getting back in bed makes me feel cozy.
Heavy blankets can help!
Insomnia can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you know you need the rest but your mind simply won’t cooperate. I appreciate how practical these tips are, from maintaining a consistent sleep schedule to creating a calming bedtime routine. The reminder to get out of bed rather than lying there frustrated is one many people overlook.
I hope they can help you.
All are wonderful tips and can be ideal when they work to help insomniacs get some much needed rest. I find that meditative music helps me on those challenging nights. A swirling fan or AC work wonders too. I’m not a proponent of sleeping pills but when all else fails, they are an effective last resort.
I’ve used that, too, for my own sleepless nights.
These are some big culprits for me: caffeine and alcohol. I drink a lot of coffee.
I don’t do much of either, thankfully.
While reading the post, I learned a lot and have a lot of realizations. Nowadays, sleep is essential for me as it will depicts my overall health and energy also.
Yes, it is a key part of healthy living.