Oh, to sleep like a baby!

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.

Sleep well!