5 Facts You Should Know About Insomnia

1. I only take 4-5 hours at night. Is there any health problem?

Sleep time varies from person to person. Studies show that healthy adults have an average sleep time of 7 hours ± 30 minutes. Depending on the person, sleeping more than 8 hours can be said to be sleepy during the day, and sleeping 4-5 hours may not cause any problems in daily life. If you don’t have problems during the day, even with 4-5 hours of sleep, you don’t need to intentionally increase your sleep.

2. I can’t sleep well at night, so I’m so sleepy during the day. So, I must take a nap for at least 30 minutes. Wouldn’t it be better not to take a nap?

A short nap (20-30 minutes) may help if insomnia interferes with daily life. However, excessive naps can make it difficult for you to fall asleep at night or prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep, which can reduce sleep quality and cause drowsiness during the day. If this vicious cycle is repeated, the sleep cycle may change and insomnia may become severe.

3. What are some easy ways to treat insomnia at home?

• Make the bedroom temperature appropriate and keep it quiet enough and dark.
• Go to bed at regular times and wake up at regular times. Sleep is affected by the body’s biorhythms. If the time you wake up in bed is irregular, you can confuse this biorhythm, which makes it harder to fall asleep.
• Avoid caffeine after lunch and do not drink until you go to bed. In particular, alcohol has the effect of making you fall asleep well, but you should avoid drinking if you have insomnia because you can easily wake up and wake up once and wake up again.
• Do not eat excessive food before going to bed.
• Avoid excessive exercise before going to bed. Excessive exercise just before going to bed should be avoided as it will lengthen your time to sleep.
• The bedroom is only used for sleeping. If you can’t sleep, try to get out of the bedroom until you get sleepy.
• A warm water shower helps you sleep. Warming your body before sleep can increase sleepiness and increase sleep time.

4. I am taking sleeping pills for insomnia, can I continue taking them?

If you have temporary insomnia due to environmental changes or psychological stress, temporarily using sleeping pills may help improve symptoms. However, care should be taken when sleeping pills are used for too long, as they may develop resistance or dependence, and insomnia may be worse. If you do not sleep well at night and you are sleepy during the day or have trouble with your daily life, you can take sleeping pills for a certain period of time, but it is recommended to take them after consulting with your doctor about the proper dosage and how to take them.

5. I have insomnia, so I drink before I sleep, can I continue drinking?

Because of the soothing effects of alcohol, it can reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, so many insomniacs drink alcohol. However, sleep that started after drinking can be easily awakened, and it is difficult to fall asleep again after waking. If you continue to drink alcohol, the effect of falling asleep quickly is also less. Therefore, if you have insomnia, drinking does not help you sleep, and continuous drinking should be avoided because it increases your risk of alcohol dependence or addiction.