How to wean off sleeping pills

How to wean off Sleeping Pills

There is a growing fad among all age groups these days to pop up sleeping pills because of  sedentary lifestyle pressures or expectation crisis. The environment over all adds to the load being felt and more often than not people are succumbing to quick fixes like sleeping pills apart from drinking or substance abuse to cope with their demanding lives. Sleeping pills if taken on consistent bases can be very habit forming and while you may think it is working for you, it is not as it does not ensure nature deep state of sleep that your body so needs for repairing and restoring itself.

There is a term for the difficulty one has when they wean off sleeping pills after long; Rebound insomnia that is worse that the insomnia first felt before going in for medicines. However it is short lived and surmountable. There are medicines with a “half-life” that lasts only couple of hours and those that stay in the system longer, giving a hang over the next day. It is suggested that whichever medicine is being taken for insomnia, needs to be gradually weaned off by decreasing the dosage over time. It may take days or weeks but not more as the body returns to its normal functioning after going complete cold turkey.

Ways to get off sleeping pills-

1. Relax with guided meditations Meditation helps calm mind and body and put body in sync helping you sleep naturally. You could try breathing exercises and savasana or corpse pose. Here while paying attention to every muscle you help release tension and begin to relax. There are many good guided video online for this relaxation process and you just need to take out 15-20 minutes for it before your bed time.
2. Eat healthy Include magnesium and tryptophan in your diet. Bananas, nuts, spinach, kale and fish are just some examples of foods that will help you sleep better. You could also take vitamins in capsule form to stay relaxed. Tryptophan even in a low dose, coupled with Ginkgo Biloba (250mg) and L-Theanine(200-400 grams) can ensure proper brain functioning for a good sleep cycle.
3. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy This is recommended to remove any anxiety related to sleep. It helps understand the thoughts and feelings behind bad sleeping habits and patterns. It addresses the deep seated fears and believes to overcome bad sleep. A lot of times people who have been complaining of sleep since many years or childhood discover then need psychotherapy and are the ones who benefit the most from it.
4. Maintain sleep routine Sticking to the same time of sleeping and waking up is imperative to set the sleep cycle right. Vow to be in bed by the same time every night, even if you don’t fall asleep immediately get your body used to the idea. Give it some time and see your sleep time pushing forward and your rise will only be that much better. Our bodies get attuned to set patterns, so train it accordingly. Stop popping up sleeping pills today, and allow yourself to sleep naturally with only the best online mattress.