How can insomnia get treated

[asahi]

Usually , peoples turn to drugs when every means doesnt help . My mother was taking pills for many years . Is it ok for buddhists to take sleeping pills and would that against intoxicant precept ? What other alternative other than pills ?

[SarathW]

The best medication for insomnia is the Satiphathana.
Who said that you have to sleep?
Why do you have to sleep if you are not sleepy?
Why do we have to sleep half of our lives?

[asahi]

The best medication for insomnia is the Satiphathana.
Who said that you have to sleep?
Why do you have to sleep if you are not sleepy?
Why do we have to sleep half of our lives?

Good to hear that . So you dont sleeps ? How do you achieve that ? Many monks whom practices satipatthana still sleeps .
Very rare if anyone dont sleeps .

[Pondera]

Think about memories. That always puts me to sleep.

Otherwise; get in the habit of waking up early and not taking naps. Additionally, do something productive with your time.

By the end of the day you’ll be so tired that you’ll simply fall asleep naturally.

[DooDoot]

The suttas say metta provides good sleep. Metta for oneself; metta for others; metta for both.

Monks, eleven advantages are to be expected from the release (deliverance) of heart by familiarizing oneself with thoughts of loving-kindness (metta), by the cultivation of loving-kindness, by constantly increasing these thoughts, by regarding loving-kindness as a vehicle (of expression), and also as something to be treasured, by living in conformity with these thoughts, by putting these ideas into practice, and by establishing them. What are the eleven?

1. "He sleeps in comfort. 2. He awakes in comfort. 3. He sees no evil dreams. 4. He is dear to human beings. 5. He is dear to non-human beings. 6. Devas (gods) protect him. 7. Fire, poison, and sword cannot touch him. 8. His mind can concentrate quickly. 9. His countenance is serene. 10. He dies without being confused in mind. 11. If he fails to attain arahantship (the highest sanctity) here and now, he will be reborn in the brahma-world.

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .piya.html

[SarathW]

The best medication for insomnia is the Satiphathana.
Who said that you have to sleep?
Why do you have to sleep if you are not sleepy?
Why do we have to sleep half of our lives?

Good to hear that . So you dont sleeps ? How do you achieve that ? Many monks whom practices satipatthana still sleeps .
Very rare if anyone dont sleeps .

Well, then there is no problem. You sleep if you are sleepy.
The problem of not having sleep is the unwholsome Vitakka and Vicara.
The antidote for Vitakka and Vicara is the Satipathana.

[asahi]

The problem of not having sleep is the unwholsome Vitakka and Vicara.
The antidote for Vitakka and Vicara is the Satipathana.

Psycho or mentally unstable may cause sleepless night . However sometimes
Insomnia are not bcuz thinking too much , it could be health problems and if physical body then meditation not going to help .
It could worsen the problem .

[SarathW]

The problem of not having sleep is the unwholsome Vitakka and Vicara.
The antidote for Vitakka and Vicara is the Satipathana.

Psycho or mentally unstable may cause sleepless night . However sometimes
Insomnia are not bcuz thinking too much , it could be health problems and if physical body then meditation not going to help .
It could worsen the problem .

Ok in that case you have to look for help from a medical practitioner.

[asahi]

Think about memories. That always puts me to sleep.

Otherwise; get in the habit of waking up early and not taking naps. Additionally, do something productive with your time.

By the end of the day you’ll be so tired that you’ll simply fall asleep naturally.

Thinking involve process of memory . One could try out there is no harm . Overworking or overtiring sometimes is the cause of sleepless . Exercises that could help .

[mario92]

Namaste, to sleep better is good to take a good shower with soap before sleeping, blow your nose, open the window some time for fresh air, don't drink cocacola, coffee, or any product with caffeine. Also a good diet with food that naturally contains tryptophan (substance that helps with sleep). For example nuts, peanuts, banana, bread, dark chocolate, dairy products: milk, cheese, etc.

These links may help.

https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-tryptophan#2

https://www.healthline.com/health/healt ... nin#turkey

Apart from this a good herbal tea of chamomile might also help.

Some link for better sleep teas
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/te ... -you-sleep

[Taylorsedan]

That's a good question, one that I've been going thought to for the past year or so. I'd say just treat where you sleep as a bed for the purposes of stimulus control and/or reduce the amount of time you spend trying to sleep while keeping a fixed schedule.

[Gwi]

Meditate regularly before sleep
(at least 30 minutes).

Dunt thinking a gurl.
Drink honey, do not drink honey
mixed with water, but immediately
drink a spoon or two.

Chew like candy
(cleans food debris from
the teeth and makes
the breath smell good)
Then swallow slowly
(cleans the base of the tongue
And mucus in the throat).

[Mkoll]

There are a number of practical, evidence-based tips you can implement to increase the likelihood of sleeping better. Here's the first article of a "how to sleep better" Google search: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17 ... eep-better. I use a number of these myself. For more about sleep and practical tips, I'd suggest reading Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker and/or listening to the first few episodes of the Huberman Lab podcast.

On the Buddhist side of things, I find meditating before bed helps to calm the mind and makes it easier to fall asleep.

[Dharmasherab]

Insomnia by and large arises from a restless mind. Making meditation a part of one's daily activities can help. But in addition to this its about making an effort to be mindful at all times where the mind is fully applied to whichever activity that we do. A mind that can easily let go of thoughts can rest a lot more easily. This does not mean to push away the thought, but to just be at ease with it, without indulging in thought proliferation as well as making an effort to shut it off and run away.

Also notice carefully how we usually enter a phase of relaxation as a habitual response to ending an activity that requires work. After finishing work or ending an activity one has engaged for a period of time, one usually exhales when one gets into the relaxation mode. Its that 'ahh' that comes with the exhalation when the mind starts to enter the relaxation phase. Its where the muscles become less tense and lets go. Either in bed or when on the bed about to fall asleep, start with the extended exhalation like an 'ahh' whiles letting go of the tenseness of the muscles in the body. Even though this tactic can be useful for sleep, it can be useful when doing sitting meditation in case if the mind starts chattering. Use this exhalation as a way of switching from being up in the mind to being present in the body. This is because our minds are not that great in knowing how to relax, but our bodies are quite good at it.

There may be situations where one faces a particular situation during the day which can trigger them to an extent that even at bedtime the mind can go on an on in conceptual proliferation like a cat chasing its own tail. It results from an ingrained mental habit that most of us grow up with - the myth that the thinking mind can find solutions to all problems. Ajahn Viradhammo refers to these moments as the 'crazy attacks'.

In today's world there are activities people engage in as part of what is perceived to be normal, which can affect our sleep hygiene negatively. Our pineal glands release a hormone called melatonin which regulates our circadian rhythm. Melatonin release is affected by exposure to light. Looking at television screens, using cellphones and use of artificial lights can 'trick' our minds into thinking its day time when its not. Therefore the mind's sleep cycles can get affected, as a result of melatonin release being affected by these artificial lights. Therefore try to keep exposure to sources of artificial lights to a minimum. Try to avoid watching TV, the use of tablets, PC or cellphones late in the day. Now there are red lamps and red glasses available the help to cut away blue and green light because its the frequencies which are associated with these colours of lights that hamper melatonin release.

The use of sleeping medication does not break the 5th Precept provided that one is using them to get good quality sleep and as a consequence of that to be more alert and awake the day after. Health policies in different nations may have their own policies about dispensing pharmaceutical drugs. Here in North-West Europe, low potency sleep medicines can be taken over the counter without a prescription. The relatively more potent ones (such as Zopiclone) can be prescribed by a qualified health care professional (mostly doctors). The general recommendation is for these medicines to be taken short term and not consider them as a lifelong solution. If one is taking them with the attitude of depending on them, then this may not be a form of intoxication, but it is clearly not in line with the spirit of the Dhamma. Its about taking advantage of these opportunities that are available to us but also appreciating that the lock as well as the key is already in our minds.

[cappuccino]

What other alternative other than pills ?

Eleven benefits to practicing Metta

You will sleep easily
You will wake easily
etc.