re: Insomnia. What can I do about this? Will I die?

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What would the OT do?

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If you really want to tackle this and put in the effort:

1. Exercise or stay on your feet as much as possible through the day. In short, wear out your body.
2. Cut out alcohol completely. This alone will improve your sleep quality.
3. No screens within an hour of sleep. Read a book before bed. Don't watch anything on TV that can cause anxiety. It can impact your brain's processing of the day during sleep IMO.
4. Ambient light/temperature: get this right. Sleep in a dark room with ample air circulation/lower temperature. If there's unavoidable light, cover your eyes with a small blanket or sleep mask. This has a big impact on my sleep. Some people swear by sound machines as well. I think it has to do with brainwave patterns but idk all the science behind it.
5. Get up early. It may reset your clock and get you extra sleepy for nighttime.
6. Eat whole foods. Cut out processed carbs and sugar. Minimize caffeine or limit your caffeine intake window.
7. Drink lots of water/stay hydrated during the day. Cut liquids like 2 hrs before bedtime.
8. Cut alcohol out completely.

Source: someone with bad night terrors who had to figure some shite out. I sleep pretty well now.


ETA: do you drink? When I drink even 1 glass of wine I'm up at 2:00 AM with anxiety. If you do cut it out, I would think this alone could very possibly solve your problem