How to Fight Insomnia: 8 Strategies That Work

Insomnia isn't just "not being able to fall asleep." It's also waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to go back to sleep, or waking up too early and feeling tired. If this happens to you three or more nights a week, there's a lot you can change before thinking about medication. Here are the eight things I recommend first.

Acute or chronic insomnia?

Acute insomnia lasts for days or weeks and usually has a clear trigger — stress, travel, bad news. Chronic insomnia lasts for more than three months. The strategies below help with both, but chronic insomnia also warrants professional support (more on that at the end).

The 8 strategies

1. Fixed wake-up time. More important than your bedtime. Wake up at the same time every day, including weekends — this re-anchors your biological clock.
2. If you don't fall asleep in 20 minutes, get out of bed. Go to another room, dim the lights, do something boring until you feel sleepy. Staying in bed frustrated teaches your brain to associate bed with being awake.
3. Cut caffeine after 2 PM. Caffeine has a half-life of 5 to 6 hours. The 5 PM coffee is still half-active at midnight.
4. Screens off 1 hour before bed. Blue light delays melatonin production. If you can't put them down, activate night mode and dim the brightness to the maximum.
5. Cool and dark room. Between 16 and 19 °C, as dark as possible. The body needs to lower its temperature to fall asleep.
6. 4-7-8 Breathing. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8. Slows heart rate and shifts focus from thoughts.
7. No long naps. If you really need one, a maximum of 20 minutes and before 3 PM.
8. Unload your mind on paper. If you keep dwelling on tasks, write them down before bed. It gets them out of your head, onto the list, and your brain lets go.

When to seek medical help

If insomnia lasts for more than three months, affects your day, or comes with loud snoring and breathing pauses, talk to your doctor — there might be an underlying issue, such as apnea or anxiety, that needs specific treatment. This article is for informational purposes and does not replace clinical advice.

Insomnia feeds on the pressure to fall asleep. The more you try, the more sleep eludes you. The trick is to take the effort out of the equation. — Ana Cristina, Dreamura Sleep Advisor

For a complete overview of habits, see our sleep hygiene guide. If the main problem is falling asleep, the 4-7-8 method helps; if your mind won't switch off, read about how stress and anxiety affect sleep quality.