5 FOODS AND 5 SUPPLEMENTS FOR INSOMNIA

INSOMNIA (SLEEP DIFFICULTY) GUIDE: SCIENCE-BASED, PLAIN-LANGUAGE Q&A “Good sleep is the overnight maintenance team for immunity, brain, and metabolism.” Insomnia can be a standalone disorder or a signal of another underlying issue. Common t… →

Around 72 hours without sleep can push the body into an “emergency mode.” Within 24 hours, reaction time slows and attention/decision-making degrade, raising accident risk. By 36–48 hours, mood swings, irritability, concentration loss, and … →

Not sleeping at night may present as trouble falling asleep, frequent awakenings, or early-morning awakening. Short-term episodes are commonly tied to stress, jet lag, shift changes, illness, excess caffeine/alcohol, and poor sleep habits. … →

Insomnia becomes dangerous when it significantly impairs daytime function or signals a serious underlying condition. Red flags include dozing while driving, high accident risk, major cognitive impairment, severe depression or suicidal thoug… →

The 10-3-2-1-0 rule is a popular sleep-hygiene shortcut rather than an official clinical guideline. It aims to taper stimulation before bedtime: stop caffeine 10 hours before sleep, avoid alcohol/heavy meals 3 hours before, stop work/mental… →

Insomnia is rarely explained by a single vitamin/mineral deficiency; stress, circadian rhythm, environment, and medical conditions interact. Still, some deficiencies may indirectly affect sleep. Iron deficiency is relevant especially throug… →

A primary care clinician (family physician/internal medicine) is often the best first step, because insomnia can be linked to thyroid issues, anemia, medication effects, chronic pain, reflux, and lifestyle factors. They will assess duration… →

The most effective approach is not forcing sleep but building a system that supports sleep biology. Key levers: (1) a consistent wake time daily, (2) morning daylight exposure, (3) managing caffeine/nicotine, (4) reducing bright light and s… →

A sleep problem is not only difficulty sleeping at night—it is sleep quantity/quality that impairs daytime function. Signs include waking unrefreshed, daytime sleepiness, attention and memory issues, irritability, low energy, increased mist… →

Constant sleepiness (excessive daytime sleepiness) can be due to simply not sleeping enough, but not always. The most common driver is insufficient or fragmented sleep from irregular schedules, screen exposure, and stimulant/sedative cycles… →

Oversleeping (regularly needing 10–12+ hours) can be a normal variation, but if it is new or impairing, evaluate causes. First, assess sleep quality: long sleep with poor refreshment often points to fragmented sleep from sleep apnea or move… →

Waking around the same time (e.g., 3 a.m.) is common and not automatically a bad sign. Sleep becomes lighter toward morning, so stress, room temperature/noise, bladder fullness, reflux, alcohol, or late caffeine can trigger awakenings. Earl… →

Nighttime anxiety is intense worry and physiological arousal (racing heart, rapid breathing, “something bad will happen,” a mind that won’t stop) occurring at sleep onset or after nighttime awakenings. It can resemble panic attacks or a sle… →