I can't sleep. I am preparing for JEE in Kota. I started sleeping late at night few weeks ago and I easily getting sleep around 2 or 3 AM and woke up at around 11 in the morning but now I can't sleep. I lay down on bed hoping for sleep but nothing happening now. In 24 hrs I hardly getting sleep for 2-3 hrs that is also in morning or afternoon. Now I can't concentrate properly in classes, can't think like before. Please advice what can I do to overcome this?

Dr. Saul PereiraPsychologist46yrs exp

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Either you are under some stress which you are not aware of or you have disturbed your biorhythm by forcing it into a new pattern. If it is the former, kindly seek some counseling. If not please follow the recommendations mentioned below: In your case particularly, do not sleep during the day; don’t even lie down. Go for regular exercise (breathing through your nostrils only) at a fixed time (at about 6 am) every day, whether you sleep or not. You must develop this habit of sleeping by 10 pm latest every night and wake up at a uniform time by 6 am every morning, even if you do not get sleep. If you do not get sleep, just lie down and if you have a bed lamp (or you could get one) lie down and read something light but not exciting. Your eyes will tire and you will fall asleep. If you like you may also put on light and soft music with the sleep function on. Depending on whether you are a visual or auditory person, you may watch TV in a lying down position until you feel sleepy. Have a warm bath before going to bed (for some people a cold bath at night seems to induce sleep! If you are one of them, please do so). Place the head side of your bed in a North-South position. The room must be as dark as possible and there should be no electronic items that give off even a light LED glow. There must be ample ventilation in the room. Avoid strong odors, except lavender, on your body or in the room, or on your sheets and clothes. There should not be any live plants in your bedroom. Sleep with the lightest of clothes or without any clothing. When lying down to sleep, lie down on your left ear as much as possible. Do not sleep directly under an overhead fan. You must eat a good breakfast, a fairly light lunch, and an early dinner, which should be a very light meal. Whatever you eat in the other meals, have only a pure carbohydrate meal at night with any vegetables, and preferably before 8 pm. Do not drink much liquids after or near about dinner time. When lying down to sleep you may use the 4-7-8 breathing pattern of sleep inducement i.e. Breathe in for four counts through your nostril only, hold for 7 counts, and exhale with a whoosh sound, through your mouth only, for 8 counts. Repeat this four times in the morning and just before you sleep at night. If you know Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT (check this out either on YouTube or Google), then please practice this too for sleep induction. Self-hypnosis and slow relaxation techniques, at night will be tremendously useful. Acupuncture or acupressure will both be very useful too. Pray last thing at night before you sleep. 

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