Psychology Essay: Insomnia.

What did you learn from the material on sleep that you will use to improve your own life? What did you see in the text on sleep that you will continue doing?

As an insomniac, I am only too aware of the damage that lack of sleep can inflict on a person. Sleep deprivation depresses the immune system, raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol, along with other physiological consequences; an extreme lack of it can even cause severe short and long-term consequences - namely, psychosis, paranoia, and hallucination. Even after sleep resumes, the person may suffer depression.

Adjusting my schedule so that I have enough time to wind down at night is definitely something I'm going to be working harder on; I used to work in retail, so having a regular sleep schedule was difficult, but my circumstances are different now. Also, drinking more [non-caffeinated, of course] tea would be helpful. I used to light scented oils at night, or play soothing music; that's something I could start doing again.

Suppose that you have a friend that asks you for some tips on getting a better night's sleep. What would you tell him/her? (Give at least 5 specific recommendations.)

Proper room temperature is very important; my insomnia used to be most severe during the summer season, but now I have an air conditioner in the room, so I no longer have to worry about the heat preventing me from sleeping. Having good ventilation is in the same strain as proper room temperature; I also have a fan in the room, so the air is constantly moving; this is important, as I cannot open my bedroom window anymore [because of the air conditioner], and because I have six cats, I prefer that my bedroom door is shut as well - which leads me to another point: it's probably best if you do not have animals in your room while you are trying to sleep.

Try to also figure out which stimulants for sleep -- and which counteractive stimulants you need to avoid -- that will directly appeal to your five senses. Personally, I have to make sure that the room is very dark; whether you like some light in your room at night or not, though, make sure that the lighting is adequate for sleep. Having scented oils, such as lavender, or I even had a scented oil named "Rain", can help induce sleep. Having soft music playing in the background may help; I used to have a piano concerto play softly in my room every night. If that doesn't work for you, perhaps a loud fan - I highly recommend this, as it helps to drown out other noise, such a traffic, plus the monotonous humming can lull you to sleep as well.