One of the most important aspects of the day-today as lives as human beings and indeed for most living things is sleep. It is one of the most important means of resting especially after going through stressful daily activities. Allaah says;
"And We have made your sleep as a thing for rest" [Q 78: 9].
As a matter of fact it is estimated that a person who lives an average life of 70 years would have used about 20 of those years sleeping! Sleep helps us regain our lost energy as a result of work.
It also aids our learning, memory and keeps us in good mood most of the times. On the other hand a person who does not sleep very well is prone to suffer from medical conditions such as depression and may even become irritable and this may cause one to make mistakes at work or at school. What if one suffers from sleeplessness? Given The importance of sleep, insomnia or sleeplessness is not something to be taken with levity. Therefore medical experts would recommend sleeping pills as a remedy for this.
However, they have also mentioned that taking sleeping pills is never a substitute for natural sleep. The advantages that we are supposed to get from sleep can best be gotten when we sleep naturally. Also, one may also get addicted to these drugs and making it difficult for one to sleep naturally. Sleeping pills also have side effects like high blood pressure, dizziness, nausea and short-term amnesia. Normally, a person is not expected to take these pills for more than a few days or weeks. Therefore, the solution is to get natural sleep. For us to get natural sleep the following suggestions have been made; 1. Get up at approximately at the same time every day, even on holidays and weekends.
2. Get as much natural light as possible during the day, and limit light when you want to sleep.
3. Go to bed only when you think you can fall asleep; if you don’t doze off within 20 or 30 minutes, you should get out of bed and do something else until you feel drowsy[ limiting the amount of time you spend in bed. When you are not actually sleeping, that increases your desire to sleep]
4. Avoid caffeine, nicotine and [of course] alcohol.
5. Start winding down an hour or two before bedtime, turn down the lights; stop watching television and turn off the computer. This method is known as the CBT [cognitive behaviour therapy]. Experts have said that this method of treating sleeplessness is safe, highly effective and can be the lasting solution to your sleep problems with this, insha Allaah it expected that you get back your natural sleep and on time too.
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited