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Good nighttime and daytime habits can keep you well-rested
How many times have you experienced this: You’re wide awake at 3 a.m., unable to get back to sleep. Your mind races with a rising sense of panic about the difficult day ahead if you don’t fall back to sleep. But it seems impossible, at that point, to drift back to sleep.
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What you’re experiencing is a type of insomnia, says behavioral sleep disorders specialist Michelle Drerup, PsyD.
Many underlying health problems such as chronic pain, sleep apnea or acid reflex can cause insomnia. But if your difficulty getting to and staying asleep isn’t due to health problems, here are some tips that can help you get back to sleep fast.
In addition to these tips above, you can also adopt daytime habits that will help you sleep better at night, Dr. Drerup says.
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Chronic insomnia affects up to 15 % of adults, and many don’t seek treatment for it.
If your symptoms last longer than a month or so, it’s time to seek medical advice. Ditto if lack of sleep interferes with your daytime activities, Dr. Drerup says.
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