You’ve hit the sack, it’s been 15 minutes and you haven’t felt this awake all day. Eyes shut tight, or wide open staring at the ceiling, the long wait for sleep is beginning to frustrate you, and the irritation is just adding to the agitation. With every minute that goes by, you just feel more and more awake. If this sounds all too familiar, you may be suffering from insomnia.

There are two types of insomnia: acute and chronic. Acute insomnia lasts less than two weeks and chronic insomnia persists over weeks, or even years. “There are four factors that can interrupt our sleep, which are psychological and physical problems, or related to medical substances or stimulants. These can lead to sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome,” says Dr. Prakob Pooviboonsuk, a psychiatrist with Bangkok Hospital Medical Center.

If you feel that your sleep disorder is affecting your daily life, you should seek medical help (see Sleep Clinics box). But before that, you might try some of these tips.

Cut the caffeine

Avoid caffeine, alcohol and any other stimulants. These things can stay in your blood for hours so even a mid-afternoon coffee might keep you up till late. But it’s not just coffee. Teas, colas and energy drinks also contain caffeine.

Keep it light

You shouldn’t eat spicy or fat food before going to bed. If your tummy is working on some hard-to-digest food, it won’t let you nod off.

Listen to grandma

Counting fluffy white sheep leaping over a fence or having a glass of warm milk actually works. But here’s the bad news: “Having food, even milk, before going to bed can really make you put on weight,” says Dr. Prakob.

Crank up the air-con

You should also sleep in a well-ventilated bedroom. A combination of fresh air (although it seems impossible to get that here in Bangkok) and a good firm bed that’s also good for your spine, can add to your sound sleep. “Your bedroom temperature also really contributes to your sleep. It should be neither too warm nor too cold,” the psychiatrist explains.   

Make a date with your bed

Sticking to a regular bedtime routine is your best ally to nod off quickly. Tune in to your natural cycle to find out what time works best for you and make sure you’re in bed on time. If you miss your cycle, it could take a couple hours before you feel the urge to nod off again. And if you don’t stick to a regular time, you could develop serious insomnia.

Get your beauty sleep

“Naturally, sleeping time decrease as we get older. A newborn baby sleeps more than 20 hours, a one to two-year-old child would sleep about 10 hours, adults eight hours, and a senior maybe five to seven hours,” Dr. Prakob says. So make sure you set aside enough time to get a full night’s rest.

Work out

Those whose jobs require lots of mental work have more trouble sleeping than those who do physical work all day.  So, sacrifice at least 15 minutes to exercise each day—your body will get healthier, enabling you to relax and go to sleep more easily. However, you should do exercise early in the day and avoid tough activities before trying to hit the sack.

If all else fails…

If your sleeping disorder is taking its toll on your daily life and decreasing your efficiency, you should consult a doctor immediately. “We can help you by examining your condition and prescribing you some sleeping aids such as Melatonin,” says Dr. Prakob, “Some drugs have side effects that cause you to feel drowsy when you wake up so you really need to get a serious examination for the doctor to determine what is best in your case.”

Sleep Disorders

Insomnia is also linked to these sleep disorders:
Sleep Apnea—respiratory stoppages while sleeping that can last from 10 seconds to one minute.

Narcolepsy—the urge to sleep more, no matter how much one has slept.

Nocturnal Myoclonus—violent leg twitching every 20 to 40 seconds that can last from minutes to hours.

Restless Legs Syndrome—uncomfortable sensations that are felt inside the legs and other parts of the body.

Nightmares and Night Terrors—frightening dreams and sensations.

Sleep Clinics

Bumrungrad Hospital

9/F North Wing, 33 Nana, 02-667-1555. www.bumrungrad.com
Bumrungrad’s Sleep Disorder Center is a specialized department dedicated to insomnia and other sleeping problems. There’s also a sleep-testing center where physicians can monitor your sleep patterns to better diagnose your sleep problems.

Bangkok Hospital

2 Soi Soonvijai 7, New Petchaburi Rd., 02-310-3102.
www.bangkokhospital.com
The hospital’s “Special Clinic” provides psychiatric treatments for ailments including insomnia.

Samitivej Hospital

1/F Building 1, 133 Sukhumvit Soi 49, 02-711-8787. www.samitivej.co.th.
The Psychiatry Clinic at Samitivej also offers sleep disorder counseling.

24-Hours Grub

Sunrise Tacos

236/3-4 Sukhumvit Rd., (between Sois 12 and 14). 02-229-4851. www.sunrisetacos.com.
A short walk from Asok BTS Station and there it is to help light up your night. Margaritas until 1am.

Big John’s

161/8-9 Thonglor Soi 9, 02-712-9712. www.bigjohnsworld.com
If you are not a low carb person, and need a big gulp to fill your tummy, then go to Big John’s, a café with a laid back atmosphere serving farang food, like burgers and pizza.

Chokdee Dimsum

33/2-3 Sukhumvit Soi 63 (Soi Ekkamai) 02-714-0312. www.chokdeedimsum.com
If you are in the mood for Chinese fast food in the wee hours, Chokdee Dimsum, is your place. Just choose from their variety of dim sum and they’ll steam it to order. There are branches spread throughout the city to make your nocturnal mission easy.

Coffee Society

12/3 Silom Rd., 087-100-3260. www.coffeesociety.co.th.
If you’re drinking coffee at night, don’t complain to us about your insomnia, but this four-level café is a late night hangout. They have it all: food, beverages, cozy couches and free wifi.