There is a familiar moment at night for many people: when the bedside lamp is turned off and everything is quiet except for the loud thoughts in the mind. Even when trying to toss and turn, forcing oneself to sleep, or repeatedly telling oneself, “I must sleep now,” the feeling of sleepiness seems to fade away, ending with the loss of the morning's freshness and a comforting promise to try again tonight.
However, for many people, sleepless nights are not just occasional; they become a recurring cycle that gradually undermines quality of life.
Originally, in medicine, insomnia was seen as just a symptom accompanying other issues like stress, anxiety, depression, or certain physical illnesses. If the root cause was addressed, the problem would resolve.
But over the past two decades, sleep scientists have begun to study insomnia anew. Numerous studies indicate that insomnia is not always a shadow of other problems; it can be a condition with its own cycles, mechanisms, and impacts, requiring targeted care.
Because when sleep balance is disrupted, other life systems become unbalanced too—affecting emotions, concentration, immunity, and even the ability to make everyday decisions.
Currently, this problem is affecting teenagers and working adults because the digital age blurs the line between rest time and wakefulness. Screens that never turn off, a work culture always connected, and delayed sleep habits all disturb natural sleep, causing physical exhaustion.
Today's teenagers live with screens active 24/7—online homework, endless short clips, late-night gaming with friends, plus pressures from studies and social competition. The blue light from screens directly inhibits melatonin secretion, a hormone signaling the body to rest. Frequent exposure gradually impairs the brain's ability to distinguish wake time from sleep time.
For working adults, it’s even worse. For many, the boundaries between work and personal time blur so much they become indistinguishable, keeping the brain in constant alert mode. Many rely on coffee to sustain energy during the day and use series or social media at night for comfort, believing they are resting, but in reality, the brain continues processing information intensely.
Moreover, many fall into a trap psychologists call Revenge Bedtime Procrastination—delaying sleep to reclaim personal time. After spending the day burdened by duties with no space for oneself, people resist sleep to watch videos, scroll feeds, or binge series as a reward, unknowingly trading rest for fleeting freedom, which accumulates fatigue and harms health.
Normally, during sleep, the brain organizes information, restores nerve cells, repairs tissues, and balances chemicals. Sleep deprivation cuts this maintenance time, leading to reduced concentration, poorer problem-solving, impaired emotional control, and heightened emotional reactions. Minor issues that would normally be ignored become triggers for irrational frustration or anxiety.
More worryingly, persistent insomnia may cause fear of bedtime itself. Just seeing the bed triggers pressure because the brain associates it with failed attempts, stress, and disappointment rather than rest. This state causes increased alertness the more one tries to sleep, leading to a cycle of sleeplessness.
This explains why sleep experts recommend doing something seemingly counterintuitive: if you can't sleep after about twenty minutes, don't force yourself to stay in bed. Instead, get up and engage in calm, non-stimulating activities that divert attention from repetitive thoughts.
1. Light reading is one effective approach.
Reading helps the brain shift from a mode of threat assessment or endless rumination to a steady intake of information. When focused on a non-stressful story, the nervous system gradually lowers alertness. The key is to use paper books or devices without blue light, because switching to phone screens may worsen insomnia.
2. Writing a to-do list for the next day.
This simple method is supported by research. Often, difficulty sleeping isn’t caused by major problems but by many small unfinished tasks the brain tries to hold onto for fear of forgetting. Writing them down signals the brain, “You don’t have to keep this in mind—it’s recorded,” significantly reducing mental burden.
3. Listening to relaxing music.
Slow-tempo music helps the autonomic nervous system adjust; heart rate and breathing slow down. The body senses a safe environment to rest. However, music should not be emotionally stimulating, because songs linked to memories might cause distraction instead of calm.
4. Breathing exercises.
These directly affect physiology. Slow, deep breathing, especially exhaling longer than inhaling, activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes recovery. Heart rate slows, muscles relax, and the brain reduces vigilance. Simple techniques like inhaling for 4 seconds and exhaling for 6 seconds repeated for a few minutes can genuinely reduce hyperarousal.
5. The military method.
Also known as the 2-minute sleep technique, it involves progressively relaxing each body part—from face, eyelids, jaw, and tongue, then naturally lowering the arms, relaxing the chest with slow deep breaths, followed by loosening leg muscles down to the feet. Once fully relaxed, clear the mind for about 10 seconds by imagining peaceful scenes, such as lying on a boat in a calm lake or in a dark, quiet room. The key is to practice nightly until the brain learns to associate this routine with quickly falling asleep.
6. Avoid compensating with daytime naps.
Many people try to make up for poor nighttime sleep with long daytime naps. While napping can help brain recovery, it must be done cautiously. Experts advise napping early afternoon for no more than 20 minutes; longer naps lead to deep sleep stages and grogginess upon waking. Importantly, some of the sleep pressure meant for nighttime is used during the nap, making it harder to fall asleep at night.
Scientists studying insomnia have found that sleep cannot be forced by effort; the more you try, the more it eludes you. Sleep happens when the body and brain feel safe enough to let go.
The most important lesson may not be any single technique but a shift in mindset: sleep is not a reward given after finishing everything but a fundamental condition that enables us to live fully energized the next day.