Unable to establish a Proper Sleeping Pattern

Dear Ask The Doctor: I've been having trouble sleeping at night, I went to sleep around 2am last night and woke up at 5:30am completely awake. Last week I was averaging 4 hours of sleep a night so I was taking many naps during the day and my general sleep schedule is atrocious right now. Any help on getting restful sleep and actually staying asleep for more than a couple hours?

Dear Andrew: Poor sleeping habits and lifestyle changes may cause insomnia and make it difficult in attaining proper sleep.

Poor sleeping habits are : sleeping at different times each night, sleeping during the day, noise or light in the bedroom, evening workouts, using computer, cellphone or ipad in bed. Use of alcohol, certain drugs, smoking and caffeine may also cause insomnia. Depression, stress and anxiety can also alter the sleep pattern.

I would suggest certain life style modification before contemplation on taking medications for sleep. These are : Sleeping at the exact time every night, use the bed only for sleeping and not using laptops, watching tv when in bed. Stop taking day time naps and avoid caffeine and exercise before bedtime. Yoga, breathing exercises and soft music may help relieve stress and can be beneficial in insomnia.