Team Prysm

Abdurrahman AvciogluEkaterina Kuznetsova

Dianne TongcoMod Ly

Problem Statement

• We are trying to help our imaginary friend Tom who got insomnia, in other words sleeplessness problem. He has difficulties falling asleep and remaining asleep. Therefore, here are our solution proposal for Tom about how to tackle his sleeplessness problem.

Solution Proposal1) Take a warm bath, slightly warmer than body temperature, soak and relax for

20 minutes an hour before bedtime.

2) Have a warm beverage 30 minutes before bedtime.

3) Discontinue thoughts of problems that you have, or what needs to be done tomorrow. If you are worried about forgetting what you have to do tomorrow, write it down.

4) Stay away from stimulating thoughts and television shows. If you must read, then read something that is boring.

5) Reserve your bed for sleep. Do reading and television watching in another room.

6) Do not try to make your mind blank. Do not try to fall asleep. Just allow yourself to rest and relax.

7) Make sure you have a comfortable bed.

8) Make the room as quiet as possible.

9) If your partner snores, move to another room.10) Use white noise to cover up outside noises.11) Use a fan to provide a relaxing, monotonous drone.12) Don’t eat a large meal for at least 3 hours prior to bedtime.13) Power down your electronic devices (smartphone, computer, laptop,

tablets, etc.) at least 60 minutes before bedtime.14) Make sure your sleeping area is slightly cool to facilitate rest.15) Take melatonin (homeopathic drug) to help lull you to sleep.16) Make sure your bedroom/sleeping area is dark. Turn off or cover your

alarm clock display or other lights in the room.17) Go to bed at the same time every night to set your body’s own internal

clock.18) Don’t drink alcohol at least three hours before bedtime.19) No caffeine or carbonated beverages at least 30 minutes before

bedtime.20) Follow a set routine at bedtime to train your mind and set your body’s

internal clock.

21) Avoid naps. Napping during the day can make it more difficult to sleep at night. If you feel like you have to take a nap, limit it to 30 minutes before 3 p.m.

22) Avoid vigorous exercise before bedtime.

23) Limit nicotine.

24) Increase light exposure during the day..

25) Limit artificial light at night.

26) If you must work night shift, adjust your sleep-wake cycle by exposing yourself to bright light when you wake up at night, use bright lamps or daylight-simulation bulbs in your workplace, and then wear dark glasses on your journey home to block out sunlight and encourage sleepiness.

27) Limit the number of night or irregular shifts you work in a row to prevent sleep deprivation mounting up.

28) Avoid frequently rotating shifts so you can maintain the same sleep schedule.

29) Avoid a long commute that cuts into your sleep time. The more time you spend traveling home in daylight, the more awake you’ll become and the harder you’ll find it to get to sleep.

30) Make sleep a priority at the weekends or

on your days off so you can pay off your sleep debt.

31) Use the bedroom only for sleeping and sex.

32) Get out of bed when you can’t sleep.

33) Practice abdominal breathing. Most of us don’t breathe as deeply as we should. When we breathe deeply and fully, involving not only the chest, but also the belly, lower back, and ribcage, it can actually help our parasympathetic nervous system, which controls relaxation.

34) Employ progressive muscle relaxation.. Lie down or make yourself comfortable. Starting with your feet, tense the muscles as tightly as you can. Hold for a count of 10, then relax. Continue to do this for every muscle group in your body, working your way up from your feet to the top of your head.

35) Take Valerian. Valerian is an herb with mild sedative effects that may help you sleep better.

36) You can take prescription sleep medications can provide temporary relief, it’s important to understand that sleeping pills are not a cure for insomnia.

37) Learn and practice yoga. Exercise and deep breathing help you sleep.

38) Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. That includes weekends. By sticking to a schedule you’ll be significantly more alert than if you slept for the same total amount of time at varying hours during the week.

39) Sleep in one continuous block. So-called “fragmented sleep” causes daytime drowsiness, compromises learning, memory, productivity, and creativity. “In fact, six hours of continuous sleep are often more restorative than eight hours of fragmented sleep.”

40) Make up for lost sleep as soon as possible. Catch up by going to bed earlier rather than sleeping later. If you sleep later, it will make it harder to get to sleep the following night at the usual hour.

41) Avoid caffeine after 2:00 p.m.

42) Exercise between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.

43) Eat once or twice a week some snacks

44) Go to Yoga classes or to stretch classes

45) Light candles at the evening

46) Listen to relax music

47) Go to meet friends

48) Alcohol may feel like it's soothing you, but research has shown that alcohol upsets sleep, preventing a deep rest. The same can be said of tobacco so avoid them both before bedtime.

49) Try alternative therapies such as aromatherapy and reflexology, or herbal remedies.

50) Sleep on your back. It's the best position for relaxing, and allows all your internal organs to rest properly. If you must sleep on your side, do it on your right side, not your left. Sleeping on the left side causes your lungs, stomach and liver to press against your heart, causing stress on an organ that most of us find quite useful.

51) Follow the principles of feng shui. Avoid sleeping under a window or with your head towards the door. Ceiling beams are also bad, but can be neutralised with bamboo flutes.

52) Healthy Diet. A healthy diet can pave the way for a good night’s sleep.

53) Instead of counting sheep, count peacocks, giraffes, or emus! :)))))

54) Start at one, two, or five hundred, and count backwards down to one.

55) Think of a boy and girl's name starting with each letter of the alphabet. For example; Albert and Alice, Bryan and Betty, or Carl and Camilla. See how far you can go.

56) Listen to a recording of crashing waves, dolphin sounds, heartbeats, or raindrops.

57) Don't have tea, chocolate or cola in the evening.

58) Imagine walking through a lush valley. Hear the birdsong, smell the trees and visualise the beauty of the countryside.

59) Don't have the temperature of your room too hot, or too cold.

60) Sleep in a well ventilated room.

61) Do not fall to sleep on your front, as this results in shallow breathing and causes pressure on your internal organs.

62) Fifteen minutes of exercise a day will supply your body with the activity and oxygen it needs to relax at bedtime.

63) Make a list of everything that is bothering you and therefore keeping you awake.

62) Imagine yourself writing the list onto a piece of paper and then screwing it up and throwing it away.

63) Try to settle yourself by repeating soothing words to yourself, such as calm, peaceful, relaxing.

64) Try to get your partner to give you a relaxing massage just before bed, or while you are both in bed.

65) Make love. If your partner is in bed with you, listen to his breath and try to synchronise your breathing with his.

66) Go back to a special time and place in your mind. Relive the sights, smells and feelings you felt at the time.

67) Imagine you are on the beach. Feel the hot sun on your body, smell the salt water and feel the warm, granular sand under your feet and between your toes.

68) Avoid illuminated bedside clocks. A lit clock face can be extremely disturbing if you have a hard time getting to sleep.

69) Sleep with your head facing north. Sounds bizarre? Try it and see if it makes a difference for you.

70) Imagine you are decorating your dream house. What colour scheme would you use? What style of furnishings and decoration would you prefer? See each colour and pattern in detail.

71) If you really can't sleep, get up. Don't lie awake for more than thirty minutes. Read a book, have a drink, and when you feel tired again, go back to bed.

74) Think back on everything you did throughout the day, from getting up, having breakfast, going to work, right through to getting ready for bed and lying where you are now.

75) Try to remember what you were doing this time last year.

76) Repeat to yourself ‘I am getting sleepy, I am growing tired, I am falling to sleep.'

77) If you are a fan of soap operas, replay some of the scenes in your mind, with yourself as one of the characters.

78) Stare with your eyes closed at the insides of your eyelids.

79) Drink hot tea, etc… (not coffee)

80) Making tired of yourself (sports, spending effort)

81) Try to sleep by putting your body under water, it helps to relax your muscles

82) Counting sheep.

83) Sleeping in a hot room

84) Moving to a new apartment

85) Trying to sleep in a natural environment which has fresh air and more oxygen

86) Making regular streching (exercises) before sleeping

87) Trying to sleep less, thus your body wants to sleep and have rest for the next day.

88) New technology devices which send more oxygen to brain.

89) Eating less for dinner.90) Spending too much energy, thus body needs to have rest more.91) Regular check-ups for monitoring your body balance.92) Listening classical music.93) Orthopedic pillow and bed.94) Solving IQ tests, thus making tired of your brain.95) Reading many pages of books.96) Changing environment on daily basis97) Playing Piano98) Getting sick, lower body resistance 99) Checking internet forums.100) Forming a community including people having insomnia, and brainstorming for

how to tackle their sleeping problems.