Natural Sleep Aids to Sleep Better

Five Natural Insomnia Cures

Aug 28, 2009
Prerna Malik

Sleep Well With Natural Sleeping Aids - peasap

Insomnia or a regular inability to sleep can interfere with everyday life and cause several problems. Here are simple, natural ways to help insomniacs sleep better.

A lack of sleep can cause more than just dark circles. It can lead to poor concentration, chronic fatigue, irritability and a general inability to function properly. Moreover, chronic insomnia can be a symptom of an underlying disease and can lead to other physiological imbalances. While resorting to sleep medication and popping a pill may seem an easy alternative, it can have harmful side effects. Here are some natural sleep aids and tips for better sleep.

Using Meditation and Yoga

Relaxation techniques, such as, meditation and yoga as well as deep breathing exercises can help calm the mind. It is important for the mind to be relaxed in order to sleep well. Meditation and yoga help to reduce stress, relieve anxiety and give the body a chance to unwind from the day’s hectic activity. Practice for at least 10-15 minutes before bedtime. To learn more about meditation, do read A Beginner's Guide to Meditation to help get started.

Dietary Changes

Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are known to interfere with sleep patterns and therefore, should be avoided before bedtime or even in the evening. Research shows that a single cup of coffee in the evening can cause trouble sleeping. Even sugary foods may cause insomnia simply because of the changes in blood sugar levels. Instead, have a warm glass of milk or a carbohydrate-rich snack that will help in sleeping well.

Herbal remedies and dietary supplements, such as, lemon balm, magnesium, calcium and tryptophan have all been linked to improving sleep patterns. According to results of a double blind study quoted in From Fatigued to Fantastic by Jacob Teitelbaum, "taking 80 to 160 milligrams of lemon balm (also known as melissa) in combination with 180 to 360 milligrams of valerian improved deep-stage sleep, without sedating."

Environmental Changes

Create the right environment for good sleep. Reduce light and ambient noise. Make sure that the room and bed are uncluttered and comfortable to sleep in. Play soft, soothing music to lull the senses and relax the mind. Avoid watching television or playing video games right before bedtime. If possible, keep the television in the family room and not in the bedroom. Taking a warm and relaxing bath will also aid in sleeping well.

Aromatherapy

Fragrances and essential oils have been linked to promoting better sleep. Lavender, especially, has been touted as an effective sedative. Simply sprinkle a few drops of lavender essential oil on the pillow or add a few drops in the bath water for your evening bath. The effects of lavender are almost immediate in relaxing and calming the senses and encouraging sleep. Chamomile and ylang ylang are other essential oils that help with insomnia.

Exercise and Reading

Exercise relaxes the body and mind. However, vigorous and too much of exercise will interfere with sleep. So, do exercise but in moderation and choose a milder, lower intensity activity for better sleep. Reading a good book is not just a great way to destress but also a good way to doze off. Choose a lighthearted read rather than a gripping mystery or thriller to unwind and sleep well.

While these natural cures for insomnia will help to deal with trouble sleeping, it is important to check with a doctor before trying any alternative therapy. At the end of the day, go to bed with a clear mind and deal with stress effectively to enjoy a good night’s sleep and wake up refreshed and rejuvenated. For more on dealing with stress and natural cures, read Five Ways to Reduce Stress and Anxiety and Natural Ways to Prevent Flu.

References:

Cass, Hyla. Holford, Patrick. Natural Highs:Supplements, Nutrition and Mind-Body Techniques to Help You Feel Good All The Time. Avery, 2003.

Teitelbaum, Jacob. From Fatigued to Fantastic! A Clinically Proven Way to Regain Vibrant Health and Overcome Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia. Avery 2007.

Prerna Malik - Prerna Malik is a professional freelance writer, business blogger, social media expert and obsessive organizer.

Comments

Jan 1, 2011 9:44 AM

Guest :

It certainly is important to get enough sleep, especially if you are MALE!

CNN had a health report that stated Insomnia is deadly but it went on even further, it was deadly for males.

Men with insomnia were more than four times as likely to die as “good sleepers” during the 14-year study, published Wednesday in the journal Sleep.

Add hypertension or diabetes, and men with insomnia were seven times as likely to die as those not suffering from sleep problems, the study found.

What was very interesting is that this report stated:

Self-reported chronic insomnia plus lack of sleep among women did not result in more deaths among women.

Insomnia like almost everything else will kill males faster than it does women.

I also see they were trying to make excuses for the fragile male by saying "Insomnia among women could be less severe, or the study did not follow women long enough." However, later it said they studied 1,000 women and 741 men, with an average age of 50. Of that group, 8 percent women and 4 percent of men complained of chronic insomnia and slept fewer than six hours when they were measured in a sleep laboratory so it seems that the most likely cause of the male deaths from lack of sleep is that males are much more fragile than women. How else do they explain a lot of male deaths and then state chronic insomnia plus lack of sleep among women did not result in more deaths among women. I know people do not like to hear it, especially males because we all know that the male ego is fragile too but this does show the superiority of women and if the males can acknowledge they are the inferior sex, maybe they can get help in the many areas they are weaker in.

Jan 7, 2011 1:23 AM

Guest :

According to that report, insomnia kills men perhaps because it adds a lot of stress to them. Stress does kill but it kills males more often.

Males are 25% more likely to die in infancy than girls
Most of the miscarriages would have been male and male premature infants are much less likely to survive. In fact, a girl born 4 weeks earlier than males will survive better than a male born 4 weeks after she was. Some places, if a male is born from the 22th to the 25th week, they will just do comfort care while they wait for the male to die but girls will receive aggressive intensive care treatment born in this time because she is more likely to survive. Premature baby girls were 1.7 times more likely to survive than males. However, African-American baby girls were 2.1 times as likely to survive as white males.
Males have a life expectancy of 64.52 years, as compared to a life expectancy of 68.76 years for women

In the U.S., males have higher death rates for all of the 15 leading causes of death (with the exception of Alzheimer’s disease) and die more than five years younger than women.

The brains of adult males are about 10% larger in total size than the brains of women but women use their brains more efficiently than do males as the male tend to use only one side of their brain at a time, devoting all of their attention and concentration to the task at hand. Women, on the other hand, tend to use both sides of the brain at the same time, making them more adept at "multi-tasking

For approximately the first six weeks after conception, all human embryos develop as a default female child, at which time if something goes wrong, a male is the result.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, males are 10 times more likely to commit murder. Both female and male offenders are more likely to target male victims

75% of those killed in auto accidents are male.

So you see, males are more likely to die earlier that women from almost every cause which shows males are the weaker sex. Many other things also show that women are the superior sex in almost every area. BTW, I am not a girl, I am a male but just between us, I am glad it is you girls who are the superior gender.

2 Comments

Natural Sleep Aids to Sleep Better

Five Natural Insomnia Cures

Using Meditation and Yoga

Dietary Changes

Environmental Changes

Aromatherapy

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Exercise and Reading

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