15 Natural Remedies for Insomnia That Actually Work

Insomnia is something that can strike people of all ages and can be a chronic issue or something you suffer from here and there. No matter how frequently insomnia hits, the fact of the matter is that it is literally exhausting to deal with.

It affects the person’s physical and mental ability, which means your personal and work life is affected. A person can only go so long without sleep before their body shuts down.

The good news is that several products are available to help people who suffer from insomnia fall asleep and get a good night’s rest. The doctor may offer a prescription-based medication quickly, but that isn’t always the route people want to take.

If you’re interested in learning about the top natural insomnia remedies, read on. We’ll take a look at some of the most effective, safe, and natural routes to take.

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a type of sleep disorder that affects people in different ways. It could be that you have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep, and in some cases, the person suffers from both of these issues.

As mentioned, it can be a constant problem, which is classed as “chronic,” or it can happen from time to time, which is classed as “acute.” Typically, a person with chronic insomnia has to have the issue on a nightly basis for at least 30 days. If the person has acute insomnia, it may last anywhere from a couple of weeks to just a couple of days.

Top Causes of Insomnia

Although each person is different, there is a list of the top causes of insomnia. These include:

• stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Illness of some sort
• Chronic pain, especially at nighttime
• A disruption in your normal sleep routine/schedule (this is common when traveling)
• Certain medications
• Factors affecting the sleep environment include the light, noise, the bed/pillow, the temperature of the room, etc.

Of course, there can be other factors that cause insomnia, and the person can be suffering from just one of these or many.

It should also be noted that insomnia is divided into two types, which are primary and secondary insomnia. If you have primary insomnia, it means that the sleep problems are an issue on their own and aren’t related to other problems.

If you have secondary insomnia it means the insomnia is occurring due to another issue, meaning it is one of the symptoms of the other health issue.

How Insomnia Affects People

Insomnia is tiring, and it affects a person in a number of ways. Often, people don’t realize how important sleep is. We all know it helps our bodies recharge, but is it really that vital to us?

The short answer is yes! Insomnia impacts the body both physically and mentally and affects the overall quality of life. It has been shown that those who suffer from insomnia report a lower quality of life. It’s scary to think that lack of sleep determines a person’s happiness level!

Ways insomnia can affect you include:

• Irritability
• It can affect a person’s ability to focus/concentrate
• It can affect people at school or work
• A person’s reaction time can suffer
• It can cause weight gain
• It can cause anxiety or depression
• It decreases a person’s sex drive
• It can lead to an increased risk of various diseases that are long-term issues (diabetes, stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure, and more)
• It can affect your memory
• Lack of sleep can affect a person’s ability to make judgment calls
• Lack of sleep tends to make people look older than they are

How to Deal with Insomnia?

Obviously, this is no way to live, which means a person most likely will seek out a remedy for their insomnia. As mentioned, there are prescription-based options for dealing with insomnia, but many people aren’t interested in this approach.

Nowadays, people are much more aware of what they are putting into their bodies, and with that said, a natural approach has become the preferred method. These approaches tend to be safe, side-effect-free, and yet still effective.

The natural approach can also tend to be more cost-effective, and many of them require lifestyle changes to prevent insomnia.

Top 15 Natural Remedies For Insomnia

While there are several natural remedies available today, we’ll focus on the top 10 most popular ones. What’s great about the natural route is that you can often combine these products without any side effects, increasing your chances of seeing results.

1- Melatonin

If you haven’t heard of it before, now is the time to get acquainted with it. This is actually a naturally occurring hormone in your body and it is what controls your sleep. You can purchase it in a pill form from most health stores.

One thing to keep in mind with this item is that less is better; you don’t want to go overboard on this product as it does carry some health risks. A typical recommended dosage is 1 to 3mg of Melatonin about two hours before heading to bed.

2- Valerian Root

This particular herb has plenty of research behind it, and because of that, it has been used for many years. It is meant to act as mild sedation so that you can fall asleep and stay asleep. It should be noted that it isn’t a quick fix. Many people report having to take it on a regular basis for a few weeks before it starts to offer any benefits.

3- Magnesium

Magnesium is an excellent tool to use against insomnia. If your body doesn’t have enough magnesium, studies show it prevents the brain from being able to relax at the end of the day so that you can sleep.

You can certainly take a magnesium supplement, or you can get it through foods. Green leafy vegetables are the best source of magnesium, but they can also be found in almonds, pumpkin seeds, and wheat germs.

4- Lemon Balm Tea

This is also called Melissa officinalis, and it is an herbal supplement that can be found in most health food stores. If your insomnia is due to stress, this tea can be particularly helpful before bed.

5- Indulge in a little relaxation music or nature sounds

These are the kinds of sounds you’d typically hear at a spa; they are soothing and relaxing. You can invest in a sleep sound machine that has a timer so you can fall asleep listening to soothing sounds and not have to worry about turning it off.

All kinds of apps can offer these services on your mobile device. The apps often allow for customization too so you can personalize it to your needs and likes.

6- Schedule time for regular exercise

Exercise plays a very important role in the quality of your sleep, but there is a key here: You’ll want to do your exercise in the morning rather than in the afternoon or at night, too close to the bed. Not only can a morning workout help you sleep that evening, but it’s a great way to start out the day stress-free and feeling energized, so this one has all kinds of benefits.

7- Set up a sleep routine

It’s interesting that we give babies and children a sleep routine that we try to stick to, but as adults, this goes out the window. Just as it is helpful for kids, a steady sleep routine for an adult is also beneficial.

Obviously, there will be times when the routine isn’t going to happen, such as a night out on the town, but in general, it’s important to stick to it. This means going to bed at roughly the same time each night and waking up at the same time each morning, even on the weekends.

This conditions your body to a particular routine. Over time, you may find that you don’t even need an alarm clock in the morning because your body will be so conditioned to that schedule.

8- Give yourself a wind-down period

It’s impossible to run around doing this and that all day and all evening and then expect that at the flick of a switch, your body will be able to turn off and just fall asleep.

Instead, give yourself that wind-down period each night of roughly one hour. Maybe that involves having a soothing bath, reading a book, flipping through a magazine, or anything else you find relaxing.

9- Use a relaxation technique

Speaking of relaxation, you can use techniques to help you achieve that state. Helpful exercises are Yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises. You can buy a book, an instructional video, or even join a class to learn the technique.

What’s great is that once you learn the technique, you can use it anytime and anywhere, even if you’re away on vacation. Whichever exercise you choose can be added to your nighttime routine in the hour leading up to bedtime.

10- Good old warm milk

While this one may sound old-fashioned, there is the truth behind the whole glass of warm milk before bed routine. Milk contains something called tryptophan, which is classed as an amino acid.

This particular amino acid is known to help promote sleep. Isn’t it funny how tired you feel after that big turkey dinner? That’s because turkey also contains tryptophan. Other sources of tryptophan that you can try are bananas, chicken, and fish for dinner to set yourself up for a restful evening.

11- The power of lavender

Lavender is well-known for its calming and soothing effects and is said to work like a very mild tranquilizer. You can add lavender oil to your bath, dab a bit on your forehead and temples at bedtime, and even dab a bit on your pillow before you go to sleep.

If you’re adding it to your bath, try five drops. Another essential oil that has shown to help with sleep is jasmine oil. Again, you can add it to your pillowcase, temples, and forehead.

12- Adjust the temperature in your room before bed

Sleeping in a room that is too warm can be very difficult. Studies show that if your room is cool, not cold, just cool, people will have a more restful sleep. Remember, you can always add a layer if you’re feeling chilled through the night.

Opening the window to let in fresh air can be helpful, but if you live in a noisy neighborhood, it will have the opposite effect.

13- Passionflower can soothe you to sleep

Passionflower is another herb that has been shown to have a sedative effect. It is recommended that you take 4,000 to 8,000 mg of the herb before bed.

14- Adjust the amount of light in your room

Again, this sounds very simple, but it can have a big effect on the quality of your sleep. Darkness is the absolute best condition for sleep, so try to get your room as dark as possible. You can always purchase dark-out curtains to ensure your room stays at the perfect level of light.

15- Chamomile Tea

This tea calms the body, helping with anxiety, digestion problems, and muscle tension. It’s recommended you have a cup of it after dinner so it has a chance to start working, yet won’t keep you running to the bathroom through the night.

Keep in mind that no matter what natural remedy you choose to use, you may still want to speak to your doctor about it and at least inform them of your approach. If you are currently taking any medications, it’s also important to make sure these natural remedies don’t interfere with the effectiveness of your medication.

The Top Five Things to Avoid

Along with using natural remedies, there are also a few things you can avoid to help aid the sleep process.

1- Avoid caffeine consumption in the afternoon

That seems a bit extreme, but the caffeine can stay in your system for a long, affecting your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. If you’re really hurting for that coffee taste with your dinner, opt for a caffeine-free cup of Joe or, better yet, one of the herbal teas listed above.

2- Skip the alcohol

People often assume that a drink before bed will help them sleep, but this is often false. It often results in frequent waking throughout the night, the need to go to the washroom since it is a diuretic, and less restful sleep overall.

3- A TV in the bedroom isn’t a great idea

Often, it keeps people awake and doesn’t allow your mind to relax. So many people flip the TV on, set the timer, and expect to be able to fall asleep. Rarely does this work. Even if you aren’t paying attention to the program on a conscious level, your subconscious still hears all the action, and your brain will still be working.

4- No matter how tired you feel in the day, avoid napping

If you take a nap before bedtime, it’s sure to mess with your ability to sleep. Sometimes, it’s hard to resist that quick cat nap before dinner, but remember, if you give in, you’re really going to mess with your evening routine. You want to be nice but are tired of bedtime.

5- Don’t overeat before bed

If you tend to have your largest meal at dinner, try switching things up and making lunch your largest meal. At dinner, you can have a light, healthy meal instead so your stomach doesn’t feel heavy and bloated at bedtime.

Finish up your meal with herbal tea that aids digestion, such as the Chamomile tea listed above. When it comes to food choices, overly sweet and spicy food can keep you up in the evening.

Conclusion

There is no magical solution to curing insomnia, but what’s great is that there are so many natural remedies out there to experiment with and try. Obviously, not each remedy will work for each person; it’s about finding the right mix and also making changes to your lifestyle and routine.

A great approach is to keep a sleep journal so you can track what methods work, which don’t, and under what circumstances. Over time, you’ll start to decode your own sleep habits, learn what you can do to change them and start enjoying the sleep you deserve.

Resources:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/basics/complications/con-20024293

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/inso

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/insomnia-symptoms-and-causes

http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/home-remedies/natural-home-remedies-insomnia#EJVgTeELcrHI7vim.97