Insomnia can be very disruptive to your daily routine. People normally need 8 hours of sleep to function properly everyday but insomnia can make this very difficult. Aside from your daily routine, it also has a big impact on your work, relationships and health. It’s no wonder that many people are looking for natural remedies or sleep aids in order to help them beat insomnia.
What is a Sleep Aid?
As the name suggests, a sleep aid is something that can help you go to sleep. Sleep aids can be natural or chemical. For example, there are people who ask their doctors to prescribe them sleeping pills. However, sleeping pills can contain harmful chemicals that can interfere with sleep patterns. Some of them can even make you “immune” to the sleeping effects and require higher dosage. This can be dangerous and can cause death.
Natural sleep aids are better because it does not only help you sleep, it also helps you develop good sleeping habits that you can use for a long time. Natural sleeping aids are also chemical-free, making it better and safer for your body.
Benefits of Good Sleep
Sleeping the recommended sleeping hours for your age can do wonders for your mind and body. A good night’s sleep can boost your immune system which can help you fight germs and viruses better. It can also decrease your risk of health problems like heart disease and diabetes. Sleeping also lowers your stress levels and helps you think clearly at work or in school.
Most importantly, you wake up refreshed and ready to tackle another day.
If you are currently experiencing insomnia, there are things that you can do at home to remedy your situation without resorting to drugs. Here are some natural sleep remedies to beat insomnia.
Acupuncture & CES
According to research, acupuncture can help improve insomnia symptoms. In a study of 180 people, they found that acupuncture was able to improve sleep quality and daytime functioning of the participants.
Alternatively, you can also use a CES machine or Cranial Electrical Stimulation (CES). It works by stimulating certain areas of the brain which relaxes the body and mind; resulting in a restful sleep.
Meditation
Meditation is a good sleep aid. It puts the body in a relaxed state which reduces cortisol – the stress hormone – levels in the body. When this happens melatonin increases and helps you fall asleep faster.
Don’t worry. Meditation is not hard. The old counting sheep method works very well as a meditation tool for falling asleep.
Exercise
Exercise works as a natural sleep aid because it raises body temperature. When body temperature increases, the heat signals the body that it’s time to wake up. When it decreases 60-90 minutes later, it tells the body that it’s time to sleep, thereby causing you to feel sleepy.
Lavender
Aromatherapy has always been relaxing and breathing in wonderful smelling scents can help you relax. If you have a diffuser, load it up with scents like lavender. The scent lowers cortisol levels and induces relaxation, making you feel sleepy.
Other popular scents like ylang-ylang, jasmine, lemongrass and vanilla are just as effective.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that is produced by the brain in response to darkness. Taking melatonin supplements can improve sleep quality and is better compared to other sleep aids as it does not cause you to become dependent on it.
When using melatonin, make sure to consult your doctor as it can interact with some drugs. Pregnant and breastfeeding women and people with autoimmune conditions, depression or seizure disorder should not take melatonin.
Get a Bedtime Massage
Getting a massage is one of the best ways to wind down after a long day at work or school. You can ask your partner to use a lavender scented oil to massage you so that you get the benefits of aromatherapy and massage therapy in one session.
Or, you can use a massage gun to soothe tired and irritated muscles. This will help your body relax and help you fall asleep.
Practice Good Sleep Hygiene
Getting cleaned up before going to bed is one of the best ways to practice self care and can help with your sleep routine. Having a routine before bed, signals your mind and body that it is time to relax and fall asleep.
For example, you can start with a 10 minute walk after dinner and then washing up and brushing your teeth afterwards. Then you do your skin care routine and put on your pajamas. You then lie down and read a few pages of your book. After this, you turn off the light and go to sleep. Doing this consistently creates a routine which your mind and body will follow and will result in regular sleep and wake patterns.
Take a Warm Bath
This is another great way to de-stress and relax. Taking a warm bath and incorporating it into your sleep hygiene can help you relax further. You can even use scented oils like lavender for added relaxation.
If you don’t have time for a bath, a warm shower before bed can also do wonders for your relaxation.
Drink an Herbal Tea
Herbal tea like chamomile, mint, matcha and lavender can induce relaxation. They can soothe the body and calm your mind, which is what we’re going for so that we can fall asleep faster.
This is also another good habit that you can include in your sleep hygiene to promote better quality sleep.
Should You Talk to a Doctor Before Taking a Natural Sleep Aid?
Most of the sleeping aids we stated above can be done without the need for consulting your doctor. For example, you can practice meditation and exercise without the need to talk to your doctor.
However, if you want to try taking melatonin supplements or do vigorous exercise, consulting your doctor can prevent the supplement from affecting your current medications and prevent injury.
A good rule of thumb is to ask a health professional health related questions to be safe and sure.
Take-away
As you can see, there are many natural sleep remedies that you can use as a sleeping aid in order to combat insomnia. You don’t need to take dangerous drugs that can cause you to be dependent in order to fall asleep. Trying one or several of our sleep aid suggestions can help you fall asleep and increase the quality of your sleep in a natural way.
