Insomnia is a very horrid and discomforting problem. It deprives you of a good night’s sleep, and causes a serious downfall of your health and vitality. You feel and work like a zombie, dying to sleep but unable to do so. And then you leap towards expensive drugs and sleeping aids infused with chemicals. Some even resort to recreational drugs, but do not despair, for like all our ailments and illnesses, nature has an answer for this one too.
11 Home Remedies for Insomnia That Actually Work
Here are 11 amazing home remedies that can actually cure your insomnia and help you catch up on your beauty sleep!
1. Passionflower Tea
A recent study revealed that all you really need to improve your sleep quality and regulate your sleeping hours is a cup of freshly brewed passionflower tea. This tropical brew is extremely tasty, and a powerful herbal potion. It is also recommended that you take a cup of chamomile tea, as it is infused with flavonoid apigenin, which calms the brain and relaxes it so you can fall asleep.
2. Valerian Tea
If you’re looking for the best organic cure for insomnia, valerian tea is just what you need. You can find valerian tea very easily in any pharmacy, organic store or from a professional herbalist. A nice hot cup of valerian tea will make you sleep quicker and deeper, helping you achieve a much more restful and satisfying slumber.
You can also consume this herb in the form of a tincture or a capsule. Scientific results have proved that valerian tea is an effective remedy for a deep sleep, and if your insomnia is occurring due to menopause, it can really help you improve your sleep quality, patterns and get rid of the awful sleeplessness.
3. Exercise to Combat Stress
In most cases of insomnia, it is anxiety and stress that are depriving your body of sleep. And the best way to combat stress is to exert yourself and burns some calories at the gym, a brisk walk or a jog around the block. You can even explore options like meditation, yoga or keeping a regular journal, they will help you wear off the stress and unwind yourself to really be able to relax.
Research reveals that Tai Chi is a wonderful exercise that has found to not only reduce stress, but also, it has showed amazing sleep inducing results by helping patients sleep 18 minutes earlier than their usual time. And the best part is, it is an exciting exercise so you won’t have to count the seconds until the session ends.
4. A Warm Glass of Milk & Honey
If you have a habit of drinking a glass of wine before bed, it’s time to put an end to it and instead, start drinking a hot mug of milk and honey. It’s the perfect remedy for insomnia, because milk is rich in amino acid tryptophan, which has powerful sleep inducing properties, and helps increase the amount of serotonin in your brain, making you relaxed and sleepy.
Honey contains good carbs that quicken the process of sending hormones to your brain.
You can also receive a serotonin or tryptophan increase with a nice turkey sandwich, which is also high in carbohydrates and a healthy snack if you’re hungry before bed. A glass of milk with banana will also do the trick as it has lots of Vitamin B.
5. Examine Your Medications
There are certain medicines, for instance thyroid medication, beta-blockers, antidepressants, caffeinated medicines and decongestants, which cause sleep deprivation and insomnia. If you’re consuming any of the above mentioned medication, or any medication at all, it’s highly advised to consult with your doctor and inquire to check which of the medicines is disturbing your sleeping patterns and sleep quality.
Medicines we take tend to be a common cause of insomnia, and you can always ask your doctor to reduce the dosage, or give you a substitute that won’t disrupt your sleep.
6. A Nice Hot Bath
A hot bath, or a lovely bubble bath, is the best natural remedy to help cure insomnia and regulate your sleeping behaviour. A recent study that examined sleeping patterns in insomniac women just revealed that enjoying a hot bath, with an ideal temperature of around 98-112 Fahrenheit, for about 90-120 minutes effectively improves sleeping patterns and sleep quality.
7. A Bedtime Schedule
It is essential to strictly follow a bedtime schedule and failing to do so can really disrupt your sleeping patterns, sleep quality and duration. It is truly the easiest cure for sleep deprivation, just go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. The trick is to start preparing your brain for sleep on the same time each night, for instance listening to soothing music on your smartphone, reading a nice book, or any other hobby that you would like to catch up on as you prepare to go to sleep.
A recent study just proved that music can really help insomniacs soothe their minds and fall asleep quicker.
8. Try These CBT Techniques
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for changing and discouraging any emotions of thoughts that are causing you to become stressed or depressed, and they can also help you get rid of insomnia. A recent study revealed that certain CBT techniques can teach your mind to go to sleep faster and much deeper, and they are much more effective than sleeping pills. They work wonders to improve sleep quality, and you don’t have to struggle for hours before you finally get some sleep.
These techniques are really simple and you can easily try them at home. You see, you need to adopt healthier sleeping habits, for instance, start with keeping a sleep journal in which you record your sleeping and waking up timings, and quit taking daytime naps. Make a regular schedule for sleeping and go to bed and wake up at the same time at least 5-6 days a week.
9. A Calm and Relaxed Sleeping Environment
If you want to get rid of your insomnia and get that good night’s sleep you’ve been craving for so long, you need to create a sleep friendly and relaxed environment where your beauty sleep will not be interrupted and disturbed.
For instance digital clocks, laptop light, electric lights, your cell phone ringing in the middle of the night, or even vibrating with those nasty email or Facebook notification pings that cause you stay up and start surfing social media for a couple minutes.
All these interruptions and intrusions disturb your sleep cycle, even the blinds that cause the lights outside to seep into your room and irritate your eyes. So, shut the blinds tightly, put your phone on silent, or better yet, switch it off.
10. Melatonin
Melatonin, an essential hormone generated by your brain, if consumed as a supplement it can help you sleep quicker and longer. You see, it retunes and regulates your body’s sleeping patterns by making sure that you are tired and drowsy at night and active, and fast during the day.
A study that examined the effects of melatonin on sleeping behaviours revealed that it causes dramatic improvements in sleep quality, increases sleep duration and helps put an end to sleep disturbances. You can buy several melatonin supplement at pharmacies and organic shops, however, you must consult with your doctor to determine if it is an advisable sleep remedy that will suit your body.
11. Light Therapy
Natural light can work some real wonders on our health and vitality, and your dermatologist or a professional light box manufacturer, can provide you with a bright light therapy session. It can help regulate your sleeping patterns, and help get rid of unhealthy sleeping habits, improving both sleep quality and duration.
A recent study just revealed that daily exposure to light therapy lamps can help cure insomnia, sleep quicker and much longer. You can always head outdoors and bask in the noon light. It will help regulate your circadian rhythm, which gets disrupted if you’re stuck indoors all the time.
