Improve Sleep Naturally with Natural Sleep Remedies
Do you experience difficulty falling asleep and getting a sound, comfortable night’s sleep? You’re not alone in suffering from this problem. It is estimated that over sixty million people in America have a low sleep quality.
Sleep loss can negatively affect your emotional and physical well-being, memory, attention, and mood. On the same note, it also contributes to depression, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and many other physical and mental ailments.
Fortunately, there are simple, non-pharmacological measures that can help you with your insomnia. There are some natural ways which can improve your sleep patterns and can help you wake up fresh the next morning! In this blog, we will go through some effective tips and natural sleep remedies to ensure that, by the end of it, you are acknowledged with effective and efficient practices that will help you improve sleep naturally.
Natural Sleep Remedies: Effective Solutions for Better Sleep
Insomnia is a tough condition where medical support seems to be the only way out! However, relying on drugs is not a permanent or healthy solution. There are chances that you might get addicted to the prescribed sleeping pills and not be able to have sound sleep without them. Thus, we have come up with some effective natural sleep remedies below that will help you get back your beloved slumber sleep!
Drinks for Natural Sleep
Warm Milk: Various studies have acknowledged that drinking warm milk before you go to sleep can largely improve sleep quality. Milk contains tryptophan, a type of chemical used by our body to synthesize serotonin. Serotonin is a particular type of neurotransmitter that has been implicated in the sleep-wake transition.
Chamomile Tea: Drinking chamomile tea is very effective in falling asleep faster. It is a source of flavonoids that affect the benzodiazepine receptors in the brain and soothe your mind and body. Adding chamomile tea to your daily diet and consuming it 1 to 2 hours before sleep will for sure help you out with your sleeping problems.
Tart Cherry Juice: It is a tasty caffeine-free drink that has proven itself to be a saviour for people suffering from insomnia. It helps the body produce melanin, a chemical compound that helps us maintain a healthy sleep/wake cycle.
Physical Exercise: A Key Relaxation Technique for Insomnia
Adding exercise to your daily practices can immensely help you fall asleep quickly. Moderate aerobic exercise improves slow-wave (deep) sleep and proves to be an effective relaxation technique for insomnia. Nevertheless, exercises are not recommended to be done within two hours before sleeping, as exercising raises endorphins and the body's internal temperature, which creates sleep barriers. The ideal time to exercise for better sleep is in the evenings or early mornings.
Best Sleep Aids for Adults:
Leveraging Melatonin Supplements:
Melatonin is a chemical compound that is naturally produced by the penial gland in our body during the night. But often, due to stress and modern-day tight schedules, our bodies fail to produce an adequate amount of melatonin. Thus, melatonin supplementation is one of the best sleep aids for adults who have tight schedules and improper sleeping cycles due to work requirements. It comes in the form of a tablet and is easily accessible without a doctor’s prescription. This is a far better option than taking drugs like sleeping pills, as it is natural, effective, and, best of all, it's not addictive.
Keeping the temperature cool
If the question of how to fall asleep faster naturally is concerning you, this tip can help you immensely. The room temperature should ideally range between 65 and 72 degrees when you are going to sleep. Women who suffer from hot flashes should ensure they are in light, breathable clothes and take a shower to cool their body temperature before sleeping. Keeping the body temperature low helps with falling asleep with discomfort, so if you want to slumber into deep sleep faster, this is a must-try tip for you.
Ensure surroundings are positive when sleeping
Our body’s sleep cycle is affected by the amount of light present in the environment, even light from screens or light leaking from your washroom can cause sleep disruption. One must ensure that the room is dark and cool when going to sleep. It is recommended to not use any screens 1-2 hours prior to going to bed at night. Using a flashlight rather than turning on lights when getting up during the night is an effective tip as it does not disrupt the state of sleepiness.
Top Natural Sleep Remedies to Keep in Mind
Here are a few relaxation techniques that, when practiced regularly, will ensure results within a week!
Practical relaxation techniques for insomnia
Mindfulness Meditation
Try to breathe slowly and calmly, focusing on your breathing, your physical sensations, and your thoughts. Practising mindfulness has numerous benefits for our body, including lower stress levels, enhanced focus, and a boost in immunity. Our body rests better when the stress levels are lower and there is proper mind and body harmony. Ideally, it should be done for fifteen minutes in the morning or evening.
Mantra Repetition and Yoga
Repeating positive affirmations, mantras and practicing yoga have proven to help reduce stress levels and in turn better sleep quality. One can start with some basic yoga practices like Yoga nidra and Surya namaskar to improve overall health along with better sleep. Yoga improves sleep quality, reduces stress, and has functional abilities. Keep in mind that this remedy works only if it is practiced regularly at least for seven days or a week.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy helps to enhance the quality of sleep and also reduces factors like pain, anxiety, and depression.
Lavender Oil
Lavender enhances mood, lowers pain sensation, and facilitates sleep. Take lavender oil capsules, light up lavender oil from a diffuser, or drink lavender tea.
Additional Tips and Tricks On How to fall asleep faster naturally
- Avoid nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime.
- Limit food intake during dinner.
- Perform physical activities in the morning or afternoon.
- Shower or bathe in the evening before going to bed.
- Reduce screen time one to two hours before bedtime.
- Read a book in bed before falling asleep
- If you cannot sleep in the first 20 minutes, try to get out of bed and do something that is not stimulating.
Conclusion
Positive changes to your lifestyle and the use of natural remedies would go a long way in helping you get better sleep. However, if the following signs and symptoms persist, you should seek the advice of your doctor on what other steps can be taken. As mentioned earlier, it is critical to maintain a regular sleep schedule and have a comfortable sleeping environment to get good quality sleep without the use of medical sleeping aids.