Have you experienced having difficulty in falling asleep, like from a long day at work, you crawl into your bed but you just end up staring at the ceiling with eyes wide open and there are too many thoughts running in your head? If you often experience this, you might be suffering from insomnia or habitual sleeplessness.

Today, there are many remedies for insomnia such as cutting back on caffeine and alcohol, consulting to doctors for medications, using luxury mattresses and pillows, and many more. Sleep medications can be the most effective remedy for short-term sleeplessness, however, it should be taken with caution because it has negative impacts which may affect your overall health when taken in regularly. Aside from medications, there are also natural sleep remedies like lifestyle changes, which can help relieve insomnia. However, if you turn to natural relief aids, you should be patient enough to wait for it to take effect.

If you’re looking for a good night’s sleep, you can try these different types of relief aids and see if you’ll be able to sleep soundly.

Change in Lifestyle

Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment

It’s important for people suffering from insomnia to sleep in a calm and relaxing environment. If you have insomnia, try to remove digital clocks, cell phones, laptops, and as well as other electronic devices which can disrupt your sleep cycle. Make your room the best environment for deep sleep. You can also put curtains on your windows to block outdoor lights and keep your room’s temperature between 60 and 67 degrees.

Have a Bedtime Ritual

Another reason for not having a good night’s sleep is the lack of a bedtime ritual. Having a bedtime ritual can also be a cure for insomnia. Try to go to bed and wake up in a uniform time every day. You can also develop nightly habits such as listening to music or reading books in bed. These activities will help your brain prepare for sleep.

Overcome Stress with Exercise

If there’s too much stress in your life and it’s keeping you from having a good night’s sleep, try to exercise. One of the best exercises you can try is Tai chi. It is known to be a powerful sleep-inducing and stress-inducing exercise. Based on a study in Oregon Research Institute in 2004, performing a tai chi routine before going to bed helped people fall asleep eighteen minutes faster and get forty-eight minutes more nightly sleep.

Practice Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on discovering and changing the feelings which trigger depression and stress that causes insomnia. According to research conducted at Harvard, CBT can retrain your body and mind for faster and deeper sleep. In fact, in their study including 63 insomniacs, more from them found CBT more effective compared to prescription sleeping pills.

Foods, Drinks, and Supplements

Try Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain which helps in falling asleep faster when taken as a supplement. It is triggered by the absence of light which ensures we are tired at night and mentally and physically awake during the day. Based on some studies, melatonin can improve sleep quality and it can reduce nighttime disturbances. There are many melatonin supplements available in stores, but you should consult with your doctor first before taking it in.

Drink Warm Milk and Honey

Ending the day with a warm cup of milk and honey is another good remedy for sleeplessness. It’s because milk has sleep-inducing amino acids that help increase serotonin, a natural sedative in the brain. Honey on the other hand help transmits serotonin to your brain faster. Aside from honey, other carbohydrates can also do this as well.

Brew Herbal Tea

There are many kinds of tea which can help you have a good night’s sleep and one of the most effective herbal insomnia cure is valerian tea. It helps in reducing the time it takes to fall asleep and produce a deep and satisfying rest. Aside from drinking it as a tea, it can also be taken in capsules. Based on a study from Iran, about thirty percent of menopausal women got better sleep after drinking valerian tea.

 

Drink Passion Flower Tea

Another kind of tea that is helpful for insomniacs is the passion flower tea. Based on a study in Australia, drinking a cup of this tea every night improved sleep quality. Aside from this, a cup of chamomile tea is also helpful because it has a calming effect on the brain.

 

Check Your Medications

If you are under medications, it’s also important to check on them because some medicines can cause insomnia. Some of these medications are beta-blockers, thyroid medication, medications which contain caffeine, antidepressants, and decongestants. If you’re under one of these medications and you find it difficult to sleep, you should consider talking to your doctor about it. They can change your medications or dosages for you to have a better sleep.

You may also check out our post about Doxylamine Succinate Vs Diphenhydramine – Which Is The Better Sleep Aid for more information.

Doctors can give you medicines that will help relieve your insomnia. However, it’s also important to follow a healthy lifestyle at the same time for your insomnia to be cured faster. We hope these relief aids will help you have a good night’s sleep.