Did you know that 1 in every 3 adults suffer from insomnia at some point in their lives? Even worse, for 1 in 10 adults insomnia is a chronic problem. Sleep problems can be caused by a variety of things but the most common causes are anxiety or stress, diseases (like enlarged prostate, arthritis, or cystitis), jet lag, lack of exposure to sunlight and too many stimulants (like caffeine or sugar).
Because of the prevalence of troubled sleeping there are hundreds of medicines designed to help you sleep better. Most of them, unfortunately, are ineffective and make natural sleep even harder to come by. In order to help you I combed the web in order to find the natural sleep remedies that are most likely to get you sleeping the 8 hours that your body needs each night.
Minimize screen time before bed
Many people feel that watching the news or playing a game on the iPad helps them unwind after a long day of work. Studies have shown, however, that exposure to back-lit screens shortly before bed causes a lower-quality sleep. This is because a light-flickering device, like a TV or computer monitor, sends signals that are different than the natural light signals that are supposed to prepare us for sleep (think the fading light at sunset).
Exercise in the morning or afternoon
It is probably no surprise to you that exercise will help you sleep better but the National Sleep Foundation reports that exercising too close to bedtime can actually make your sleep worse. Exercising in the morning or afternoon does, in contrast, deepen sleep cycles and will help you fall asleep quicker.
Eat healthily and choose the right food before going to bed
A healthy diet will allow your body to function properly and thus will enhance the natural cycles needed for a deep sleep. In addition, the last foods you choose to eat each night can also determine how well you sleep. Warm milk, chamomile tea and turkey are famous for their sleep-inducing powers but other foods like bananas, potatoes, oatmeal and whole wheat bread also will help ease the body into sleep.
Use natural, essential oils before going to bed
If you don’t eat like to eat before sleeping or if you do not typically eat any of the foods mentioned in tip 3, you should consider taking a few drops from an essential oils mixture. You want to look for a bottle that contains natural chemicals like melatonin or chamomile. These mixtures contain many of the same natural chemicals that the foods in tip 3 contain but in a more concentrated dose.
Follow a routine
By keeping a regular, productive routine you will train your body to naturally anticipate when it is time to sleep and when it is time to wake up. Erratic sleep cycles will typically lengthen the amount of time it takes for you to fall asleep at night and will also increase the chance that you wake up during a stage of deep sleep which will leave you feeling groggy and unrested. By following a routine you will feel more rejuvenated from your sleep each night.
About the Author: Paisley Hansen is a freelance writer and expert in health and beauty. When she isn’t writing she can usually be found reading a good book.
