To help during those sleepless nights I have compiled a list of reasons for insomnia as well as some natural remedies that can help ease you in to the land of rainbows and unicorns!
Firstly, what is insomnia? Insomnia is the inability to get the amount of sleep you need to wake up feeling rested and refreshed. Even if you’re spending eight hours a night in bed, if you feel drowsy and fatigued during the day, you may be experiencing insomnia.
Symptoms of insomnia include:
- Difficulty falling asleep despite being tired
- Waking up frequently during the night
- Trouble getting back to sleep when awakened
- Exhausting sleep
- Waking up too early in the morning
- Daytime drowsiness, fatigue, or irritability
- Difficulty concentrating during the day
All in all, insomnia is a nasty thing to suffer from and instead of taking pills and putting chemicals in your body, there are natural ways that can help you get a full nights sleep.
Firstly, adopt healthy sleeping habits:
- Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool. Noise, light, and heat can interfere with sleep.
- Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Support your biological clock by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, including weekends, even if you’re tired. This will help you get back in a regular sleep rhythm.
- Avoid naps. Napping during the day can make it more difficult to sleep at night. If you feel like you have to take a nap, limit it to 30 minutes before 3 p.m.
- Avoid stimulating activity and stressful situations before bedtime. Focus on quiet, soothing activities, such as reading, knitting, or listening to soft music, while keeping lights low.
- Don’t read from a backlit device (such as an iPad).The best way to read is the old-fashion ink and paper way!
- Limit caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. Stop drinking caffeinated beverages at least eight hours before bed. Avoid drinking alcohol in the evening; while alcohol can make you feel sleepy, it interferes with the quality of your sleep. Quit smoking or avoid it at night, as nicotine is a stimulant.
Secondly, you can try these natural remedies:
- A nighttime snack. Sugary foods eaten about 30 minutes before bedtime can actually act as a sedative. Try eating half of a banana with peanut butter for a healthy options to cookies.
- Drink warm milk. Yes, the old trick does do job. You can also try warm chamomile tea. It calms and relaxes you before bed.
- A warm bath before bed. This relaxes the muscles and send signals to the brain that it's time to unwind and prepare for sleep.
- Lavender has a reputation as a mild tranquilizer. Simply dab a bit of the oil onto your temples and forehead before you hit the pillow. The aroma should help send you off to sleep.
- Put a drop of jasmine essential oil on each wrist just before you go to bed. In studies conducted at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia, researchers discovered that people who spent the night in jasmine-scented rooms slept more peacefully than people who stayed in unscented.
If all else fails, try counting sheep from 100 backwards. I have never gotten past 60 with severe insomnia and terrible anxiety. Of course this is my last resort. If even this doesn't work, I just get up and do some work and eventually get tired around 5am. This is not the best situation but hey, if I can't sleep, at least I should do something productive rather than just sit there thinking of every mistake I made from birth.
I hope this post helps some of you and can get a nice sleep using these tips.
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