A good night’s sleep is one of the most underestimated elements of a healthy lifestyle. There is a limit to what foods, supplements, herbs and natural remedies can do for your health if you are not sleeping well every night.
So, if you are suffering from insomnia, you really need to do something about it.
Here are some simple tips and remedies for promoting restful sleep and overcoming insomnia. Many of these ideas are actually common sense.
Your Bedroom Needs To Be Conducive And Comfortable
* Ensure that your mattress and pillow are comfortable and provide good support. You spend about a third of your life lying on your bed, so it is well worth it investing in a good and comfortable mattress.
* Make sure that your pillow cases and bed sheets are clean.
* Your bedroom should have good ventilation and should be at a comfortable temperature.
* Plants improve air quality, so you could consider placing some in your bedroom.
* You could also consider using an air purifier (avoid noisy ones).
* Do you sleep on your side? If you do, placing a pillow between your legs and placing another one between your arms can help to improve your sleeping posture.
* Noise can disrupt sleep, so avoid having noisy devices and gadgets in your bedroom, including noisy clocks.
* To really promote good sleep and enhance its restfulness, ensure that you are sleeping in total darkness, or as close to total darkness as possible. This would boost your body’s production of the very important hormone, melatonin, which regulates your sleep-wake cycles.
Healthy Lifestyle Habits Can Promote Good Sleep At Night
* Exercising during the day can help you to sleep better at night.
* Have a regular sleep routine, i.e. going to bed around the same time each day. This helps your body to better regulate its sleep-wake cycles.
* Another way to help your body improve its regulation of its sleep-wake cycles is to ensure you get some natural light (sunshine) outdoors during the day.
Your Stomach Should Not Be Bursting With Foods And Liquids When You Go To Bed
* Eating too much too close to bedtime is a big no-no. Your body is going to be struggling to digest all that food instead of focusing on its core duties during sleep – repair, healing and rejuvenation.
* Along the same vein, you should avoid eating fatty and other heavy foods at night.
* Drinking too much liquids just before going to bed is also not advisable, as having to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night is going to disrupt your sleep. Try to visit the bathroom before you climb onto your bed.
You Need To Avoid Stimulation Too Close To Bedtime
* Avoid stimulating activities such as exercising or watching television just before you go to bed.
* Horror shows or other media which is mentally disturbing should especially be avoided.
* Loud or stimulating music should be avoided as well.
* Intake of physical stimulants too close to bedtime is not a good idea. These include caffeine (drinking coffee, tea or cocoa), nicotine (smoking cigarettes), and alcohol.
* Emotionally stimulating activities, such as a passionate and heated conversation, too close to sleeping time can disrupt your ability to rest well.
* Even excessive or stressful mental activity, such as trying hard to process and solve a problem in your mind, can upset your sleep.
Relax Your Mind And Body Before Hitting The Sack
* Try taking a warm bath just before going to bed.
* You could listen to soft, calming and soothing music as you lie on your bed.
* You could also try reading a relaxing book before turning in. (make sure it’s not intense content!)
Use Natural Remedies To Promote Better Sleep
* You could enjoy a soothing and relaxing bath using herbal oils or essential oils.
* Another way to use essential oils to promote sleep is to rub them onto your wrists and temples.
* Via aromatherapy, such as burning aromatherapy candles or heating essential oils, you could give your bedroom a wonderfully soothing fragrance.
* Some good essential oils for promoting sleep include lavender, marjoram, roman chamomile, sandalwood, valerian, and vetiver.
* Use natural herbal remedies to enhance your quality of sleep. A cup of warm herbal tea – passionflower, valerian and chamomile are some good herbs to use – could help you drift off to dreamland.
* Some people use melatonin supplements to help them get to sleep, to good effect.
* Negative ions can relax your body and promote healing. You could try using an air purifier which emits negative ions, or try placing an earthing mat or sheet on your bed.
* Try meditation and deep breathing exercises before sleeping.
* Use the emotional freedom technique (EFT). Read more about EFT here.
* And if all else fails, try the time-tested technique of… counting sheep! It could well help you to slowly drift off to sleep.
You could obtain more ideas for natural insomnia remedies at Insights-on-Health.com.
Reuben owns several health websites, including Insights on Health and All 4 Natural Health.
Here is where he gets most of his supplements and natural products.
You may also enjoy inspirational material at Inspiration 4 Living, allinspiration.com, and Life Changing Quotes.
Or read about depression at Holistic Depression Help and All on Depression Help.
