What is insomnia?
#Insomnia simply is the inability to fall asleep naturally within a reasonable period of time. On average 10% to 15% of Americans complain of their inability to fall asleep regularly – so insomnia is not an uncommon problem and you are not alone.
What Causes insomnia?
There can be a large number of causes for insomnia including: #depression and/or anxiety, chronic #stress, changing lifestyle, pain discomfort at bedtime, unhealthy diet, mental disease, medication, alcohol, ageing, caffeine and nicotine (smoking) Also drinking too much liquids just before going to bed can cause insomnia.
How to cure insomnia naturally
There is however hope for you to cure insomnia without resorting to medication. Some of the steps you could adopt include:
Melatonin regulates the sleep cycle of the body that reduces temperature and makes you drowsy. having a regular sleep cycle will help your body produce melatonin at the right time. So keep regular hours and give yourself at least 6 hours of sleep during a 24 hour period (you may require more sleep if you are elderly or suffering from an illness)
Doctors may prescribe melatonin under close supervision to help you fall asleep but research is mixed whether this medication helps you STAY asleep
Warm Milk – yes your grandmother was right, it does help you fall asleep especially almond flavoured milk can help your body naturally produce melatonin that will help you fall asleep.
Night time snacks – if you feel hungry at bed time this could prevent you from falling asleep. A light snack of carbohydrates and protein could be the solution. A small banana or half of one and some chess, or alternatively whole wheat cracker with peanut butter. Experiment around this type of foods and discover what works for you best but make it a light snack about 30 minutes before going to bed.
Magnesium is very important part of your diet and a lack of it can prevent your brain from shutting down properly and restoring itself during sleep. Leafy vegetables and almonds are an excellent source of magnesium.
Lavender oil has been shown in some studies to allow people to fall asleep naturally – put some lavender oil in your bath and soak in it for a while and see whether it helps. It may take a number of days and baths before you see results.
L-Theanine in green tea leaves has also been shown to help people with insomnia by reducing the side effects of stress and reducing heart rate. If you intend taking pills that contain this extract please consult your doctor first.
Lifestyle changes – turn off the TV early, turn of all other gadgets iPads, phones, etc, blue light from electronic devices have been shown to prevent people falling asleep, eat light meals in the night, less caffeine and stop coffee 3-4 hours before sleep, Exercise will help you fall asleep but do it early in the day – exercising late in the evening could prevent you falling asleep, Don’t fight to fall asleep get up and do something restful like read a book or listen to soothing music out of bed until you feel tired again then get back to bed.
Bedroom Feng Shui – If your bedroom is too quite it might actually prevent you falling asleep white noise devices, air conditioning, even fans can help, keep bad odours away, get a comfortable mattress that supports you tip to toe – you’ll spend most of your life on it so its worth the investment, use a comfortable pillow that supports your head and neck well, keep the bedroom surroundings uncluttered, use the bedroom only for sleeping and sex, bed linen should be comfortable and allow your body to breathe and prevent sweating.
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