Best Natural and Medical Remedies To Beat Insomnia
“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best natural cures in the doctor’s book”. -An Irish proverb.
Sleep is so important but sadly, so many of us suffer from insomnia.
Why do some suffer from Insomnia?
The key to being able to treat our insomnia is identifying the underlying cause. We need to understand the why, before treating ourselves with natural remedies. There are several reasons why we can’t sleep, let’s see some of the most common reasons:
1)Stress and anxiety, it doesn’t matter who we are, life is stressful and worrying about tomorrow may cause insomnia.
2) Medical reasons, we might not sleep because of chronic pain, problems breathing, need to go the bathroom, etc.
3) New environment, maybe from constantly traveling or shift work, it throws our internal clock off.
4) Eating too much at night or too much caffeine or alcohol, caffeine, and alcohol are natural stimulants and eating too much before bed, makes us uncomfortable, causes heartburn and acid-reflux.
These are just some of the reasons why we suffer from insomnia, it could also be old age and side effects of medication or poor sleeping habits. Are there natural remedies or medical remedies to help us combat insomnia?
Medical Remedies for Insomnia
Before beginning any medical remedies for insomnia, try some preventive options before going to bed, maybe with a change in habits you can cure yourself. If after trying new habits or routines and you still can’t sleep, there are some medical medication options for you.
1) Prescription medicine, you will have to see your doctor about this option, most sleeping pills aren’t recommended for use for more that 6 weeks, but there are some long-term use options. You will have to talk to your doctor about what options are available for you.
2) Over the counter medicine, these are not considered a good long-term solution, they are made with antihistamines, which make you sleepy but the sleep quality is low, so the next day you will experience daytime sleepiness and you will urinate more during the night.
These are the main medical remedies that our doctor will recommend for insomnia sufferers.
Natural Remedies for Insomnia
There is nothing worse than lying awake in bed at 2 am. What can help us sleep without side effects the next day? Let’s see some wonderful natural remedies:
1) Magnesium and calcium supplements, provide many benefits for us and one is that it encourages sleep.
2) Lettuce tea, made with organic lettuce, pour hot water over the lettuce, let steep for 5 minutes and drink just before bed.
3) Beer hop extract, I know that got you beer drinkers all excited, it is a mild sedative, take dose mentioned on the packaging before your bed time.
4) Melatonin is the hormone that induces sleep, it is recommended to take small doses, as it will produce toxicity.
You may also visit your local health food store, and speak with them to learn what herbs and teas will help us combat our insomnia using natural remedies.
External Natural Cures for Insomnia
Aromatherapy works wonders and the key is lavender. Lavender aids in sleep. You can buy a pillow that is filled with lavender or before bedtime, spray your pillow with lavender oil.
One activity that provides, many health benefits is yoga, it is recommended to do certain positions before bedtime, which help prepare the body for sleep. We are not talking about vigorous exercise, these yoga positions concentrate more on breathing and opening the body up, so it can relax and you can sleep better. If you rather work-out in a gym on the machines or participate in a group class, or with a personal trainer, then workout 4 hours before going to bed. Early morning is really good because it gets your day started all energized. Regular work-outs help alleviate stress and anxiety feelings, thereby allowing you to relax at bed time.
These are some external natural cures that help fight off insomnia. Also, try and keep your bedroom cool and fresh. Use it only for sleep, not for work or watching TV, by doing that you will train your body that your bedroom is your sleep place.