Cures for Insomnia – Guiding You to Sleep

Various people are for various cures for insomnia to alleviate the common sleeping disorder. Finding cures are not hard to find, as there are numerous treatment options varying from medical to alternative treatments. However, before seeking professional help, it is important to evaluate one’s sleeping habits first to determine possible causes. These can be corrected if found to be simple problems. If the problem is found to be more complex and serious, only then is professional help needed.

Insomnia is a common medical sleeping disorder which refers to the difficulty of sleeping. It pertains to the difficulty of falling to sleep, difficulty of maintaining sleep, and difficulty to have quality sleep. Cures for insomnia are relatively connected to the alleviation of stress and improvement of sleeping habits.

Probably the most popular among the known cures for insomnia is the sleeping pill. Although these pills are effective, there are many harmful bodily effects when taken aplenty. There have been a large number of reported deaths due to the abuse of these pills.

It has been known that the act of sleeping is a mental activity. As such, there are cures for insomnia which target the mind during episodes of sleep. Such cures focus on eliminating stressors and promoting relaxation. Psychological methods like these are popular for people who don’t want any intake of medications or supplements.

The onset and quality of sleep relies heavily in knowing how to relax the mind. There are certain methods to boost resistance to stress that can help in promoting sleep. It also helps to avoid even the thought of stress when attempting to sleep. Stressors in bed will only aggravate the sleeping disorder.

There are cognitive behavioral therapies which fall under the psychological approach to the treatment of insomnia. These are successful in treating patients with sleeping disorders. During this process, the person’s perception of sleep must be altered to the positive degree. This teaches the person engage in thoughts that are conducive for sleep during sleeping time. An example would be to think of boring movies or counting sheep to trigger the sleep. Better yet, the person may watch boring TV shows or read books to help in dealing with sleepless nights.

Other cures for insomnia involve the consumption of foods which help induce sleep. Foods rich in tryptophan such as milk will facilitate in inducing sleep. Loading down on carbohydrate-rich foods will release the neurotransmitter serotonin to help induce sleep. Caffeine-rich foods and beverages should be avoided at least a couple of hours before bedtime.

Take a look at my health blog for more information on the cures for insomnia and other interesting health topics you may find useful.

Easy, Natural Treatments for Insomnia

Natural treatments for insomnia are a welcome option in a world where sleeping pills and other chemical sleep enhancers are available. These natural options are practical and definitely work. Because of the importance of sleep, trying multiple options to resolve the problem of lacking sleep or having a hard time getting sleep must be tried. After all, without sleep, the body finds it difficult to recharge itself for a new day. This tiredness and fatigue may manifest in a bad way in daily activities.

One natural treatment for insomnia is trying to make the bedroom conducive to sleeping. Visual and auditory noise, as well as clutter, contributes to making the bedroom less conducive to sleep. Remove things in the bedroom that are reminiscent of the office environment. Playing soothing music like nature sounds, soft melodies, and other relaxing tunes can help create a far more restful ambiance in the room. It’s important to keep work away from the room so that the mind is conditioned that the bedroom is a room that is specifically designed for sleep.

For those who enjoy aromatherapy and scent-based relaxation techniques, it is worthwhile to try lavender. Lavender has been found to be an effective natural treatment for insomnia, because it is an effective sleep stimulant. Using lavender products for baths before sleeping, or using lavender-scented aerosol products or essential oils to diffuse a lavender scent throughout the entire room may help the body feel relaxed and ready for sleep.

Another natural treatment for insomnia that works to enhance the already relaxing effect of tea to the body is chamomile tea. A cup of chamomile tea some 30 minutes prior going to bed can soothe and relax the muscles and ready it for bed.

Some people are chronic thinkers, meaning that thinking is what keeps the mind busy and in a wakeful disposition even when it is bed time. Allocating a couple of minutes before going to bed to think and ponder about things one last time before the day ends may work. This natural treatment for insomnia works because it conditions the mind to go on one last thinking session and let go of thoughts afterwards to sleep.

If it’s the things to-do the day after that’s causing the sleeplessness, listing them down before going to bed may be effective. This helps the mind rid itself of worries that something may be forgotten the next day, because it exerts some effort completing a comprehensive list of concerns to attend to the next day.

Keeping a journal where worries are going to be written is an effective and natural treatment for insomnia. Emotions linked to feelings usually increase the involvement of mental faculties into a more intense state of thought and feelings. This does not help with getting restful sleep. Unloading emotions and worries in a journal before bed will help clear the mind and release all tensions and emotions that act as hindrances to restful sleep.

Natural Treatments for Insomnia

Natural Treatments For Insomnia

Natural treatments for insomnia have helped many found freedom from their sleeping disorder. People often turn to sleeping pills and medications to put themselves to sleep. These over-the-counter medicines that contain antihistamines such as diphehydramine citrate, diphehydramine hydrochloride or doxylamine succinate or prescribed medications such as sedative-hypnotics, sedating antidepressants, melatonin receptor agonists, benzodiazepines like diazepam, lorazepam, alprazolam and valium. These medicines have been reported to have side effects like:

1. Giddiness

2. Loss of Motor Skills

3. Poor Memory

4. Urinary Problems

5. Impaired Vision

6. Constipation

7. Mouth and Throat Dryness

8. Withdrawal Symptoms

9. Drug Tolerance

10.Drug Addiction

11.Insomnia Rebound

Natural treatments for insomnia, on the other hand do not cause patients to suffer from the ills of side effects. They are intended to treat insomnia in a holistic and safe manner without harming your health. But be careful of some over-the-counter medicines which are masquerading as natural treatments for insomnia by emphasizing their natural content. Some of them contain excessive amounts of substances like:

1. L-triptophan

L-triptophan is a natural occurring chemical found in foods which is needed by our body to produce melatonin and serotonin to aid sleeping. Excessive intake has been reported to cause a muscle disorder called eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome, EMS in short.

2. Synthetic melatonin

Melatonin is a natural substance found in our bodies which promotes sleep. Unfortunately, the melatonin in OTC medicines is mostly manufactured from animal parts. This carries a risk of contamination.

Natural Treatments For Insomnia – Self – Care Tips

Here are some self-care tips you may apply to treat your insomnia.

1. Regular Exercises

Regular exercising for at least 3 times a week would put your health in good shape and relieves you from stress. This is appropriate if you suffer from mild insomnia or when the sleeping problem is of a temporary nature such as recent work stress, etc.

2. Stress Management and Relaxation Techniques

There are books and courses on how to manage stress and relaxation techniques and exercises which you can learn.

3. Avoid Alcohol, Caffeine and Drug Overuse

Since alcohol, caffeine and certain drugs be it OTC, prescribed or designer can aggravate your insomnia, stop all these.

4. Glass of Warm Milk Before Bedtime

Drink a glass of warm milk before bedtime. Make sure it is warm. Tryptophan, an amino acid, is converted into serotonin and then to melatonin which induces sleep.

5. Change in Sleep Environment

You may need to make some changes to the environment you are resting in. If it is the ticking sound of the clock that is causing you to stay awake, remove it. Adjusting your room could actually break the familiarity associated with each insomnia episode.

Natural Treatments For Insomnia – Home Remedies

Home remedies are great natural treatments for insomnia. Adopting new dietary habits would also do much good for our insomnia.

1. Diet

Our diet plays an important role in treating insomnia. Here are some tips on what you should eat more and eat less.

a. Magnesium

Increase intake of magnesium as it induces sleep. It can be found in dark leafy vegetables, whole grains, nuts, almonds and legumes.

b. Honey

Drinking a cup of warm honey water before bedtime promotes good sleep. In fact, a tea brew of honey, chamomile and kava kava is excellent soother.

c. Cinnamon

Roasted cinnamon when boiled with water is yet another fine remedy against insomnia.

2. Vitamins

Vitamins and minerals keep our health in balance. Essential vitamins and minerals like Vitamin B, B complex, D, calcium, zinc and magnesium ensures the well being of our central nervous system and immune system. This is important for us to be able to rest well.

3. Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy in recent years has gained much popularity as natural treatments for insomnia. Soothing oils such as chamomile, lavender, sandalwood, rose oil can be put into hot water so that the steam can be inhaled. These oils can also be applied as massaging oils on our temples, neck and shoulders. What happens is that these oils pump up levels of Trytophan. Trytophan would be converted into melatonin, which is responsible for inducing sleep.

4. Herbal Cures

Herbal concoctions are often used as natural treatments for insomnia. Herbs can be used in tea, pillows, oils and baths. Some are consumed directly. They are hypnotics, adaptogens, antispasmodics, nervine tonics and relaxants. Here are some herbs that are more commonly used:

a. Chamomile

b. Valerian

c. Lavender

d. Motherwort

e. Linden

f. Vervain

g. Skullcap

h. Celery Seeds

i. Passion Flower

j. Mugwort

k. Hyssop

l. Hops

m. Kava Kava

n. Lemon Balm

o. Red Clover

p. Wild Lettuce

q. Ginseng

There are many benefits in applying natural treatments for insomnia. It is safer, and relatively easy to prepare and much cheaper in most cases. Find out how insomnia victims are able to break free from their insomnia with totally safe and natural treatments for insomnia.

Natural Treatments For Insomnia

Natural Treatments For Insomnia | Causes

Natural Treatments For Insomnia – Causes and Symptoms

Natural treatments for insomnia have restored good sleep back to the lives of many insomnia patients. Insomnia affects more than half our adult population. It refers to difficulties in falling or remaining asleep. Insomnia can be temporary or persistent depending on the cause. Almost every adult may occasionally experience a sleepless night, and that is quite normal. However, when it becomes frequent, it poses as a health concern.

Natural Treatments For Insomnia – Causes of Insomnia

Occasional or Temporary Insomnia

Here are some of the most common reasons for temporary insomnia. Such difficulties in sleep are likely short term and may disappear once the condition which in the first place triggers the insomnia is resolved. Natural treatments for insomnia can readily treat insomnia linked to these.

1. Alcohol and Caffeine

Excessive alcohol can result in severe dehydration and insomnia. Caffeinated beverages such as coffee and tea easily interrupt with sleep.

2. Smoking and Drug Abuse

Smoking keeps one awake and alert. Drug abuse such as cocaine or heroin can lead to sleep disruption.

3. Over-the-counter (OTC) and Prescription Medicines

Some medicines contain substance that either makes us alert or disrupt our sleep. For instance, cough syrups may contain caffeine.

4. Working Environment and Conditions

Working on shifts can turn our biological clocks upside-down. Our bodies may take some time to adjust, resulting in sleep deprivation. Overworking can also affect our sleep. Medical studies also revealed that more people who work in the IT industry dealing with computers have poorer sleep.

5. Jet Lag

Flying across different time zones may affect our bodies. It normally takes about a day to recover normal sleep patterns.

6. Environment

About 1 out of 5 adults who suffer from insomnia attributed their condition to environmental factors like noise in the background, surrounding temperature, humidity and light. Our biological circadian clocks are sensitive to sunlight and perhaps this is why most of us can only sleep in complete darkness. So if your house is near a railway line or has airplanes flying over, it can be rather disturbing.

Long-term Insomnia

Patients suffering from long term insomnia often have deeper root causes. They can still be cured but require more time and understanding how to cope and work towards complete healing. Counseling sessions with professional counselors and psychiatrists could help, though there are also some effective natural treatments for insomnia as well.

1. Snoring Partner

Having a snoring partner is one reason for sleep disruptions especially for light sleepers. You may have heard in the news that the snoring problem among couples can be so bad to the point that marriages break up.

2. Psychological and Emotional Stress

By this, we mean a nagging situation that would not be away for a long time such as relationship problems, illness of a loved one, unfulfilling career, trauma from accidents and depression. Counseling and psychiatric sessions would be needed even though natural treatments for insomnia may be of some assistance. Insomnia in such scenarios is merely a symptom. It has been observed that for some people, once their problems are resolved, they are able to sleep well almost instantaneously.

3. Learned Insomnia

It may sound funny but we can insomnia is a condition that can be learnt. If you are a more worrisome person by nature, you may be anxious about not sleeping well and hence not performing the next day. The more you attempt to sleep, the more stress you add onto yourself, resulting in loss of sleep. Students sometimes find themselves in these situations right before their exams. However, when this becomes habitual, our bodies would respond to a familiar sleep setting such as activities we do before bed like brushing our teeth, changing into pyjamas and the environment and automatically trigger insomnia. It is possible to unlearn this by rearranging your sleeping patterns and environment.

4. Medical and Health

Illnesses can aggravate insomnia. Migraine, heartburn, arthritis, sleep apnea and leg cramps could jolt one from sleep. Sleep apnea is a chronic condition characterized by episodes of loud snoring and pauses in breathing. This is a sleep disorder as victims are often awoken up throughout the night by up to hundreds of times for severe cases.

5. Hormonal Disorders

Hormone levels fluctuate during menstruation, menopause and pregnancy for women. This would set off an imbalance in the production of progesterone which encourages sleep. Aging also effects changes in the levels of hormones that can affect sleep.

So if you are suffering from insomnia or simply want to sleep better, pick up and apply some of the natural treatments for insomnia we will share in my next post to achieve a good night’s sleep.

Natural Treatments For Insomnia

Natural Treatments for Insomnia

Natural Treatments for Insomnia

Natural treatments for insomnia will allow you to treat your insomnia and sleep disorder so that you can activate your natural sleep system, sleep better and fewer hours but yet increase your vitality and energy for the day's activities. You will find yourself well rested, healthier, more energetic and feel more confident about yourself. Discover for yourself what is causing your insomnia and sleepless nights, what are the current insomnia treatment and remedies, stop eating sleeping pills and how and why you can cure it with natural treatments for insomnia.

Natural Treatments for Insomnia