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The best ‘natural’ remedies for sleep

I have a list of natural sleep remedies on this page: including herbal remedies, homeopathic remedies, Aryurvedic remedies, supplements (incl. melatonin), over-the-counter remedies, hypnosis and blue light. In addition I have a huge list of tips that are worth checking out, so that you know you are doing all you can to improve your sleep.

Your body is ultimately self-healing and there is every possibility that there is a cure for your particular type of insomnia. So, don't despair - keep looking for the right natural sleep remedies to suit your particular need. You really do want to sort it as insomnia is one of the depression warning signs.

If you have tried all the 'magic bullets', be also prepared to invest some time in sorting out your general well-being. Pain, anxiety, depression, trauma, nutritional deficiencies, will all upset your sleep-wake cycle.

Just in case your interest is about other aspects of sleep - causes, nervous breakdown, depression, stress, physical effects of sleep deprivation, etc, click here for related pages.

Please consult your health-care provider/physician to discuss the information I have provided before taking remedies or supplements of any kind. Just because something is 'natural' it does not necessarily mean it is safe.

Natural sleep remedies

I have put together a whole list of options/natural sleep remedies/natural sleep aids for you to explore. The latest addition is blue light, which has great reviews. I am sure there is a natural sleep aid here for you that is going to help you with your sleeping problems. Be sure to do your own research, including visiting my other pages on sleep. You need to be totally happy with your natural sleep remedies - any worries about it would defeat the object.

Herbal remedies

The Institute of Optimum Nutrition contain all the information you need, so that you can make an informed decision about what you will take. Before you decide to use any of the herbs, natural sleep aids, herbal sleep remedies or supplements below, be sure to check with your doctor and read the up-to-date information on the ION's website.

The following herbal sleep remedies are great in conjunction with other strategies to deal with insomnia.

The very best herbal remedies

ION health notes: Valerian
ION health notes: Lavender

Other herbal remedies

The following herbal remedies for sleep are also linked to the ION health notes:

Lemon balm
Chamomile
Hops
Passion flower
American scullcap
Corydalis
Bitter orange

Supplements

Melatonin

Melatonin is involved with you body's natural rythm (circadian rythm) including your sleep - wake cycle. Great too for jet-lag and when working shifts.

Homeopathic sleeping remedies

The right homeopathic remedy for sleep will be specific to your individual experience of a condition, including insomnia. At abcHomeopathy's website there is a search facility that allows you to enter your particular symptoms, before it recommends a remedy. Homeopathic remedies are also safe for children.

Ayurvedic remedies

Ayurvedic sleep remedies Ayurveda (from Sanskrit: ayus meaning 'longevity' and veda, meaning 'related to knowledge') is a traditional and influential system of medicine in South Asia. It treats the root cause of your sleeplessness by restoring the balance in your body/mind.

A balanced body and mind feels like you have the weight lifted off your shoulders with nothing 'dragging' you down. At the same time ayurveda can settle other, perhaps 'niggling' problems - the ones you have been putting up with for ages.

Dr Deepak Chopra suggests these Ayurvedic remedies: a cup of warm milk with two strands of saffron or some grated nutmeg - a great natural sleeping remedy.

Stay Or Walk Away?

Other over-the-counter sleeping remedies

Melatrol, contains 5-HTP, Melatonin, Valerian, GABA
Restaid, contains Cysteine Peptide®, Melatonin, Lemon Balm and hop and Vit B12

UK visitors

Calms
Nytol

Self hypnosis as a natural sleep aid

Your unconscious mind is far more powerful than your conscious mind! Your unconscious mind carries the 'blueprint' for a good night's sleep. It mostly 'knows' how to do it, without the need for sleeping tablets. I can think of no better natural sleep aid than that.

Sleeping problems: difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, frequent waking up, general restlessness, nightmares, thoughts whirring, etc. can all be easily and effectively sorted by hypnosis - one of the best natural sleeping remedies. Hypnosis bypasses all that clutter, those nagging voices, those same thoughts going round and round in your head.

Hypnosis tracks help you to relax deeply, whilst a soothing voice speaks straight to that part of your mind that is still in touch with your 'normal' healthy sleep-wake cycle (click here for the 'drift off to sleep testimonial'). I have interviewed the CEO of HypnosisDownloads, see Hypnosis Online FAQ to get all the answers to your questions about hypnosis. I have provided the search box, so that you can type in sleep or whatever is stopping you from sleeping.

Questions about hypnosis? See: Hypnosis online FAQ.

Blue light

Blue light, such as in NightWave Sleep Assistant, appears to get really good reviews in helping people who have suffered even years of insomnia. It is a non-evasive, safe way to relax and fall asleep. If you are a frequent or longterm sufferer of insomnia - you can't afford not to try.

A decent mattress

Reading some unbiased mattress reviews at Mattress-Wiz.com can help you find the right mattress for a great night's sleep.

My Free Sleep Better Forever Ebook

For the very best sleep advice, including the very latest - have a look at this 28 page ebook. Discover the most effective, targeted and safe sleep remedies specifically for people going through a difficult period in their life. Find out more ...

Common sense for a good night's sleep

Consider how much you could have achieved with all the energy you have invested (wasted!) in worrying about things you have no control over.
Start investing that energy in problem solving strategies
Deal with the problems you do have control over.
Deal with depression and do whatever you can to cure stress and anxiety.
Contact a human givens counsellor/therapist to help you cope with physical and/or emotional pain, and/or treat the sleeping problems.
Don't know what to do about something, finding it hard to make a decision? That will keep you awake for sure. Stop putting it off - make that decision.

Prescribed sleeping tablets create short-term relief, but long-term trouble! Take the time and trouble to look after yourself for long-term gain.

Other sleep remedies and strategies to induce sleep

Ensure your room is pitch dark to support natural hormone production
Take the television out of your bedroom, even watching something ‘innocuous’ could be too arousing
Site your office elsewhere, buy a room screen, or cover your desk with a cloth

Clear up all the clutter and sort out your wardrobes
Have separate bed covers, if one of you feels the cold - wool is best
You and your partner/spouse may just be better off sleeping in separate beds, or even rooms. Restlessness and snoring disturb both the sufferer and their partner.(By the way if you or your partner/spouse is shouting, jumping about, flinging their arms and legs about or having spasm, then do have a look at the study that links this with early indications of possible Parkinson's disease. See link below.)
Ensure that the room temperature is low (a drop in body temperature, regulated by hormones, triggers sleep)
Turn the clock face away from you so you don’t obsess about the time
Buy a small travel spray, fill with mineral water, add five drops each of Lavender and Clary Sage essential oils. Spray on bed clothes/linen. These natural sleep aids are not going to knock you out, but will certainly help you to relax more
Sleep restriction - restricting the amount of time you can sleep and slowly building it up.

Fluids may help or hinder a good night’s rest

Don't drink coffee, tea, hot chocolate or cola after 4pm at the latest.
Drinking large amounts of ‘fluid’ (beer) until late into the evening will wake you up for obvious reasons!
Alcohol in quantity may help you to fall asleep, but you are likely to wake up two to three hours later and finding it difficult to fall asleep again.
Just a small glass of wine taken before bedtime can help.
Drink a herbal tea: chamomile, passion flower, lemon balm, or hops. Whilst you won't be 'out for the count' with these - they are a useful addition to your arsenal of natural sleep aids
Drink about eight glasses of water a day—thirst wakes you up and drinking too much before you go to bed wakes you too

Foods can help or hinder

Do not eat heavy meals late in the evening
Eat a combination of proteins and carbohydrates
Quantities of chocolate (bitter) can keep you awake too (caffeine)!
Find a nutritionist who can check for possible food intolerance - a nutritionist from the Institute of Optimum Nutrition can also suggest other natural sleep remedies
Consider a possible nutritional deficiency or blood sugar problem
Cut sugar intake - don't replace - just get used to it!

Why avoid prescribed sleep medication?

I suspect that you already know the following information and that is why you are looking for natural sleep remedies. However, just in case ...

Sleeping tablets that have been prescribed by your doctor fall in several categories: antidepressants, tranquillizers and neuroleptics. I can understand if you don't like the sound of that! They don't solve your problem and may actually make the situation worse - enough of a reason to take natural sleeping remedies. Hop over my page on insomnia and treatments to see a list of side-effects - I'll be here when you come back.

If these haven't put you off, remember that these sleep medication will only work for a limited time - they are addictive - you have to keep increasing the dosage to get the same effect..

You should also have a look at these warnings by the FDA - more reasons to take natural sleep remedies.

Further down I have a whole list of natural sleep remedies. However, just in case you were not familiar with general sleep hygiene, I want to run a list with general sleep advice by you. This is the kind of advice you would get from any sleep clinic. These strategies will help to support your attempts at getting into a better sleep pattern again. Apply those as well as taking natural sleep remedies.

Improve your general ‘sleep hygiene’

Establish a regular routine in the evenings, your brain works by pattern matching (the present against the past - conditioned and/or instinctive)
Avoid doing anything stimulating late in the evening.
Making love may seem stimulating, however the hormone oxytocin, released after orgasm, helps to sooth you.
Listen to a ‘guided’ meditation/relaxation tape/CD - such an easy to implement natural sleep aid.
Listen to relaxing music - slow classical (Baroque, roughly 80 beats per minutes) or ‘New Age’ music.
Do not stay in bed any longer than about 20 minutes if you cannot sleep; your brain will establish the pattern: bed is for laying awake! Get up and read a boring book preferably standing up (not a joke!) or do the very chores that you have been putting off because they are so unpleasant.
Having your feet higher than you head facilitates relaxation - this natural sleep aid may not be to your liking if you are not comfortable laying on your back
Take regular exercise - vigorous by day, slow and rhythmic in the evening (not too close to bedtime) - it really is one of the very best natural sleeping remedies.
Take the time to sleep, don't just fit it in. You need roughly eight hours, but don't get hung up about it - you can survive on less. Stressing about how long you are sleeping will counteract any other natural sleep aids you are employing

Pick and choose a combination of all the above natural sleeping remedies to help improve your sleep. Sleeping tablets from your doctor are really only recommended for a few days, whilst you are in the midst of a crisis.

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