Sleep is a very important activity that one should never neglect. Indeed, sleeping is the most effective solution to relieving stress, fatigue, and depression. It allows our muscles, nerves, brain and the other organs in our body to rest and regenerate themselves. If a person has slept enough, he or she will have more energy for the next day’s activities and events. On the other hand, if a person lack sleeps, he or she will not just be unproductive but also be more socially inactive and unresponsive that will most likely create more negative issues and contribute to more stress and fatigue. Sleep should never be neglected and should in fact always be one of your top priorities.
However, there are cases when a person simply can’t sleep even if they want to sleep themselves, this condition is called insomnia. Insomnia is the condition where one finds it hard to sleep or to stay asleep. Insomnia is usually caused by a number of factors, which can be:
- Acid reflux and other digestive problems
- Allergies
- Nasal congestion
- Stress and other psychological problems
- Asthma
- Chronic pains – neck, back, legs
If you are experiencing the same symptoms and having trouble during sleeping hours, then you might be already suffering from insomnia. Fortunately, there are many natural insomnia remedies that can help you alleviate if not totally eliminate these symptoms. Take note though that it is still better to visit a doctor and have yourself checked.
Here are 5 natural insomnia remedies:
1. Avoid Stress
The biggest contributor to insomnia is psychological stress. When you are under heavy stress, your body produces a lot of epinephrine and norepinephrine which will make your mind very active and make your feel very nervous like you are running from a ghost or a wild boar. Though these hormones will dissipate over time, another hormone (cortisol) will still be constantly released to address low-level stressors. And if cortisol builds up overtime it will not just contribute to your insomnia, but can also lead to more serious conditions such as dementia, obesity and mood swings.
To control stress, you can practice meditation or yoga before sleeping to free up your mind of all the accumulated stress from the day. By doing this, you will slowly be able to control stress and eventually get to sleep properly.
2. Exercise
Exercise is very beneficial to your body. It doesn’t just help us to remain active and healthy, but it also helps us lessen the symptoms of insomnia. You see leading a sedentary lifestyle will only give you chronic back pains and other illnesses such as a cough or flu. And we all know how much a bad cough can disturb one’s sleep right? Thus, always stretch and make sure that you are “properly” tired the moment you jump into your bed.
3. Avoid Caffeine
Smoking and coffee can greatly contribute to your insomnia. Nicotine, which is majorly present in cigarettes and caffeine in coffee are both strong stimulants and will keep you awake and active. Furthermore, if you are a regular smoker, withdrawal symptoms can also make you awake the whole night craving for your next cigarette.
4. Take A Bath Before You Sleep
Keeping your body cool before going to sleep is a very effective method for controlling insomnia. Studies have shown that when the body experiences a sudden drop in temperature, it will automatically fall into sleep or rest mode.
5. Sleep Before 11 pm
Always keep a fixed schedule of when you are going to sleep. According to studies, sleeping before 11 pm is an ideal bedtime. This is because the body’s clock automatically tries to regenerate and rest at 11 pm, therefore it is ideal if you set your bedtime according to your body’s clock.
*collaborative post
