Finally! The “sleep revolution” is here. You don’t have to feel guilty over napping anymore. Natural sleep remedies will help you sleep so well, you won’t have any need for taking those sneaky naps in the first place.
An awakening has happened, no pun intended, regarding the importance of sleep. People are realizing the necessity of a good night’s rest.
- Menopause Sleep Problems
- Natural Home Remedies to Improve Your Sleep
- 1. Best Herbs and Herbal Tea To Use As Natural Sleep Remedies
- 2. Essential Oils Are Potent Natural Sleep Remedies
- 3. How Dietary Changes Can Help You Reclaim Your Sleep
- 4. Bedroom Plants Enhance Night Rest Too
- 5. Meditation and Mindfulness Are Great Insomnia Fixers
- Conclusion
Menopause Sleep Problems
Let’s admit it. As you grow older, you don’t have so much energy to begin with. Add million duties and endless to-do-lists. And then on top of that, add those annoying body changes, especially as you’re approaching or going through the menopause.
Are you losing your sleep yet? I bet you do, at least sometimes.
Whether you have difficulty sleeping due to work overload, overactive mind, or physical challenges, now is the time to take care of yourself.
Impaired sleep and insomnia can be extremely detrimental to the human body.
The repercussions of sleeping less than five solid hours per night can begin as fatigue, moodiness, and impaired cognitive response.
These can quickly escalate into more serious health conditions like weight gain, weakened immune system, and high blood pressure.
But there are ways you can tame those hot flushes and that perpetual parade of things to do running through your mind.
Nothing, except for amorous pursuits, should be keeping you awake at night.
Natural Home Remedies to Improve Your Sleep
There are remedies for nearly everything today; impaired sleep and insomnia included.
You can easily find pills at your local drugstore to quickly deal with the issue. But the medicinal cocktail contained in these can leave you feeling even more sleepy or fatigued the next day.
Luckily, there are many natural options to help fall and remain asleep. Herbs, essential oils, bedroom plants, and meditation are all ways to improve sleep with little to no side effects.
1. Best Herbs and Herbal Tea To Use As Natural Sleep Remedies
Herbs are a natural and effective alternative to sleeping pills.
If you are struggling with falling asleep or staying asleep, it could be affecting your physical or mental health.
Before taking chemicals or pills that might have side effects, try natural sleep remedies like herbs or herbal tea.
Here are some herbs that are known for helping you to sleep more soundly:
Valerian
Valerian, a crawling plant with small white or pink flowers, has sedative properties.
In-depth studies have shown that it can lessen the time it takes to fall asleep as well as enhance the quality of sleep.
After taking Valerian, dizziness, drowsiness, or difficulty concentrating is possible so it is important to be cautious with this herb.
Chamomile, a member of the daisy family, is another herb widely known for promoting calmness.
It has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, aiding in a more restful, relaxed sleep.
The great thing about chamomile is that it is readily available as tea, so you can easily make a cup before bed and enjoy a blissful night.
Passionflower
Passionflower, a climbing evergreen plant, is yet another herb recognized for its sedative abilities.
It can help with insomnia as well as calming gastrointestinal issues.
The calming action in passionflower is very similar to the calming action of benzodiazepines.
If you are losing sleep because you have digestive problems, then passionflower not only will help make you sleepy. Passionflower can also reduce those agitating digestive effects and further help you sleep without disturbances.
Since the FDA considers herbal supplements a food, manufacturers of the supplements do not need to provide proof of safety or efficacy. It is always important to exercise caution when taking any supplement.
2. Essential Oils Are Potent Natural Sleep Remedies
Essential oils are another natural and popular alternative for enhancing sleep.
These fragrant essences come directly from different parts of plants, flowers, and herbs through an extraction process.
Since those plants are extremely potent, they are very effective, but should also be used with caution.
Most of the time, essential oils are used in aromatherapy. They may be spread through a room with an oil diffuser, applied topically, or used in bathwater.
The best essential oils for sleep include:
Lavender oil is widely used to promote sleep because it induces relaxation.
Not only is this a great herb and herbal tea to use for better sleep, but the essential oils are amazing for you.
An easy way to use lavender for sleep is to add a few drops to an essential oil diffuser that is turned on in your bedroom.
The aroma will fill the air and help you to relax during your night-time routine.
If you also take a bath in the evening, you can use lavender in the bath water as well.
Bergamot
Bergamot oil is a citrus, fresh, bittersweet scent that has calming effects.
If you are a fan of citrus scents, then use this in the evening to help you get better sleep.
This oil can help you to feel refreshed and reduce stress, which is really going to help you get restful sleep.
Sandalwood and Cedarwood
Sandalwood and Cedarwood oils are both warm, woody scents that help you drift away.
Since the scents of both oils are a bit strong, it is a good idea to start small.
Add just a couple drops, then see if a little more might be needed.
Also, Vetiver and roman chamomile are among essential oils that can be wonderful for blissful sleep.
3. How Dietary Changes Can Help You Reclaim Your Sleep
This may not be what you want to hear but changing your diet might be just what you need.
Not only can your diet help to improve your sleep, but other foods might be derailing you from a sound repose.
Here is a look at foods to eat and foods to avoid that can help with your sleep.
What to Eat For To Sleep Well
Have you ever had a big Thanksgiving dinner with lots of turkey, then felt instantly like having a nap?
This is not just from carb overload and being stuffed, but because of the turkey itself.
Turkey has a nutrient called tryptophan that can help make you sleepy.
Not only that, but it is also a healthy protein that will regulate your appetite during the day, so it is always good to have around.
Don’t like turkey?
No problem! There are other foods that contain tryptophan. For example, chicken, canned tuna, milk, cheese, oats, nuts, seeds, bananas, prunes, and chocolates to name just some of them.
Complex Carbohydrates
Unless you are on a carb-restricted diet, there is nothing wrong with having carbs.
However, it is best that you avoid refined carbohydrates like white bread and rice.
Rather, stick to your complex carbohydrates, like sweet potatoes and whole wheat.
These carbohydrates go really far in helping to produce serotonin, the sleepy hormone.
Nutrients You Need in Your Diet
There are many other foods that are nutritious and are going to help you sleep, directly and indirectly.
With the right vitamins and minerals in your diet, you have a healthier mindset, healthier body, and less stress.
Some nutrients you should have in your diet include:
B vitamins
Zinc
Calcium
Protein
Iron
Copper
D3
What to Avoid If You Want a Good Sleep
Naturally, there are also some foods and drinks you want to avoid if you are struggling with insomnia and sleep deprivation.
These include:
Caffeine
While you don’t have to completely avoid all caffeine, you should at least reduce how much of it you have.
This is especially true when it comes to consuming it in the evenings. Many people enjoy coffee at night, but unfortunately this could be affecting your sleep.
Try to reduce all sources of caffeine, including coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate. Even some medications contain caffeine, so it is good to check.
Alcohol
Alcohol can play tricks on you, making you believe you need it to sleep better.
While it might help you to fall asleep quickly, it is not helping you to stay asleep or get restful sleep.
Your body and mind go through a lot when you are sleeping after drinking a moderate amount of alcohol, which is why you might feel like you didn’t sleep a wink the next morning.
Spicy Foods
As far as food is concerned, reduce how many spicy foods you are consuming.
These can affect your digestion and increase discomfort when you go to sleep.
The spicy foods might cause heartburn or acid reflux, which is going to irritate your airway and cause sleep disturbances.
If you enjoy spicy food, stick to eating it earlier in the day.
It is also a good idea to reduce acidic foods that irritate acid reflux, such as tomatoes and citrus fruits.
4. Bedroom Plants Enhance Night Rest Too
Keeping plants in the bedroom is incredibly beneficial to a good night of sleep.
Plants help to clean the air, using the carbon dioxide that humans exhale.
In turn, they provide oxygen.
Like its essential oil, a lavender plant induces relaxation.
In studies, lavender helped calm crying babies and helped them to sleep.
And in women’s studies, it was shown to lessen the time it took to fall asleep.
Jasmine
A jasmine plant can help to lower anxiety levels for a deeper sleep.
It is a delicately scented beautiful plant.
It’s so exquisite that it adds to the aesthetics of your bedroom while also improving your sleep.
Snake Plant
Snake plants raise the level of oxygen in the room.
They are also known to clean toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene from the air.
All of these toxins are commonly found in the home from items like furniture.
Spider Plants
Spider plant also clean formaldehyde from the air, absorbs odours and fumes, and improves the quality of the air.
Have at least one or two spider plants in your bedroom to help improve the quality of air and keep your allergies from disturbing your sleep.
English Ivy and Peace Lily
English Ivy and Peace Lilies help to improve asthma and allergies.
They can overpower airborne germs which allows allergy sufferers to get better rest.
No more will you be waking up in the middle of the night from an allergy attack.
5. Meditation and Mindfulness Are Great Insomnia Fixers
Finally, don’t underestimate the power of meditation and mindfulness when it comes to encouraging better sleep.
This might be the easiest natural option because it can be done with or without additional supplies.
You can use a guided meditation in which one listens to a person talk them through calming relaxation techniques.
Unguided meditation may be accompanied by a relaxing sound such as rainfall or waves crashing on the beach. This meditation requires concentration to reach a state of ultimate mindfulness.
Practicing meditation along with yoga can help to relax the mind and the body. Yoga includes a series of stretches that assist in preparing the body to sleep. Both can help the practitioner to release the worries and stresses of the day.
Conclusion
Clearly, there are many natural options to help achieve better sleep.
Herbs can be useful as long as proper precautions are taken.
Essential oils use aromatherapy to help induce calm restfulness.
Plants in the bedroom make a beautiful decoration and offer natural air cleansing.
Yoga, along with meditation can help relax and prepare the body for sleep.
All of these options are effective alternatives to synthetic sleep aids, and most have very little to no side effects.
Disclaimer:
This article was written by Zuzana Halliwell. I am not a doctor or mental health professional and cannot be held liable for the information written here. This article is meant to provide information to help you get better quality sleep. For medical assistance, please seek help from a medical or mental health professional.
