Getting quality time sleep at night is incredibly important for your health. It helps your body and brain function properly improving the way you think, learn, decide and even your creativity. Read on and know about the best home remedies that will help you sleep better at night.
Imagine your body as a giant factory that performs plenty of important functions. A lack of adequate sleep at night can make you moody or look tired the next day. And over time, this messes up more than just your morning mood. Getting less than 7 hours of sleep daily can eventually lead to serious health consequences.
What causes insomnia?
Just like your body needs food and air, it needs a good night’s sleep to function at its best. The body heals itself and restores chemical balance when you sleep. Also, during that time, your brain builds new thought connections and helps in the process of memory retention. Without enough sleep, your body systems and brain won’t function normally and it dramatically lowers the quality of life.
Insomnia is mainly caused due to stress, poor sleeping habits, irregular sleep schedule, mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression, neurological problems, physical illnesses and pain, medications, and specific sleep disorders. The long-term effects of sleep deprivation can drain your mental abilities and puts your physical health at real risk. It can lead to issues starting from weight gain to a weak immune system.
Home Remedies for good sleep
If you’re someone who’s been tossing and turning all night to get sleep, then its high time to bring certain important changes in your life. Never depend on something like sleeping pills and always go for natural sleep remedies.
Try following the home remedies for sleep given below.
- Avoid day time napping
Try to avoid day time napping as it makes sleeping at night more difficult. If you think that you need a day time nap, it is always best to limit it to less than one hour. Also, avoid napping after 3 pm.
- Make the bedroom sleep-friendly
A comfortable and sleep-friendly environment helps you sleep better at night. This can be done by keeping the bedroom temperature cool, turning off the devices that emit light or sound. It is always best to use blackout curtains to ensure that the room is dark enough.
- Practice Yoga
Practicing yoga before bedtime is one of the best ways to release everything you are holding onto mentally or physically. Incorporating this habit into your routine improves the quality and duration of your sleep.
- Eat pro-sleep foods
Have you ever imagined that the things you eat and drink could play a key role in whether or not you sleep soundly? To help fight sleep problems, consider adding some of these foods to your dinner menu- cheese, almonds, salmon whole-grain crackers, cherries, low-fat milk, and bananas.
- Take a warm bath before sleep
Consider taking a warm bath two hours before sleep. This will help you relax as well as induce sleep. It cools off your body, triggers sleep at night and makes you fresh in the morning.
- Avoid caffeine
Caffeine is the opposite of what will help you sleep better at night. Caffeine improves energy levels and helps focus, but these things should be shut down when one wants to fall asleep.
- Get a new mattress
A mattress very well affects your sleeping pattern. If it is old, torn or not a good fit for you, it can lead to sleep issues. When you purchase a new mattress, it is important to give priority to the material, design, thickness, and its overall quality.
- Exercise daily
Doing 15 to 30 minutes of exercise offers many health benefits, such as the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, better weight control, and increased muscle tone. In fact, it helps you sleep better. Avoid exercising 2–3 hours before bed, as this may have the opposite effect.
- Maintain a regular bedtime
Maintaining a regular sleep schedule can help you fall asleep and wake up more easily. It also prevents mental conditions such as depression and stress.
- Wind down and clear your head
Stress, worry, and anger issues can negatively impact your sleep. Taking the necessary steps to manage your stress levels and anger can make it easier to unwind at night. Try developing a relaxing bedtime ritual that will help you prepare your mind for sleep.
Apart from this constantly interrupting in tasks such as checking your email, social media, or phone can affect your sleeping habits. Help yourself by setting specific times during the day time to check your phone and social media. Also, try to focus on one task at a time. When you do this, you will be able to calm your mind at bedtime.
Sleep promoting herbal remedies
Given below are a list of herbal home remedies for sleep. Consuming these will help you sleep better and wake up fresh in the morning. But, before taking this, talk to a doctor and understand which herbal home remedies for good sleep are better for you. If you find it difficult to visit a doctor, you can consult doctor online.
- Chamomile tea– Used as a sleep aid since the olden days, chamomile tea is a mild tranquillizer or sleep inducer. The plant extract contains a chemical compound known as apigenin that induces sleep when it binds with GABA receptors in the brain.
- Lavender– Lavender is one of the best aromatherapy choices to improve sleep. It relaxes your mind and improves sleep quality thereby preventing anxiety and depression.
- Valerian– The root of this herb is used as a natural treatment for sleeplessness, anxiety, depression, and menopause.
- Kava- One of the best ways to sleep well at night is to use kava. It belongs to the root of the Piper methysticum plant and has a long history of helping people get the sleep they need without feeling dizzy or tired the next morning.
- California poppy– This delightful herb is commonly employed to improve sleep. It relaxes the mind and is also a great choice for someone who is unable to stop overthinking.
By knowing the exact reason you are not able to sleep, you can come up with a plan to counter the sleep deprivation effects. You cannot achieve optimal health without taking care of your sleeping pattern.
Opt for natural home remedies than sleeping pills. Keep in mind- “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”, HAPPY SNOOZING!
