Natural Remedies for Insomnia

Here are fourteen natural remedies that are used to treat

insomnia.
1) Valerian
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a herb that has been long
used as a remedy for insomnia. Today, it is an over-the-
counter insomnia remedy in Germany, France, Sit!erland,
"elgium, and #taly.
$%actly ho valerian or&s in the body is still not ell
understood. Some studies suggest that li&e conventional
slee'ing 'ills, valerian may affect levels of the calming
neurotransmitter G("(.
)nli&e many other slee' medications, valerian is not
believed to be addictive or cause grogginess in the morning.
"ut valerian doesn*t or& for everyone. (nd although studies
in labs have been encouraging, clinical trials are still
inconclusive.
Valerian is usually ta&en beteen an hour before bedtime. #t
ta&es about to to three ee&s to or&. #t shouldn*t be used
for more than three months at a time. Side effects of valerian
may include mild indigestion, headache, 'al'itations, and
di!!iness. (lthough valerian tea and li+uid e%tracts are
available, most 'eo'le don*t li&e the smell of valerian and
'refer ta&ing the ca'sule form.
Valerian shouldn*t be ta&en ith many medications,
es'ecially those that de'ress the central nervous system,
such as sedatives and antihistamines. Valerian shouldn*t be
ta&en ith alcohol, before or after surgery, or by 'eo'le ith
liver disease. #t should not be ta&en before driving or
o'erating machinery. ,onsultation ith a +ualified health
'ractitioner is recommended. For more information about
valerian, read the Valerian Fact Sheet.
2) Melatonin
-elatonin is a 'o'ular remedy to hel' 'eo'le fall aslee'
hen the slee'.a&e cycle has been disturbed, such as in
shift or&ers or 'eo'le ho ith /et lag. -elatonin is a
hormone found naturally in the body. The 'ineal gland in the
brain ma&es serotonin hich is then converted into
melatonin at night hen e%'osure to light decreases.
-elatonin is ty'ically ta&en about 01 minutes before the
desired bedtime. Some e%'erts caution that melatonin
should not be used by 'eo'le ith de'ression,
schi!o'hrenia, autoimmune diseases, and other serious
illness. 2regnant and nursing omen should not use
melatonin.
The )niversity of (lberta study e%amined 34 studies ith
563 'eo'le and found no significant side effects hen used
for three months or less. The long-term effect of melatonin
su''lementation is not &non. For more information about
melatonin, read "oosting -elatonin 7aturally.
3) Kava
8ava is an anti-an%iety herb that may be hel'ful for an%iety-
related insomnia. Hoever, the )nited States Food and
9rug (dministration (F9() has issued an advisory to
consumers about the 'otential ris& of severe liver in/ury
resulting from the use of dietary su''lements containing
&ava. To date, there have been more than :6 re'orts of
serious adverse effects from &ava use in other countries,
including four 'atients ho re+uired liver trans'lants. ;earn
more< =hat is &ava>
4) Relaxation Techniques
?ela%ation techni+ues are one of the most effective ays to
increase slee' time, fall aslee' faster, and feel more rested
in the morning. They re+uire a minimum of :1 minutes
before going to bed. There are many different techni+ues<
Visuali!ation - involves imagining a rela%ing scene. @ou
can try it in bed before falling aslee'. #nvolve all your
senses. #f you*re imagining yourself on a tro'ical island,
thin& of the ay the arm bree!e feels against your s&in.
#magine the seet scent of the floers, loo& at the ater
and listen the aves--you get the 'icture. The more vivid
the visuali!ation and the more senses you involve, the
more effective it ill be.
?ela%ation ?es'onse - ( mind.body techni+ue based
on the 'rinci'les of Transcendental -editation. ;earn ho
to elicit the rela%ation res'onse
-indfulness - ( ty'e of meditation that essentially
involves focusing on your mind on the 'resent. ;earn
mindfulness.
@oga - combines dee' breathing, meditation, and
stretching. ( Harvard study found that daily yoga for eight
ee&s im'roved total slee' time, the time to fall aslee'. #f
you*ve never tried yoga before, not to orry. There are
many gentle yoga styles to choose from.
2rogressive -uscle ?ela%ation - is a 'romising natural
remedy for slee'. #f you*ve never tried a rela%ation
techni+ue before, this techni+ue is easy to learn and
sim'le to master.
) !iet
A "ut out caffeine
,affeine can have a 'ronounced effect on slee', causing
insomnia and restlessness. #n addition to coffee, tea, and
soft drin&s, loo& for hidden sources of caffeine such as
chocolate, cough and cold medicine, and other over-the-
counter medicine.
A #void s$eets
(lthough sugar can give a burst of energy, it*s short-lived
and can cause uneven blood sugar levels. This can disru't
slee' in the middle of the night as blood sugar levels fall.
A %at foods that hel& 'ou slee&
Try'to'han is an amino acid that is a 'recursor to serotonin,
hich is then converted to melatonin. ,arbohydrate snac&s
such hole grain crac&ers before bedtime may hel' to
'romote slee'. Bust be sure to stay aay from seets.
A %at ma(nesium)rich foods
-agnesium is a natural sedative. 9eficiency of magnesium
can result in difficulty slee'ing, consti'ation, muscle tremors
or cram's, an%iety, irritability, and 'ain. #t has also been use
for 'eo'le ith restless leg syndrome.
Foods rich in magnesium are legumes and seeds, dar& leafy
green vegetables, heat bran, almonds, cashes,
blac&stra' molasses, breer*s yeast, and hole grains.
*) #romathera&'
The scent of $nglish lavender has long been used as a fol&
remedy to hel' 'eo'le fall aslee'. ?esearch is starting to
confirm lavender*s sedative +ualities. #t*s been found to
lengthen total slee' time, increase dee' slee', and ma&e
'eo'le feel refreshed. #t a''ears to or& better for omen,
'ossibly because omen tend to have a more acute sense
of smell.
The good thing about lavender is that it begins to or&
+uic&ly. Try 'utting a lavender sachet under your 'illo or
'lace one to to dro's of lavender essential oil in a
hand&erchief. Cr add several dro's of lavender oil to a bath
-- the dro' in body tem'erature after a arm bath also hel's
ith slee'. Cther aromathera'y oils believed to hel' ith
slee' are chamomile and ylang ylang.
Ho to -a&e a ?ela%ing $ssential Cil "lend
Ho to )se $ssential Cils Safely
Ti's on "uying $ssential Cils
;avender and Tea Tree Cil (lert
+) ,i(ht
#f you have trouble falling aslee' at night, you may need
more light in the morning. ;ight e%'osure 'lays a &ey role in
telling the body hen to go to slee' and hen to a&e u'.
Try ta&ing a al& first thing in the morning. Bust be sure to
ear sunscreen to 'rotect your s&in from ultraviolet rays.
Cn the other hand, if you find you*re a&ing u' too early in
the morning, you may need more light in the afternoon. Try
ta&ing a al& in the late afternoon.
-) Music
Gentle, slo music is another remedy that can hel' to
im'rove slee' ithout medication. -usic has been found to
im'rove slee' +uality, decrease nightly a&enings, lengthen
slee' time, and increase satisfaction ith slee'.
.) #cu&uncture
(cu'uncture may hel' ith insomnia. ( )niversity of
2ittsburgh analysis concluded that acu'uncture may be an
effective treatment for insomnia. ( 'reliminary study found
that five ee&s of acu'uncture increase melatonin secretion
in the evening and im'roved total slee' time.
(cu'uncture Fact Sheet
Find an (cu'uncturist
2oll< 9oes (cu'uncture Hurt>
1/) Traditional "hinese Medicine
#n traditional ,hinese medicine, insomnia often stems
from &idney energy ea&ness. This syndrome is not
necessarily related to &idney disease in =estern medicine. (
fe signs of &idney energy ea&ness are lo bac& ache,
tiredness and fatigue, and a burst of energy at about 33 'm
in the evening. =omen in meno'ause often e%'erience this
ty'e of insomnia. 2eo'le ho are ta&ing anti-estrogenic
drugs such as tamo%ifen also e%'erience this ty'e of
insomnia, hoever, they should not ta&e herbal
combinations such as the herbal formula liu wei di
huang that may increase estrogen levels.
8idney @in 9eficiency
#nter'reting $motions in Traditional ,hinese -edicine
11) #'urvedic Medicine
#n (yurvedic medicine, insomnia is often associated ith a
vata imbalance. Vata regulates breathing and circulation.
2eo'le ith a vata imbalance often notice irritability, an%iety,
and fear ith insomnia. Cne (yurvedic treatment is the
a''lication of oil on the head and feet. For the 'itta ty'e,
room tem'erature coconut oil is used, for the vata ty'e,
arm sesame oil is a''lied, and for the &a'ha ty'e, arm
mustard oil is often a''lied.
=hat is your (yurvedic ty'e>
?ecommended foods for your (yurvedic ty'e
12) %xercise
;ac& of e%ercise can contribute to 'oor slee'. -uscle
tension and stress build in the body. $%ercise can 'romote
dee' slee' that night. Hoever, intense e%ercise too close to
bed can increase adrenaline levels, leading to insomnia.
13) 0ther Natural Remedies
For hot flashes, a thin, flat foam 'illo insert, called a
,hillo, can hel' to cool the head throughout the night.
,hamomile , ho's, 'assionfloer, lemon balm, and
ashagandha are other herbs that are often used for
insomnia. Some 'eo'le may find benefit from sim'ly
having a cu' of chamomile tea one to to hours before
going to bed. ,hamomile can reduce an%iety, calm the
digestive system, and relieve muscle tension.
14) 1en( 2hui
Feng shui, hich originates in the ,hinese 'hiloso'hy of
Taoism, instructs on ho to arrange rooms, furniture, offices,
houses, and other arrangements to ma%imi!e favorable
energy flo throughout living s'aces. Here are some
recommendations that may hel' 'romote rela%ing slee'<
Try not to have the bed in a corner of the room. The
corners are here energy tends to be stagnant.
(void 'utting your bed ne%t to a indo. $nergy can be
drained this ay.
The bed shouldn*t be 'ositioned so that the soles of the
feet, hen lying face-u' in bed, directly face the dooray.
=hen lying in bed, you should have full vie of anyone
coming in the door. #f you can*t do this directly, hang a
mirror to reflect the entranceay.
Try to avoid facing shar' corners from des&s,
boo&cases, and other 'ieces of furniture.