Natural Remedies For Insomnia

There are many, many natural remedies for insomnia listed here. Most involve simple changes you can make.

Lifestyle changes

To start with, some great natural remedies fo insomnia include cuttingting out or cut down all stimulants including coffee and tea, cola drinks, nicotine, alcohol, food additives, 'junk food', diet pills or appetite suppressants, particularly from late afternoon onwards.

Here are some other suggestions for relieving insomnia. Don't panic - you won't need to do all of these! Decide which would be most helpful and start with those. If that doesn't help, try others until you are sleeping better. Your aim is to break the cycle of insomnia by establishing a good bedtime and sleep routine and by reinforcing your subconscious association between bed and sleep.

• do a quick security check to put your mind at ease
• establish a routine that gives you 7-8 hours sleep (though individual needs do vary)
• exercise regularly - this is proven to help people sleep
• get up at the same time each day. Waking at different times each day can play around with your body clock. Your body may need more predictability.
• have a warm bath, do some yoga or take a light walk before turning in
• if you don't fall asleep within 15-20 minutes, get up and only return to bed when you're really sleepy again. Read a magazine or book instead until you get drowsy.
• if you like to sleep late, make yourself get up earlier
• make a list of the things on your mind so you can get them out of your head and onto a piece of paper or to-do list. Tell yourself that you'll have plenty of time to worry about them tomorrow!
• only go to bed when you feel really tired and sleepy
• relax physically and mentally for an hour before bed. This means avoiding stimulating TV shows or other arousing activities
• replace negative thoughts with positive ones e.g. "I can sleep/get back to sleep"
• stay up until a reasonable bedtime even if you feel drowsy earlier

Some things to avoid:

• drinking too much towards the end of the evening
• eating, drinking or smoking when you get up during the night
• falling asleep in front of the TV
• getting angry with yourself or the world if you can't sleep - it only makes it worse!
• going to bed when you're stressed, wound up or not ready
• having arguments at bedtime or in bed
• lying in bed awake for more than 30 minutes
• sleeping during the day no matter how tired you are
• taking stimulants to keep you awake, or sedatives or alcohol to help you sleep. Alcohol may help some people get to sleep, but it won't give you restful sleep. Alcohol interferes stops you going into a deep sleep. Read the alcohol and insomnia page for more information.
• using your bed for working, watching TV, eating, telephoning - i.e. waking activities
• worrying about not sleeping

Relaxation

Research suggests that people with sleeping difficulties tend to be more anxious, depressed and unhappy than others, although of course, cheerful, calm and confident people can also experience insomnia. If you are stressed or anxious, work on these natural remedies for insomnia:

• accepting situations you can't change
• being realistic about what you can take on and get done
• changing or resolving the things that cause you stress when possible
• giving yourself plenty of time for the things you need to do
• giving yourself some 'quiet time' each day
• having some relaxing, non-competitive activities - something you do just for pleasure, for fun
• keeping your mind and body as relaxed as possible throughout the day. Try to avoid stressful situations or exposing yourself to films, books and conversations that distress you.
• living in the present, rather than worrying about the past or fearing the future
• practicing a relaxation technique or breathing exercises regularly
• talking to your partner if there are problems in your relationship

You can get help if you need it. There are numerous books on relaxation and there may be workshops available in your area. Insomnia hypnosis can help you learn to relax and implant helpful thought patterns.

Depression

If you have been suffering from insomnia for some time you may be depressed. Signs to watch for are:

• waking in the middle of the night or early morning and being unable to get back to sleep
• loss of interest in life and things that used to interest you, low energy and appetite
• aggression and anti-social behavior
• aches and pains that have no physical explanation

If you are depressed, it makes sense to seek some help. Speak to a your doctor, health professional or make an appointment to see a counselor. Dealing with your depression is one of the best natural remedies for insomnia because it will have a deep, lasting effect.

If you are taking Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride) for depression, be aware that one of its side effects is insomnia.

Anger

Pent up anger could be the underlying cause of your sleeplessness. If you think this is true for you:

• figure out why you feel quite so angry
• address or remove the cause of your anger
• where there is nothing you can do about it, accept and understand your feelings
• do some physical exercise; this might help you get pent-up anger and frustration out of your system
• if you are depressed or grieving (anger can be a feature of both) get the support that will enable you to deal with your feelings.

Food and drink

There are some foods and drink that interfere with sleep, particularly if taken just before bed such as very rich foods and alcohol. You therefore might try to avoid or cut down on these before sleeping. Alternatively, there are some foods that are believed to aid sleep. Here are some suggestions:

• if getting to sleep is the problem, eat a high carbohydrate meal two hours before bed. Such a meal might include potatoes, rice, pasta or bread.
• if staying asleep is the problem, have some bread and honey or a bowl of cereal at bedtime
• have a warm milky drink at bedtime
• some people find herbal teas soothing and helpful, especially chamomile. Other herbs may be helpful. Like medications (see below), these are not cures for insomnia, but can really help.
• hot water, lemon and honey or hot red grape juice are good alternative hot drinks

Medications

Only use sleeping pills as a last resort. If you are wondering about taking medication to help you sleep, speak to your doctor. Your doctor will need to ensure they don’t interact with any other medications you take or create a problem for existing medical conditions. It is also a good idea to talk to your doctor if you are already taking medication and are concerned about the side-effects or want to stop. If you feel sleepy or dizzy during the day, you may need to change the dosage or stop taking them.

Most medications are only useful short-term as they can promote dependency, so they are not a way of curing insomnia, but can provide some relief. Try some of the other natural remedies for insomnia described here.

Alcohol

Alcohol is more disruptive to sleep than coffee! The body produces adrenaline to compensate for the alcohol in your system, once it has been digested, so although you may find alcohol helps you to get to sleep, the quality of your sleep will be poor and you may wake up frequently. Alcohol also makes you thirsty. Both cause you to sleep fitfully or to wake. You don't have to give up alcohol entirely, but if you are serious about overcoming your sleeplessness, you may need to cut down - perhaps start by not drinking late at night or by having a few alcohol-free days a week.

If you are concerned about the amount you are drinking or think you might have an alcohol problem, speak to your doctor or a counsellor.

Mind games

Here are some natural remedies for insomnia you might not have thought of! There are two perspectives on this topic - some believe that mental games can send you to sleep and some believe that they stimulate your mind and keep you awake!
If you think they might help you, here are a few examples:

Word games

• repeat long pieces of poetry or prose
• spell long words and sentences backwards
• think of a poem or song, then count how many a's or b's there are in it
• work your way through the alphabet thinking of a four-letter word beginning with each letter

Imagination games

• imagine a storm outside while you are safe and warm in bed
• recall in great detail a favourite painting, piece of music, or place
• visualise yourself sinking into your bed until you can't tell where your body ends and the bed begins

Getting more help

The focus of this website is self-help and natural remedies for insomnia. You may, however, feel that you need some help. There are a number of people who can help you - your doctor, natural health practitioner or a counselor. Don't feel bad about having to ask for help - insomnia is not a trivial matter. It can be debilitating and, once established, it can be difficult to resolve - professional help and encouragement may be just what you need.