Natural Sleep Suggestions?
05 Nov 2009
I haven’t had any trouble sleeping until recently, and would rather not go see the doctor about it yet, because all I know they’ll do is give me a ’sleep hygiene’ handout and no real advise. And I don’t want them to prescribe a sleep aid. I tried taking a Tylenol pm to see if it helped. I slept alright, but I felt horrible when I woke up!
What are some natural sleep remedies? I ordered today some loose organic chamomile and lavender, and I intend to mix them and make an herbal tea that I hope will help with sleep. Would perhaps mixing a little bit of organic Valerian in the mix help too? I heard it doesn’t make a good tea, very strong and unpleasant. But maybe only a little bit would add benefits, but still taste of more pleasant herbs.
I make sure to not do anything like read or whatnot in my bed, it is just for sleeping. I always leave time for at least 8 and a half hours of sleep in my schedule, and at the same time every night. I workout every morning (have to, Army ROTC, haha!). I get my homework and studying out of the way before sleep time, so I am not dwelling on it. So I’ve tried most of the sleep hygiene tips I can find, but alas, they aren’t doing much good. I have some nice, soothing music, and that helps a little bit.
Any tips will be much appreciated. I just want to a full night’s sleep so I can feel rested. I hate having to go running, and then go to class feeling exhausted.
A warm bath is a great way to relax to help you to sleep. If you can’t take a bath, you can give yourself a foot massage with slightly warm massage oil, sesame oil, or castor oil from a health food store.
What was very helpful to me, especially when my mind was racing, was to lie in bed and listen to relaxation CDs, especially those that contain someone speaking with relaxing music in the background. Many of these CDs are available on eBay for very low prices.
A helpful technique is to relax your body one part at a time. So you could relax your feet, your lower legs, upper legs, moving up from your lower belly up to your chest, etc., until your whole body is relaxed.
Of course, guided relaxation methods can help, imagining yourself in the country, the beach, or whatever is most soothing to you.
If you have annoying thoughts or personal issues that run thru your mind when you are trying to sleep, you might have to deal with those issues first. You might want to talk to a counselor or therapist about that. I suggest avoiding prescription sleeping pills unless nothing else helps.
There are herbs that are helpful for sleep, eg, valerian root, kava kava, chamomile, hops, passion flower, skullcap. Probably, valerian root and kava kava are the best. With some herbs, it can take a few weeks to build up in your system before it works.
You can also try 5-HTP, trytophan, GABA or melatonin (2-3 mg). I would not take melatonin for over a month unless your doctor says it is ok. It is a hormone produced by the pineal gland. If you take too much, your pineal gland might get "lazy" and produce less melatonin naturally.
8 Responses
2009 Nov 06
Melatonin 3 mg. is what I use. Take it an hour and a half before bedtime. It’s a naturally occuring chemical in your body that gets depleted with age.
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2009 Nov 06
There is a supplement called Mid Nite that contains lavender, melatonin and I think tryptophan. Being an insomniac, I have tried every other kind of pill, tea and aroma out there. This, in conjunction with getting showered up early and keeping the tv off for a few hours prior to bed is the best thing that I have tried. Good luck mate.
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2009 Nov 06
Yeah I know how you feel unfortunately I am severely depressed and have suicidal thoughts on a daily basis so getting sleep is needed for me or I am more depressed. I am still struggling with the doctors to give me something that actually helps but instead they have given me Seraquil which made me feel awful and didn’t even help me sleep that well. If this is only recently I recommend getting a sleep aid like Ambien it can really help short term ive heard many good things about it. If you don’t want to do that then possibly try some Melatonin that you can pick up otc it helps me a little but I have a more serious case of insomnia so maybe it’s all you need.
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2009 Nov 06
if you have trouble falling asleep here are some tips. tap our foot, clear your mind of everything u r thinking, and just relax. or you could get a fan. if u have trouble staying asleep you should not eat anything with alot of sugar right before bed. when you wake up at night don’t look at the clock. looking at the clock when you wake up in the middle of the night can cause insomnia. hope i was some help!
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2009 Nov 06
The herbal tea you are speaking of is good, but it is also good to have the scent of lavendar in your room. You can use a bit of lavendar oil on your pillowcase to help. Also, no computer, TV, video games or reading right before bed… as these things will stimulate your brain and keep you awake. Make sure your bed sheets are comfortable and that the temperature in your house isn’t too warm or too cool. Make sure it is very dark in your room and shut your door. I sleep under a ceiling fan year-round and the low humming sound is somewhat soothing instead of silence.
Pleasant dreams! ZZZZZzzzzzz
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2009 Nov 06
There are cd’s and tapes you can buy to play on something, they are relaxing sounds like a light rain on a metal roof, or the waves of a beach coming up over a beach. You can buy these at Best Buy. Hope it works for you.
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Personal Experience
2009 Nov 06
I have had major sleep problems in the past and my doctor put on sleeping pill after sleeping pill and I couldn’t stand it. I was far too young to be on sleeping pills (18 at the time) and When on the pills I would have vivid hallucinations. I gave up on the medications and just dedicated myself to changing my lifestyle instead. I worked out every morning to the point of exhaustion (keep in mind that I am a fit individual) and woke up at the same time everyday. Never spent any extra time in bed as you said you were doing, I also stopped using music when sleeping and listened the an AM radio station quietly instead which worked for me.
Also a word of caution about melatonin, If it is not taken at the appropriate time and dose, It can worsen depression by messing with your bodies natural hormone levels. So talk to your doctor before trying it.
References :
2009 Nov 06
A warm bath is a great way to relax to help you to sleep. If you can’t take a bath, you can give yourself a foot massage with slightly warm massage oil, sesame oil, or castor oil from a health food store.
What was very helpful to me, especially when my mind was racing, was to lie in bed and listen to relaxation CDs, especially those that contain someone speaking with relaxing music in the background. Many of these CDs are available on eBay for very low prices.
A helpful technique is to relax your body one part at a time. So you could relax your feet, your lower legs, upper legs, moving up from your lower belly up to your chest, etc., until your whole body is relaxed.
Of course, guided relaxation methods can help, imagining yourself in the country, the beach, or whatever is most soothing to you.
If you have annoying thoughts or personal issues that run thru your mind when you are trying to sleep, you might have to deal with those issues first. You might want to talk to a counselor or therapist about that. I suggest avoiding prescription sleeping pills unless nothing else helps.
There are herbs that are helpful for sleep, eg, valerian root, kava kava, chamomile, hops, passion flower, skullcap. Probably, valerian root and kava kava are the best. With some herbs, it can take a few weeks to build up in your system before it works.
You can also try 5-HTP, trytophan, GABA or melatonin (2-3 mg). I would not take melatonin for over a month unless your doctor says it is ok. It is a hormone produced by the pineal gland. If you take too much, your pineal gland might get "lazy" and produce less melatonin naturally.
References :