Natural Solutions for Insomnia
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According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), over forty-million people suffer from more than seventy sleep disorders and 6 out of 10 adults report trouble getting to or staying asleep several nights per week. The business of sleep has grown into a multi-million dollar industry; from mattresses to sleeping pills – it seems that Americans are constantly on the lookout for the next big thing that promises a good night’s sleep. But, what if the best solution to your insomnia is cheap, easy, and natural?
The secret to deep, restful sleep could be a simple matter of:
Changing your habits
Changing your screen habits
Looking at your bedroom in a new way
Buying a couple of inexpensive supplements
Changing the tea you drink
Keep your bleary eyes focused for just a little while longer and learn why sleep is important, and how easy (and inexpensive) it is to consistently get the quality sleep you need to excel during your day!
4 Reasons Why Sleep Quality Matters
We all realize that not sleeping well will affect our mood and ability to focus, but did you realize that missing out on vital sleep time can have serious health consequences?
1. Heart Disease
I realize that we all understand the effect insomnia has on our heads – but did you know that losing sleep will hurt your heart as well? According to a study published in Current Cardiology Reviews; Men and women who regularly slept for six hours or less had almost two times the total age-adjusted death rate of men who slept a full seven or eight hours per night.
2. Sleep Deprivation Can Make You Gain Wait
If you sleep less than five hours (or more than nine hours), you will increase the chances of gaining unwanted weight. In this study; continuous sleep deprivation in men not only increased their preferences for high-calorie foods but also their overall calorie intake.
3. Sleep Can Prevent Diabetes
Research shows that people who routinely sleep less than five hours per night increase their risk of developing diabetes because missing out on deep sleep could change the way your body processes the sugars that cells use for fuel.
4. Sleep Deprivation Reduces Your Fertility
Scientists claim this is one of the effects of sleep deprivation – for both men and women. Data shows that regular sleep disruptions can cause trouble by reducing the secretion of critical reproductive hormones.
Your Habits Could Be Keeping You Awake
It’s critical that you associate your bedroom (and especially your bed) with sleeping.
Yes, it’s a no-brainer, but are you guilty of:
Eating in bed?
Working in bed or at a desk in your bedroom?
Watching your TV/laptop/tablet/phone in bed?
These are habits that will virtually guarantee that your mind is stimulated just when you should be nodding off. Worse; you’ll always think of your bed as a place to ‘catch up’ on things you should have done earlier.
Instead of teaching your body that bed means sleep – you’re teaching yourself to get ready for any other activity. Turn your bedroom into a ‘sleep office,’ when you lay down on that bed it’s to get straight to business: Sleep.
Melatonin and Magnesium for Sleep
Melatonin is a hormone produced by a small gland in the brain; your pineal gland. Melatonin is the hormone that helps regulate your biological clock. Darkness is the cue that sets off production of this substance, and artificial lighting can throw your ‘body clock’ off. Using an OTC melatonin supplement can be a solution to this problem. Melatonin is inexpensive and easy to find in health food stores and pharmacies. Take the recommended dose about a half hour before going to bed and stay in dim light to get the maximum benefit.
Magnesium is an essential mineral of which the majority of Americans are chronically deficient. Supplemental magnesium has also been demonstrated to be an effective way to treat recurrent insomnia in older adults; this study found a significant improvement in a group of seniors suffering sleep problems when they started taking supplemental magnesium daily.
Chamomile Gets You to Sleep Faster
It turns out that grandmothers everywhere are right – chamomile tea will get you to sleep faster and improve the quality of the sleep you get. A paper published in the Molecular Medicine Report claims that research has claimed that chamomile is effective as a mild tranquilizer and sleep-inducer. The sedative effects are possibly due to the apigenin flavonoid that binds to benzodiazepine (think allergy medicine) receptors in the brain. Chamomile is available in many different forms; powders, tincture, tea bags. It’s easy to find and cheap to buy. If you have trouble getting to sleep after you hit the sack – try this delicious way to wind down and enjoy that drowsy feeling that will send you to a refreshing slumber.
No Need for Dangerous Drugs
There’s often no need for dangerous and expensive prescription drugs to solve your sleep problems. Before you go running to your doctor for a way to get the sleep you need – try these easy, natural, healthy ways to get your body back on track. Change your bad sleep habits, keep screens out of your bedroom, give melatonin, magnesium, and chamomile a try and leave prescription drugs as a ‘last resort,’ option. The odds are high that you’ll soon forget what it was like to wake up tired and cranky from a poor night’s sleep.