Natural Ways to Deal with Insomnia

Updated on August 4, 2021

Insomnia is a very common problem these days in the modern societies. It is a sleep disorder that can be provoked by many factors; however the most common cause of insomnia is the stressful living.

Problems with sleeping can affect greatly on the quality of the person’s life and interfere with normal everyday functioning. Problems with sleeping can be acute or in worse cases become chronic. Moreover, insomnia can be connected to another health condition in which case you’ll need a medical guidance.

When aggravated by stress or anxiety insomnia can be reduced with discipline. Therefore, practicing several helping methods and with the support of healthy habits you can take control over you sleeping difficulty.

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Establish a regular Bedtime Routine

If insomnia is not perceived as symptom of an illness or a side effect of a medication it is probably a notification from your body. Hence, you have violently disrupted the natural, everyday cycle and now your body can’t function properly.

A natural daily cycle for an adult should end with falling asleep at 11 o’clock p.m. Staying up very late at night, getting up early and sleeping for 5-6 hours it’s not healthy for your body and mind.

Establishing a regular bedtime routine may be hard at the beginning; you can’t fall asleep, you have other priorities that need to be done before bedtime. However, if you manage to establish a habit for going to bed every night at the same time you will sure see the benefits of the quality sleeping habit.

Weighted Blanket

The method of using a sleeping blanket that weighs way more than the usual ones sounds like a brand new therapeutic innovation. Well, it is an invention dating from the previous century and is  known to be used as a therapeutic tool for children with severe disorders.

Today, the advanced technology and enhanced materials have enabled the production of a completely renewed blankets that are designed to help adults with stress, anxiety and sleeping disorders. Also called gravity blankets, these babies are designed to weight up to 15 percent of your bodyweight. Therefore, the deep pressure simulates the “hugging” sensation which is known to have relaxing effect on the nervous system.

Stimulating the sense of calmness and security by triggering an increase in oxytocin and serotonin hormone levels, these blankets are very beneficial in reducing insomnia.

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Practice Relaxation breathing before Bedtime

The methods of relaxation such as deep breathing, meditating, visualization practiced with guidance or followed by suitable relaxing music, has proven to be very helpful in reducing insomnia and in the enhancement of the sleeping quality.

People with fast-paced lifestyle often find this practices very challenging, as they have hard time focusing and relaxing. Therefore, it is very convenient to start with a helpful guidance that you can get from vast number of free apps and videos available on the internet.

Deep breathing exercises will help you relax your body and quiet your mind. When practiced before bedtime it may even guide you to smoothly falling asleep. Moreover, this exercise helps you become more aware of here and now, aware of your body and by that it gives you the chance to overpower the problem with insomnia and stress.

Healthy Eating Habits are essential

Healthy eating leads to healthy sleeping. Well-balanced diet is the best remedy for your insomnia issues. Once you start taking good care of your body, by eating healthy, exercising, relaxing, making time for yourself and enjoying days under the sun in natural environment, you’ll find that a good night sleep is your reward for caring.

Eating too much sugar and having too much stimulants such as caffeine, can result in disrupted sleeping and more waking ups during the night. Your insomnia may even be caused by unhealthy eating habits, however a diet high in sugar and saturated fats will sure worsen the insomnia symptoms.

Consuming too much sugar can stimulate rise of the two adrenal hormones; adrenaline and cortisol which will disrupt your sleepy feeling. A diet that is high in fiber, includes fresh fruits and vegetables and low-fat proteins will not interrupt your body’s natural cycle. Therefore, the hormonal secretion will keep its natural pattern allowing the body to regulate the melatonin levels.

Furthermore, caffeine is a stimulant that can depress the secretion of melatonin for up to ten hours. Keep in mind that caffeine can be found not only in the coffee but in many other drinks and in tea also. Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks in the afternoon or right before bedtime. However, keep in mind that the caffeine that is given to the body by drinking too much coffee or caffeinated drinks such as energy drinks, will stay in the body for a long time. When you saturate your body with too much caffeine it starts experiencing problems with normal hormonal secretion leading to interrupted sleeping patterns.

Interested in more info? Click on this link to learn more about how to choose a weighted blanket.

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