10 Ways to Beat Insomnia Naturally and Get Better Sleep

0

2561252071_dcec34ebe3_o

Two and half years ago, I experienced a terrible case of insomnia. I took the sleeping drug Lunesta, which afforded me a few wonderful nights’ sleep, until I realized it substantially increased my anxiety during the day. Within a week on the drug, I became addicted, experiencing more and more withdrawal (anxiety) symptoms. Other sleep aids had the same effect, even over-the counter-medications like Benadryl. So I was forced to figure out how to get my sleep back on track naturally.

I asked anyone I knew who had ever suffered from sleep problems for tips on catching some zzzs, and spent lots of time researching ways to get some shut-eye without taking drugs. Although it felt like I was the only one awake at night, I certainly wasn’t alone. According to the Center for Disease Control, more than one-quarter of the U.S. population occasionally does not get enough sleep, while nearly 10 percent experience chronic insomnia. Sleep problems are associated with a number of chronic illnesses, and, according to the CDC, are a real threat to our nation’s health.

The last month I have been battling the beast of insomnia again–it is common when you taper off of any medication–so I’m back to compiling techniques I’ve learned from other folks lying awake at night. Here are some natural remedies that have allowed them to get a better night’s sleep.

1. Herbal Teas

Many of my friends who suffer from sleep problems have benefitted from drinking different kinds of herbal teas an hour or two before they go to bed at night. You can make your own from dried herbs—put a teaspoon of your mix into a tea ball or tea bag and add to hot water—or try some trusted boxes. You want to include or look for ingredients such as lavender, valerian, chamomile, passionflower, lemon balm, ashwagandha, holy basil, rosemary leaf, and dill seed. Some popular brands of teas include Sleepytime, Yogi Tea (I like their Stress Relief Honey Lavender tea and their Calming tea) and Traditional Medicinals (especially their Organic Nighty Night tea and Cup of Calm tea).

2. Essential Oils

For nearly 6,000 years essential oils have been used for therapeutic purposes—sleep issues included. Several people in my online depression community use lavender oil to help them relax before bed and help them to sleep. They either apply a few drops to their temples before going to bed at night or spray a lavender mist on their pillow. I have used lavender oil for about a year now and I do think it’s helpful. Other calming essential oils include valerian, vetiver, roman chamomile, and marjoram.

3. Meditation and Relaxation Tapes

A few years ago when my daughter couldn’t sleep, we would listen to calming meditations by Lori Lite designed for children. They were very effective in helping her to relax her body and mind enough to drift off to sleep. There are all kinds of sleep meditations and apps on the market today. Mashable published a good list awhile back. Personally, I like the meditations by Jon Kabat-Zinn, founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness and Medicine. His voice sooths me more than any other meditation guide. A friend of mine swears by the meditations found on the free app CALM. Of course you don’t need a guide to meditate. Sometimes just paying attention to your breath on your own—concentrating on your belly as it rises with each in-breath and lowers with each outbreath–or concentrating on a bodily sensation is a great way of calming yourself down.

4. Soothing Music and White Noise

Many of the apps listed above come with soothing music and white noise. Some nights I’m not up for listening to instructions on how to relax each of my muscles or reminders to pay attention to my breath. I simply visualize myself lying by the ocean, listening to the waves on the shore, or I concentrate on my breath as I listen to nature sounds. Therefore, I have a few apps and sound tracks of just ocean waves and rain and water streams, which are helpful to unwind. Other people I know like to listen to soothing music, instrumental melodies, or simple white noise.

5. Cooler Temperatures

According to California-based clinical psychologist Arlene K. Unger, Ph.D., becoming overly heated is a common cause of sleeplessness. As one of her many helpful hints in her book Sleep: 50 Mindfulness and Relaxation Exercises for a Restful Night, she advises wearing lighter pajamas, keeping the window slightly open, and possibly ditching the heavy covers. I know people who sleep much better with a fan. The breeze and white noise creates a conducive sleeping environment.

6. Melatonin and Other Natural Supplements

There are several natural supplements that can help relax the nervous system and assist sleep. The most common are melatonin, which regulates the sleep-wake cycle, and the amino acid l-theanine, typically found in teas. Valerian, GABA, kava, and 5 HTP are others. I have found the combination of magnesium and calcium to be effective at times. Some natural sleep aids that combine various supplements include Neuroscience’s Kavinance Ultra PM, Genestra’s Calm-Gen, and Nature Made’s Sleep supplement.

7. Epsom Salt Baths

Taking an Epsom salt bath in the evening has been one of the more effective pieces of my sleep hygiene routine. Epsom salts are a mineral compound containing magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen. When used in a warm bath, they allow magnesium to be easily absorbed into the skin, which promotes a feeling of calm and relaxation. According to a 2012 study in the journal Neuropharmacology, magnesium deficiencies induce anxiety, which is why the mineral is known as the original chill pill. I simply add two cups of the lavender-scented Epsom salt with added potassium and zinc to my bath water. I turn off the bathroom lights and use a lavender candle.

8. Prayer Beads and Mantras

You need not be a devout Catholic to use prayer beads. They are employed in all of the world’s religions as part of meditative practices. The process of repeating a prayer or mantra over and over again while thumbing the beads can be very relaxing and soothing. Personally, I have slept with a rosary since I first experienced insomnia two years ago. The prayer beads have become my safety item, much like a child’s blankie, and give me comfort in the middle of the night when I wake.

9. Yoga

Any kind of yoga primes the parasympathetic system and promotes relaxation, taming the stress responses that cause insomnia. I have found hot yoga to be especially beneficial for sleep because, in addition to doing the healing postures, your sweating releases stored toxins that is very cleansing. Certain postures like these 19 listed in Yoga Journal are especially helpful for sleep. Doing them in the evening or even when you wake at night, can sooth your central nervous system. Practicing Savasana (Corpse Pose), in particular, before sleeping can promote deep rest according to yoga instructors I know. There are also some apps you can download like Yoga for Insomnia that will help guide you through the postures.

10. Audiotapes and Free Lectures

Reading in periods of sleeplessness helps many folks I know doze off into slumber. As a highly sensitive person, the light wakes me up. According to some Harvard research, all light-emitting ebooks and screens negatively affect our sleep, even the Kindle. Therefore, I prefer to listen to audiotapes. Lately, I’ve been listening to the book Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn. It is a collection of small chapters about mindfulness that is effective at calming me down. Since audiobooks can be experience, you might consider downloading university lectures, which are free content, from iTunes U, the section of Apple’s iTunes music store devoted to higher education.

Join Project Beyond Blue, the new depression community.

Originally published on Sanity Break.

Share this:

Therese Borchard
I am a writer and chaplain trying to live a simple life in Annapolis, Maryland.

More about me...


FOLLOW ME

SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER



Recent

February 23, 2024
Beloved
November 24, 2023
Everything Is Grace: Cultivating Gratitude From a Greater Altitude
June 11, 2023
Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You
May 20, 2023
Please Let Me Cry
February 16, 2023
Love Being Loving

Related Posts

5 Responses
  1. Doing What I Can

    Therese, this is a great list. Thanks.

    I still have insomnia, but it comes and goes. I’ve had success with some of the above, but especially with some supplements like GABA, Valerian, Ashwagandha, California Poppy Extract, etc. My pDoc recommended using them cyclically and then taking breaks from them. He also would warn against some at times but only because of whatever medication I had been taking at the time. I tried Melatonin and it didn’t work for me, BUT it has worked wonders for my hubby.

    Take care!

  2. Roger

    I’ve read many lists like this. Yours, or the way you have presented it, is more helpful than any of them. It has the personal touch. The links are very helpful, too. There is one typo you might want to fix: “Since audiobooks can be experience, you might consider downloading university lectures…” I’m sure you meant “expensive” where you (or spell check) wrote experience.

  3. Gilly

    Hi Therese,

    Thank you so much for your great blogs, you have an uncanny knack of writing exactly what I need to hear exactly when I need to hear it and for that I am eternally grateful and hope that you will continue to share your wisdom and help all of us who struggle. I feel I should say that first since this comment may appear to contradict all that you have written above but since I am writing this with the hope of sharing something that might help others in their struggle as you do, I hope that you will indulge me. I have been really struggling with insomnia for well over a year now, managing during the day on an average of 4 hours of often broken sleep. I did all the sleep hygiene stuff until I was blue in the face but still my insomnia seemed laugh in it until I discovered the Sleep School run by Guy Meadows: http://thesleepschool.org/. This approach throws all conventional wisdom on sleep out the window and starts again from scratch. The guiding principle behind the programme is “stop struggling and start sleeping.” Even reading that on the back of the book had a not insignificant improvement on my sleep. Much of what he says may seem initially counterintuitive but it really does work. For example, he says that sleep is something that you can no more control than your breathing. Not what the average insomniac wants to hear, but think about it, when we have insomnia we set out to try to fix it. We do stuff, lots of it, to try to solve the problem but sleeping isn’t about doing stuff, it’s the ultimate NOT doing stuff activity, so all the sleep hygiene, rigorously practiced, can actually make things worse. I know I have an almost evangelical zeal for this programme but this really has helped so many people, myself included and I hope that it can also help you and many of your readers. I have to admit that my sleep isn’t 100% back on track and I still wake in the night, but it is greatly improved and getting better all the time. Plus a side effect of my particular mood stabiliser is insomnia so I’m not exactly giving it an easy time. In addition to running the Sleep School courses there is also the sleep book, see here: http://amzn.to/1QN7vVa which is how I accessed the plan. I really hope that you will find this comment helpful and that the information will help you get some well earned sleep. Sweet Dreams.