It can be hard to fall asleep. This is why many people use natural sleep aids. No matter how many sheep you count or how much exercise you get, sometimes your body just won’t want to go to sleep. And yet it’s vital for our mental and physical health to get a good night’s sleep.
“Poor quality and/or quantity of sleep has been linked strongly to dementia, heart arrhythmias, and obesity with recent evidence showing clearly that better and more quality sleep decreases calorie intake via reduced hunger hormones,” says Dr. Tom Rifai, the CEO of RealityMeetsScience Inc. “Quality of life is another issue. Improved mood, reduced anxiety, reduced pain are all associated with better sleep.”
Many people depend on prescription drugs to help them fall asleep at nights. But there are concerns about side effects. Natural sleep aids can be a good alternative. They won’t cure medical sleeplessness, but they can help you get your sleeping pattern back on track with guided meditations or vitamins.
“A natural sleep aid is something used to help one fall asleep and stay asleep,” Gameil Fouad, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Rookie tells Glamour. “This can range from herbal supplements to meditation to bath soaks.” Most adults need at least eight hours of continuous sleep a night—preferably in a dark, quiet environment, Dr. Rifai adds.
While the most effective natural sleeping aid might change from person to person, Dr. Rifai says it’s most important to keep a regular sleep cycle. “You can be flexible, but avoid completely disregarding it on the weekends. Follow your circadian rhythm and if you’re always giving up at 5:30 then you should be asleep by 10:30, which means you should likely be in bed by 10 p.m.”
Dr. Rifai recommends that sleeping pills be used “very judiciously,” which is why natural sleep aids are so important. That said, if you’re having trouble sleeping and reaching out for multiple natural remedies then it might be time to “address some serious problems before they get out of hand.” If that’s the case, Dr. Rifai suggests visiting a board-certified sleep specialist and notes that one can emphasize a preference for “natural, non-pharmaceutical approaches to sleep.” Before seeing a doctor or sleep specialist, Dr. Rifai adds, you can fill out the Epworth sleep questionnaire to get a better understanding of your problems.
What natural sleep aid is most effective? Do you need to use prescription sleep aids? Is there a way to get rid of insomnia? Continue reading for 15 ways to help you fall asleep.
Avoid Bright Lights
Dr. Rifai suggests avoiding bright and blue lights—TVs, computers, smart phones, and tablets—within two to three hours of bed as well as dimming lights at night and using blue-light filters. He also recommends taking advantage of our smart phone’s night mode and keeping the brightness down “as low as possible.”
Avoid stimulants
Dr. Rifai recommends that stimulants such as soda and coffee should be avoided during the afternoon hours. This will help your body to adapt to its natural sleep cycle more easily.
Don’t Drink Alcohol
While some people might try a glass of wine at night to help ease them to bed, Dr. Rifai says “using alcohol to help get to sleep” only works in the short term and will ultimately reduce the quality of sleep.
No Exercise before Bed
While Dr. Rifai says brisk physical exercise is “great for health and sleep,” it should be avoided “too close to bedtime as it can stimulate the brain’s ‘wake’ function.”
Warm shower
Warm baths or showers before bed can be helpful. “The drop in body temperature after exiting the shower may help trigger a sleep cycle, particularly if you can follow it up with a nice, dark, comfortable place to sleep,” Dr. Rifai says.
Make Your Bedroom a Sleep Friendly Place
To make your bedroom more sleep friendly, Dr. Rifai suggests investing in comfortable pillows and keeping your bedroom ”on the slightly cooler side.” He also recommends removing external distractions like TVs. “Bedrooms should be, for all intents and purposes, for quality sleep and sex only, i.e., not binge TV watching, says Dr. Rifai. “Otherwise, one can train the body not to expect the bed [to be] a place of sleep.”
Source: Glamour