Insomnia Remedies – Some Ideas for Getting Some Sleep
Insomnia – how to get some sleep
Melatonin
When you’re a weekend night owl (but otherwise diurnal during the week) and you have trouble getting to sleep on Sunday nights, can take 3 mg dose of melatonin 5 to 6 hours before you want to sleep. Other nights, take 3 mg dose 30 minutes to 1 hour before bedtime. If still drowsy in the a.m., cut dose in half. On the other hand, if sleep doesn’t improve, increase dosage by 3 mg (to no more than 10 mg for total dosage).
Valerian Root
Available in capsule form in stores. Follow label instructions.
Stick to a schedule
Turn in and rise at same time each day.
Exercise
Daily, but not within 3 hours of bedtime.
Eat
Don’t go to bed hungry or full. Eat a high protein, complex carb snack 30 to 45 minutes before bed. Some suggest trying tryptophan (ah Thanksgiving turkey) or food high in calcium (this is where that glass of milk at bed comes in). Pumpkin allegedly also helps to induce sleep (between the turkey and the pumpkin pie, it’s no wonder people often feel like an after dinner nap on Thanksgiving).
Avoid alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine.
Tea time
Try a sedating (caffeine free) tea a half hour before bed. Chamomile is a good one for this and has been used for eons. Passion Flower is another sleep-inducing dreamie time friend as is catnip. Supposedly dill, heather, and rosemary also make good choices for sleep problems. According to mothernature.com – “Concentrated extracts [of Lemon Balm aka Melissa], 160–200 mg 30 minutes to one hour before bed, are sometimes recommended for insomnia.” Hops as well …maybe that’s why beer makes one so tired… *wink*
Monitor medications
Examine any medications you may be taking and talk to your doctor about their possible influences or effects on your sleep. They could be the cause of your sleeplessness.
Relax
Read or listen to soft music. Take a warm bath. Meditate.
Breathe Deeply
Based on yoga, this technique really works well for an overactive and restless mind. Lay on your back and breathe slowly and deeply. Focus on your breathing, following the air on its journey with your mind. This helps in two ways…the breathing helps you relax and focussing on the breathing helps to clear your mind of other things that might otherwise keep you awake. Truly effective sleep remedy for those sleepless nights and just a good relaxing and stress relieving routine to get into in any case.
Prepare
Make your bedroom and bed a place you want to sleep…dark…comfy bedding…quiet…cool. (All cotton sheets are a much better choice than polyester blends as polyesters are often coated with formaldehyde which can interfere with sleep. I prefer all natural materials anyway.)
Acupressure
Apply pressure to the Spirit Gate and the Inner Gate points on your inner wrist. See holistichealthtools.com for a diagram and explanation. Another pressure trick is to use the tips of your index fingers to apply pressure at the base of your skull on either side of your spine. Hold for a few seconds, release, then repeat.
Lavender Essential Oil
Apply one drop of lavender essential oil to the corner of your pillow.
Make a Dream Pillow
Make a dream pillow using herbs and essential oils. I made a variation of this with a cotton muslin “culinary bag” (available at health food stores by the loose teas and herbs). To it, I added 1 T and 2 tsp of german chamomile flowers, lavender flowers, and rose petals. I also added 2 tsp cut orris root. Then I added the following essential oils: 3 drops jasmine, 3 drops rose, and 1 drop lavender. I then just cinched and tied the bag and slipped it between my husband’s pillow and sham (the insomniac). He’s now in dreamie land. 🙂 (If the weave’s small enough, you can try adding celery seed to a dream pillow as they supposedly will induce sleep as well.)
Heh…husband accidently washed his dream pillow, so needed to make him a new one. This time used same herbs, but for the essential oils used 3 drops jasmine, 2 drops sweet orange, and 1 drop german chamomile.
Additional recommended reading:
How to Sleep Soundly Tonight: 250 Simple and Natural Ways to Prevent Sleeplessness
The use of essential oils is not recommended for the very young or aged, or pregnant/nursing women. It is the belief of this site that essential oils should not be used internally, only externally and topically. A skin test should always be done before using an essential oil, especially important for those more sensitive or vulnerable. Consult a reputable and experienced aromatherapist for guidance. If you are under the care of a physician, it is recommended that you contact them before using essential oils.