Sleep disturbances can have a negative impact on both your mental and physical health. It can have a significant impact on your daytime energy, productivity, emotions, and weight. Knowing how to treat sleeplessness naturally will offer you healthier alternatives instead of prescription drugs that have negative side effects.
What is sleeplessness?
Sleep is a complicated process that affects every part of our bodies, and it is essential for recharging our bodies and minds. We go through a variety of sleep stages when we sleep, from light sleep to deep sleep and then to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Sleeplessness occurs when these stages are unattainable or interrupted, caused by several factors and medical conditions. Insomnia can trigger and worsen health problems.
Lifestyle
Insomnia can be exacerbated by certain lifestyle choices. Bad sleeping habits can be caused by keeping the brain active till late at night, taking midday naps, sleeping late in the morning, eating an unhealthy diet, or using too much caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine.
Stress
Stress can cause a powerful reaction in the body, making it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Having an increased response to stimuli is caused by the body’s physical response to stress, and it can also be caused by mental stress. Sleep deprivation can become a cause of stress, making it more difficult to escape the stress-insomnia cycle.
Mental Health Disorders
Anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder are all common mental health illnesses that cause substantial sleeping problems. Negative thoughts can become ubiquitous as a result of these factors, disrupting sleep. This can exacerbate symptoms and worsen depression.
Pain and General Health
Almost any pain-causing disease can impair sleep, making it difficult to lie comfortably in bed. Stress and sleep issues can be exacerbated by dwelling on the pain. Other health issues, such as diabetes, chronic sickness, and neurological diseases might result in short- or long-term sleeplessness.
Medications and Drugs
Many medications, including blood pressure meds, anti-asthma medications, and antidepressants, can cause sleeping disorders and insomnia. Other medicines may cause sleepiness during the day, which might disrupt a person’s sleep pattern. Sleep problems might also arise because of drug withdrawal.
Irregular Sleep Pattern
The circadian rhythm is the body’s internal clock, which follows the pattern of day and night. Many people have sleep schedules that cause their circadian rhythm to be out of sync, such as jet lag and shift work. If you travel often or do shift work on a long-term basis, you can develop chronic insomnia over time. Depending on caffeine or stimulants can exacerbate the sleeplessness cycle.
Common ways of how to help sleeplessness
Insomnia is treatable without having to resort to harmful treatments. There are several things you can do to improve your health, habits, and lifestyle that will help resolve sleeplessness.
Herbal Remedies
Specific herbal remedies can reduce anxiety, calm the mind, and induce sleep. The best herb for sleeplessness is Valerian Root, followed by Kava, Passionflower, Lemon Balm, and Lavender. They have sedative effects as they affect the levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), one of the body’s calming neurotransmitters.
Sleep Dietary Supplements
Melatonin supplements are derived from the melatonin hormone produced by your body at night that aids in the regulation of your sleep-wake behavior. Glycine is an amino acid that plays a crucial role in the neural system, reducing body temperature before bedtime to alleviate tension and anxiety and encourage sleep.
Ginkgo biloba reduces tension, promotes relaxation, and improves sleep. L-theanine is an amino acid that enhances sleep and relaxation when combined with GABA supplementation.
Aromatherapy
Another natural cure for sleeplessness is aromatherapy. It has long been used as a traditional treatment to help people fall asleep. Lavender, Chamomile, Patchouli, and Ylang Ylang are the most effective essential oils to aid feelings of calm, relaxation, and help you fall asleep. Place the oil in a diffuser or add it to a bath before bedtime.
Meditation
Meditations for sleep might help you develop inner peace for a restful night’s sleep. By quieting the mind, the body can relax, making it easier to settle down and sleep. Meditation activates the parasympathetic nervous system and encourages slower breathing, lowering heart rate and improving the chances of a good night’s sleep.
Foods and Diet
Besides following a nutritious diet, including certain foods in your evening meal can help resolve sleep issues. Melatonin and magnesium in almonds help to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is known to disrupt sleep. Turkey includes tryptophan, an amino acid that boosts melatonin production. Because it boosts the creation of serotonin, which regulates your sleep schedule, kiwi fruit and fatty fish have sleep-promoting properties.
Tea
An hour before bed, a warm, calming cup of Chamomile caffeine-free tea will help you go asleep. Due to its chemical makeup, chamomile has mild sedative qualities. Apigenin, a chemical component found in the plant extract, aids in relaxing and good sleep.
Exercise
In the treatment of insomnia, exercise is just as helpful as hypnotic medications. It affects your core body temperature, lowers anxiety and depression symptoms, and resets your internal body clock. A weekly exercise plan of at least three 30-minute sessions can help you fall asleep faster and sleep better.
Reasons to Treat Sleeplessness Naturally
Prescription sleep aids may appear to be the ideal treatment for sleeplessness. However, when you take prescription sleeping pills for a long time, your body becomes accustomed to the medication and requires increasingly greater doses to provide the same sleep-inducing effect.
Long-term use of sleeping medication comes with many adverse side-effects such as depressed breathing that can cause death, addiction issues, impaired focus and drowsiness during the day, and erratic behavior from sleepwalking and amnesia. Trying natural alternatives is safer and healthier and contributes to your general well-being.
When to see a doctor?
It’s no laughing matter when you’re unable to sleep due to persistent insomnia. Long-term sleep deprivation is connected to a slew of health problems. Chronic insomnia can have a negative impact on your quality of life, and an increased risk of physical illnesses that include a weakened immune system, inflammation, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, anxiety, and depression.
The occasional case of insomnia is nothing to be concerned about. However, if you continue night after night without getting a full night’s sleep, and natural remedies for sleeplessness aren’t helping, it’s time to seek medical advice. Obstructive sleep apnea, trauma, mental disorders, pain, or excessive substance abuse are all common underlying causes of insomnia that need treatment. Your doctor may recommend treatments for chronic insomnia that include cognitive-behavioral therapies and counseling.
