While everybody suffers from the occasional sleepless night, for those who are plagued with chronic insomnia, life becomes miserable indeed.
It's hard to function during the day when your body hasn't had the rest it needs, and it's all too easy to fall into a vicious cycle where you become so worried about your lack of sleep, that the worry itself makes the problem even worse.
Many people turn to sleeping pills in an effort to get a decent night's sleep, but these can cause problems of their own, such as addiction and a host of side-effects.
As a result, increasing numbers of people are looking for natural insomnia treatments.
Let's take a look at three insomnia solutions that don't involve taking medications.
1.
Valerian There are a number of herbs that can help with sleeping problems, and valerian is perhaps the best-known of these.
It is a popular over-the-counter remedy for insomnia in some countries, and many people like it because it lacks the addictive qualities of sleeping pills, and doesn't usually cause that groggy feeling on wakening.
However, not everyone finds valerian to be effective, and it can conflict with a number of medications, so if you have any illnesses or are taking medication, it's best to consult your doctor before using valerian as an insomnia treatment.
2.
Dietary and Lifestyle Changes In order to really overcome insomnia once and for all, it may be necessary to make some lifestyle changes which address the root causes of the problem.
The foods and drinks that you consume can have a major impact on how well you sleep, and dietary changes are a relatively easy way to reduce sleep problems naturally.
Beneficial changes might include reducing or eliminating your caffeine intake (especially in the evening) - this means not only reducing the amount of tea and coffee you drink, but also looking out for caffeine in medications, as well is in common foods such as chocolate.
Reducing the amount of refined sugar you eat can also be helpful, as it can cause blood sugar issues that interfere with sound sleep.
Overall, you should eat a diet that's as natural and unrefined as possible, and eliminate junky foods that provide little nutritional value yet increase the toxic load on your body.
You should also take some regular exercise every day, although not too soon before bed.
Eating well and staying fit influences not only physical but mental health also, and can help to reduce the feelings of stress and anxiety that contribute to insomnia.
3.
Binaural Beats A third natural remedy for insomnia is one that you may not be familiar with, and that is binaural beats.
Binaural beats are a scientifically validated type of brainwave entrainment technology, and they work by helping your brain to achieve a deeply relaxed state with relative ease.
Since many sleep problems are stress-related, learning to relax properly at bedtime can be invaluable in overcoming insomnia.
For this reason, meditation is often recommended as a natural insomnia remedy, but many people find meditation difficult because they're not used to relaxing and focusing their minds.
Thanks to binaural beats, you don't need to be a trained meditator to experience the benefits that meditation can bring.
All you need to do is obtain a binaural beats recording that's designed for sleep improvement, and listen to it through headphones at night when you're ready to go to sleep.
Such a recording contains frequencies which naturally relax the brain and guide it towards the sleep state.
Best of all, binaural beats aren't addictive or habit-forming, and are very unlikely to have side-effects (although if you're prone to seizures, you should consult a doctor before using them).
With regular use, a good binaural beat recording may help you to beat insomnia for good.
It's hard to function during the day when your body hasn't had the rest it needs, and it's all too easy to fall into a vicious cycle where you become so worried about your lack of sleep, that the worry itself makes the problem even worse.
Many people turn to sleeping pills in an effort to get a decent night's sleep, but these can cause problems of their own, such as addiction and a host of side-effects.
As a result, increasing numbers of people are looking for natural insomnia treatments.
Let's take a look at three insomnia solutions that don't involve taking medications.
1.
Valerian There are a number of herbs that can help with sleeping problems, and valerian is perhaps the best-known of these.
It is a popular over-the-counter remedy for insomnia in some countries, and many people like it because it lacks the addictive qualities of sleeping pills, and doesn't usually cause that groggy feeling on wakening.
However, not everyone finds valerian to be effective, and it can conflict with a number of medications, so if you have any illnesses or are taking medication, it's best to consult your doctor before using valerian as an insomnia treatment.
2.
Dietary and Lifestyle Changes In order to really overcome insomnia once and for all, it may be necessary to make some lifestyle changes which address the root causes of the problem.
The foods and drinks that you consume can have a major impact on how well you sleep, and dietary changes are a relatively easy way to reduce sleep problems naturally.
Beneficial changes might include reducing or eliminating your caffeine intake (especially in the evening) - this means not only reducing the amount of tea and coffee you drink, but also looking out for caffeine in medications, as well is in common foods such as chocolate.
Reducing the amount of refined sugar you eat can also be helpful, as it can cause blood sugar issues that interfere with sound sleep.
Overall, you should eat a diet that's as natural and unrefined as possible, and eliminate junky foods that provide little nutritional value yet increase the toxic load on your body.
You should also take some regular exercise every day, although not too soon before bed.
Eating well and staying fit influences not only physical but mental health also, and can help to reduce the feelings of stress and anxiety that contribute to insomnia.
3.
Binaural Beats A third natural remedy for insomnia is one that you may not be familiar with, and that is binaural beats.
Binaural beats are a scientifically validated type of brainwave entrainment technology, and they work by helping your brain to achieve a deeply relaxed state with relative ease.
Since many sleep problems are stress-related, learning to relax properly at bedtime can be invaluable in overcoming insomnia.
For this reason, meditation is often recommended as a natural insomnia remedy, but many people find meditation difficult because they're not used to relaxing and focusing their minds.
Thanks to binaural beats, you don't need to be a trained meditator to experience the benefits that meditation can bring.
All you need to do is obtain a binaural beats recording that's designed for sleep improvement, and listen to it through headphones at night when you're ready to go to sleep.
Such a recording contains frequencies which naturally relax the brain and guide it towards the sleep state.
Best of all, binaural beats aren't addictive or habit-forming, and are very unlikely to have side-effects (although if you're prone to seizures, you should consult a doctor before using them).
With regular use, a good binaural beat recording may help you to beat insomnia for good.
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