Insomnia is a very common problem that affects Children, Adults and the Elderly. Most of us think that Insomnia can only happen when we get old or when we reach our 50’s but that’s not the case, you can get insomnia at any age. It affects almost 1 in 5 adults worldwide. Most of us will struggle to sleep at some point in our life. Get Rid of Insomnia Naturally at Home without Medication.
What Actually Do We Mean by Insomnia?
Insomnia in easy terms means when you are not able to fall sleep in the night or you can’t stay asleep as long as you want. This doesn’t mean that you will stay awake all night. It will take you a lot of time to fall asleep or you will wake up again in the middle of the night or very early in the morning.
If you are having the following symptoms at least 3 times a week then you are suffering from chronic insomnia.
Common Symptoms of Insomnia
- Very difficult to fall asleep
- You will wake up again at any time in the night
- Difficult to stay asleep as long as you want
- You will wake up from sleep very early in the morning
- Getting back to sleep will be nearly impossible
- You won’t be able to fall asleep without your sleeping pill
What Causes Insomnia?
Problems causing Insomnia differ from person to person. Not everyone will have the same symptoms with the same causes. It is one of the most common sleep complaints.
Common Causes of Insomnia
- Anxiety, Stress and Depression
- Having a Chronic Disease or Medical Condition like Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease(GERD), Overactive Thyroid, Arthritis, Cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s Disease etc are linked with insomnia. Treat and manage these medical conditions, get yourself checked and scanned for any unknown medical condition you may have.
- Some Medications will give you Insomnia as their side effect.
- Irregular Sleep Pattern
- Exercising or doing activities late night
- Smoking and too much Caffeine
How to Get Rid of Insomnia and Have a Peaceful Night’s Sleep?
What I think the first step to fight insomnia will be to have a quiet, comfy sleep environment and a very good regular relaxing routine at sleep time.
Insomnia is treatable, but everyone responds differently to the treatment they get. Prescription sleep medications do work but they provide temporary relief, are very addictive and have plenty of unwanted side effects. It’s best to use these medications as your last resort and only on a very limited basis as they are very highly addictive and after some time you won’t be able to sleep without taking your sleeping pill. So let’s try to manage this naturally without any side effects.
Top Tips to Get Rid of Insomnia Naturally Without Medication
Change Your Eating Habits, Especially at Bedtime
If your GERD/Acid Reflux or other Stomach related problems are the cause for your Insomnia, then make it a habit to stop eating anything before 3 to 4 hours of your bedtime. For example, If you sleep at 10 pm, then its best that you stop eating at 6 pm. You can have light fruits after but not after 7 or 8 pm. Fried foods, heavy, fatty and spicy foods can really cause your acid reflux to explode when consumed in large quantities or when eaten late at night near bedtime. Alcohol and caffeine are also very bad for your GERD/Acid Reflux so avoid that as much as possible, especially near bedtime.
Do Some Light Moderate-Intensity Exercise
Many studies have shown that being active all day and doing a light intensity workout like going for a walk, cycling in your neighborhood or going to the gym can help make you fall asleep easily at night and it will also increase your duration of sleep. This helps sufferers of chronic insomnia a lot. Exercise will also improve your immunity and help with your other chronic conditions as well. But do finish your exercise sessions at least 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.
Build a Good Regular Sleep Pattern
Whatever we do in the daytime will have an after effect on our bodies in the night. When you sleep late every night till 2 or 3 am because you are watching your favorite movies, TV shows and eating late-night snacks when you already know that you have to wake up early in the morning to go to work or to your university, college or school, what will happen? You will be taking naps as soon as you get a chance whether it will be your office, place of study or your break time. So your body clock will not function properly because of this. It’s better to adopt a regular time pattern and at least get 7 to 8 hours of sleep so you can be fresh in the day and tired by bedtime. Avoid napping during the day will also help a lot.
Avoid Using Your Electronics at Bedtime
Stop using any electronic equipment like your smartphone, tablet, computer or TV just at least 1 to 2 hours before bedtime to get your quality sleep. Studies have shown that using these electronic devices before bedtime will adversely affect your sleep. The blue light emitted by these devices is the main culprit. It won’t help you relax but it will keep your brain more active and make it more difficult to fall asleep.
Take a Herbal Tea at Bedtime
Herbal teas are very good for relaxing and relieving anxiety or stress. They are being used as natural sleep remedies since centuries. Many studies have proved that these herbal teas do help in falling sleep.
Try one of these teas
- Chamomile Tea (Natural Remedy to reduce anxiety)
- Valerian Root Tea (Used for centuries for nervousness and headaches)
- Lavender Tea (Used to relax your nerves and aid sleep)
- Lemon Balm Tea (Used to reduce stress and improve sleep)
- Passion Flower Tea (Used as a natural sedative and very good for insomnia)
- Magnolia Bark Tea (Used for stomach discomfort, nasal congestion and stress relief).
Get Rid of Anxiety, Stress and Depression
This is by far the most common cause of Insomnia. Try some relaxation techniques such as a meditation program to help relax your mind and body. Stress encourages your body to stay awake so deal with your stress effectively.
Some Tips to Manage Your Anxiety and Depression
- Drink Herbal Teas(already explained above)
- Share your feelings with a loved one
- Go for a walk or do at least 30 minutes of exercise per day
- Start yoga, deep breathing or meditation
- Try alternative therapies like Herbal Medicines and Homeopathy which work very well with coping with stress and depression
Try a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Your Psychologist, psychiatrist or your therapist will help you learn several techniques to treat your insomnia. One of the most effective treatment for insomnia is Cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT-I). All authorities and clinical physicians agree on this. It is not a single therapy but a collection of therapies which helps in finding the elements that work best for you. CBT-I focuses on stimulus control and sleep restriction. You can check and discuss with your medical practitioner about CBT-I for more information and how it can help you get rid of your sleeplessness.
Treatment Of Insomnia through Alternative Medicine
Homeopathy
Homeopathy can make a big difference to insomniacs. It is a very effective way to deal with your chronic and acute medical conditions. Homeopathic medicines are made from natural substances and have minimal to no side effects if taken in the right dosage only with the help of a certified homeopathic doctor.
Some Top Homeopathic Medicines Used to Treat Insomnia
Kali Phosphoricum(Kali Phos)
This homeopathic medicine is used to cure sleep disorders, which arise due to nervousness, worrying, overthinking due to business and excessive mental exertion. The patient for this medicine will be in fear and confusion when he wakes up.
Passiflora
This homeopathic remedy is prepared from the leaves of the Passion Flower plant. It is a very good remedy for insomnia for infants, the elderly, overworked and mentally worried people. It is also good for mental exhaustion. Passiflora also helps people with drug addiction habits like morphine addiction and in nervous individuals. It helps the patient with restless sleep. Passiflora has a very calming effect on the mind and is a natural sedative.
Ignatia
The person who requires Ignatia has these symptoms:
- Sleeps so light that he hears everything in it or is a light sleeper
- Dreams all night about the same subject
- Has insomnia because of grief, sadness, depression and worrying thoughts
- Has restless sleep
Coffea Cruda
This is also one of the best medicines for sleep disorders. It is used when you have nervous sleeplessness from mental activity and rush of ideas in your mind. Use it when you are wide awake, without the slightest inclination to sleep and all your senses all extremely active. Coffea Cruda is a good remedy when excitement, good news and staying up late is the cause of insomnia. Good for teething children who can’t sleep.
Belladonna
The symptoms for patients who require Belladonna are:
- The patient who needs this remedy may be sleepy, but unable to sleep
- They will start to jerk or jerk suddenly during sleep or when falling asleep
- Sleeplessness due to congestion
- Frightful images appear on closing the eyes and patients is scared and unable to sleep
- Children are woken up because of nightmares and scary thoughts of ghosts and monsters etc
These are some of the main Homeopathic Medicines used for effectively treating Insomnia. They work very well but you have to be very careful in choosing your remedy. There are many homeopathic remedies available but you have to match your symptoms accordingly with your remedy to get the desired effects or you can always contact a Homeopathic Practitioner in your area or online to get help.
Hope this article makes you ssslleeeeepppppp!!!!!!!!!
