Sleep remedies don’t have to be addictive!

Without regular good quality sleep, it is difficult to function, especially at the levels that we need to these days, so sleep remedies become more important than ever. There are a lot of products that claim to help you sleep, and for some people, they do work, but as everyone is different (different weights, heights, bone density and so on) not everything works for everyone.

Unfortunately some of the drugs for sleeplessness are addictive, meaning that you soon become dependant on them and will not be able to sleep without them. This might be good for the companies that make them, but it certainly isn’t good for your health.

The first thing to do when you start experiencing sleep problems is to take a look at your diet and exercise level. Eating food that is good for your body is important, not food that you like – and maintaining a regular exercise program is important for your health too. Having a lot of caffeine during the day is not going to get you to sleep easily at night, so cut out the caffeinated coffees and teas, also sodas, and chocolate which also have caffeine in them. If you need cough syrup or other cold medication, take a look at the label, as some of these have caffeine in them, and so could stop you sleeping (but your cold symptoms would be relieved a little!)

sleep aids - meditation helps some people sleep

sleep aids - meditation helps many people sleep better

Sugar is also something that you should avoid if you are having sleep problems, and remember that alcohol contains a lot of sugar too. While sugary products can be useful to give you energy pretty quickly, it can cause your blood sugar levels to drop quickly, leaving you irritable, depressed, grumpy, and hungry. So, try to reduce your consumption of sugar, and see is that helps you sleep better.

Eating legumes, seeds and whole grains, which are rich in magnesium, may help you to catch some sleep more easily. Legumes consist of lentils, dried peas and beans and barley, and can help to lower you cholesterol too! Almonds, and cashew nuts as well as wheat bran also contain magnesium, so you might want to try eating some of those too.

While we are covering what you can eat, you may want to eat some carbohydrates before you go to bed, things like whole grain crackers or toast, as these can help you fall asleep. And the good thing about eating them is that they are not addictive, and eaten moderately, as part of a good balanced diet, will not harm you like some of the sleep aids available at pharmacies and drug stores.

If we now look at non-food sleep aids, valerian, a herb is successful for some people needing sleep, but not everyone, and it does have to be taken for a couple of weeks before you see an improvement in your sleeping patterns. It has been used for many years in many different countries like Germany and Italy, but even so, we do not know what the negatives are for taking this over a long period.

Valerian does have some problems for some people, other than not helping them sleep, and that is that it can cause mild indigestion problems in some people, palpitations, dizziness and headaches in others. It should not be taken when alcohol has been consumed, nor should you operate machinery or drive after taking it. Also, when there has been or will be surgery, it is not recommended either, but you should check with your doctor to make sure that it is safe for you, knowing your particular medical history.

Now melatonin is a hormone which is already found in our bodies naturally. Serotonin is made by the pineal gland in the brain and the gland then turns it into melatonin at night time when there is limited light. Taking melatonin is usually done about 30 minutes before bed time, but there are some diseases and conditions that should not take this at all, especially those with depression, and autoimmune diseases, and also pregnant or nursing mothers.

One anti anxiety herb called kava gets very mixed reviews. While it has been useful for stressed people to get sleep, it has had some negative feedback because of the effects it has on a person’s liver. The US Food & Drug Administration has issued a warning that it can cause serious liver damage.

Something that is worth trying for those with sleep problems are relaxation techniques, of which there are many. Visualization can be very effective if done properly, bringing into the visualization the other senses besides sight, but this does take some time to achieve.

Yoga is also good for relaxation, and it involves meditation as well as some gentle exercises too. There are many other different sleep remedies available too, but those will be covered in another post.