Insomnia is a common problem among adults around the country. For many of us there are periods when we struggle with sleep night after night. We all experience some form of sleep disruption  at one time or another but in most cases sleep deprivation is caused by  tangible factors such as stressful events, worries at work and relationship problems. Once the factor causing the problem ends, our sleep patterns usually return to normal.

For some, insomnia can be a problem that can linger for weeks, months or even years. The toll of sleep deprivation over longer periods of time can include: irritability, increased risk of accidents, inability to concentrate, and even physical and emotional disorders. Sleep is an important and healthy part of life. If you are currently having trouble getting enough sleep, there are insomnia solutions that you can try.

How Do You Know If You Are Not Getting Enough Sleep?
There are some telltale signs of sleep deprivation that should not be ignored. If you are frequently tired during the day, or have regular headaches, you might not be getting enough sleep. If you wake up without feeling refreshed and you have trouble concentrating on tasks, sleep deprivation might be the issue. If it takes you at least 30-40 minutes to fall asleep, or you can only get to sleep with the aid of sleeping pills or alcohol, it is definitely time to look into other insomnia solutions.

Determining Causes Will Lead To Insomnia Solutions
Insomnia is generally a condition that is caused by some external factor. Whether it is environmental, physical or emotional in nature, identifying the cause of your insomnia will lead you to a solution. Anxiety and depression can often cause insomnia, so learning to deal with stress and difficult situations will help you to sleep better. Sometimes writing down your concerns before bed, or talking to someone will be enough to help you sleep. If the anxiety or depression is severe, you may need the help of a counselor to get your feelings to a manageable level.

Life changes such as moving or a new job can cause enough stress to keep you from a good night’s sleep. The good news is that as you adjust to these changes, sleep will begin to come easier. Chronic pain is another sleep stealer. The insomnia solution here might be to talk to your doctor about more effective pain management. Finally, environmental factors like light or noise can keep you from your rest. These insomnia solutions will include adjusting your environment to make it more comfortable, or to opt for earplugs or a sleep mask at night.

Sleep deprivation can be extremely difficult for some people to cope with, especially if it goes on for a long period of time. Fortunately, there are many insomnia solutions that you can try to and they may help you get the good night’s sleep that you need and deserve.

David asks…

What are some effective natural sleep aids?

I’ve been having trouble sleeping recently and don’t want to keep having to rely on sleeping medication. What natural home remedies are available?

answers:

Depending on the season, a warm bath is a great way to relax. If you can’t take a bath, you can give yourself a foot massage with slightly warm massage oil, sesame oil, or castor oil from a health food store.

What was very helpful to me, especially when my mind was racing, was to lie in bed and listen to relaxation CDs, especially those that contain someone speaking with relaxing music in the background. Many of these CDs are available on eBay for very low prices.

A helpful technique is to relax your body one part at a time. So you could relax your feet, your lower legs, upper legs, moving up from your lower belly up to your chest, etc., etc.

Of course, guided relaxation methods can help, imagining yourself in the country, the beach, or whatever is most soothing to you.

If you have annoying thoughts or personal issues that run thru your mind when you are trying to sleep, you might have to deal with those issues first. You might want to talk to a counselor or therapist about that. I suggest avoiding prescription sleeping pills unless nothing else helps.

There are herbs that are helpful for sleep, eg, valerian root, kava kava, chamomile, hops, passion flower, skullcap. If you get the real herbs, you can make teas out of them. Otherwise get the herbs in capsule form. You can try a single herb or herbal combinations. Probably, valerian root and kava kava are the best.

You can also try trytophan, 5-HTP and melatonin (1-2 mg). I would not take melatonin for over a month. It is a hormone produced by the pineal gland. If you take too much, your pineal gland might get “lazy” and produce less melatonin naturally. Life Extension and TwinLabs are probably the best brands, in that order.

Maria asks…

What are some useful natural sleep aids?

I’ve been using Melatonin tablets and Valerian Root Capsules but they aren’t working very well. I’m looking for an aid that is natural and non-habit forming. Thank you.

answers:

Sleep problems are asked regularly on Y! Answers, so i made up a compilation of things which have helped me:

Hare are some things you can do to help you get high-quality sleep:

1) Have your room as dark and quiet as possible at night. This REALLY makes a difference.

2) Drink more water than you usually do, before going to bed. I know this means you’ll probably have to get up to pee in the night, but you should be able to get back to sleep better when you have a “full tank” of water in you.. being properly hydrated really helps relax the mind, both while awake AND while asleep!!

3) Shower before going to bed, and after a while in the warm water (not too hot: this can harm your quality of sleep), give yourself a solid shot of cold water – 30 seconds or so. Then go back to warm, to get warmed up again. This sounds crazy i know, but it works!!! Do it a couple of times, but always end up with warm.

4) Even if you don’t have a shower before retiring, towel yourself off VERY well before hitting the sack. This will do two things: it will get you nice and dry, which always promotes better sleep, and it will increase your body’s ability to get rid of toxins while sleeping.

5) Shortly before going to bed, say a half an hour before or so, go for a walk in the fresh air outside. This can help relax you quite a bit.

6) Gently stretch before going to bed. This will help relax your muscles and promotes better quality sleep.

7) Don’t eat anything within a couple of hours of retiring: the energy and water used digesting food in the stomach is diverted from other places in the body, and the result is a poorer quality sleep.
8) Instead of just water before bed-time, why not try a relaxing herbal tea? Peppermint works well, chamomile is great, and there are “sleepy-time” brews available from some of the major brands of herbal tea makers. I like the one with the Pooh-Bear on it best.

9) Have your room cool at night: this promotes better sleep. Wear socks to bed, however – cold feet and good sleep do NOT go together, lol!

10) If you are in a place where you can open the window without letting in a lot of noise, the fresh air will help you sleep.

11) Always sleep with your mouth and nose outside of the covers. If you sleep with them under the covers, you are breathing in all the stuff you just breathed out – and this is NOT healthy!!

These are some things i have found to promote a good night’s sleep. Hope they work for you!!!
Source(s):
Lots of experience with irregular sleep patterns.

Joseph asks…

What are some natural sleep aids? I know Lavender is supposed to have relaxing properties but….?

But lavender doesn’t help me fall asleep. Does anyone know other natural ways or home remedies to help me fall asleep.

answers:

herbally – Valerian, Hops, Skullcap, Catnip

aromotherapy – Lavender, Clary Sage

/Jabril

Sandra asks…

What natural sleep aids can I take with an antidepressant?

I take Lexapro. I would like to try something like Valerian or Melatonin. Is it safe to take either of these?

answers:

If valerian or melatonin don’t help, you can try good old Benadryl, the antihistamine. Start with one, I take 2 myself.

Lizzie asks…

Does anyone know of any natural sleep aids?

I don’t want to take pills. Are there any food items that will help me sleep?

answers:

there are teas
one is called Sleepy Time Tea
kind of silly but it is suposed to work

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