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If there is one condition that has
plagued me every day-or rather, every night-for years on end, it’s sleep. I was
prescribed sleeping medication long-term (not a good idea) and suffered greatly
for it.
If I was having trouble sleeping
before, it was now impossible to achieve, unless I took my medication. The
truth is, we lose touch with sleep more and more every day.
Technology, stress, energy drinks,
stress, readily prescribed medications, and did I mention stress? All of those
things contribute to sleeplessness, and I can almost guarantee everyone who
reads this list will struggle with at least one of the above.
The science of sleep…
When you hear about serotonin,
melatonin, 5-hydroxy L-Tryptophan (5-HTP), and tryptophan, they usually sound
like they are totally different things you can try to utilize to help sleep.
Really, they’re all quite related to one another. If it was a perfect world,
this is what would happen when you go to sleep-
You need to consume tryptophan, and
essential amino acid, to start the process, and you need to get it from an
outside source. In a two- step process that tryptophan is converted to 5-HTP,
which is then converted into serotonin.
The serotonin then converts to
melatonin, which makes our body’s biological clock run smoothly and tell us
when it is time to go to sleep and when it’s time to haul yourself out of your
cozy bed.
It is the master clock, if you will,
making us sleepy-or alert-at the proper times, because melatonin produced is
released in higher amounts the darker it is, while the amount lessens with more
light.
Since tryptophan is the only amino
acid that can convert to serotonin, it is also the only one that can ultimately
up your melatonin.
Get Better Sleep #1 - Drink Tart Cherry Juice
A ½ cup to a 1 cup of tart cherry
juice is a tasty way to drift off to sleep, and is a natural sleep aid that I
personally think really helps.
Tart cherry juice is a natural sleep
aid because it’s full of tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that
coverts to serotonin, which then coverts to melatonin.
Melatonin helps maintain our sleep
and wake cycle by causing drowsiness and lowers body temperature, working with
the central nervous system to sync our biological clock. Its production is
inhibited by light, but released in low light/darkness.
Get Better Sleep #2 - Improve the Feng Shui
Feng shui is more than just
decorating your space in a visually appealing way; it’s a full philosophy that
instructs on how to arrange your room, furniture, office, etc. to maximize good
energy flow throughout living spaces.
Here are a few tips for improving the
Feng shui of your bedroom to help you get the most of a good night’s rest:
-Keep your bed easily accessible and
approachable from all sides.
-Make the energy in the room fresh
and help it flow by keeping the air pure, preferably with open windows. Also
try to have several windows to allow in natural light.
-Have the bed positioned in such a
way that you can see the door. Not being able to see the entrance to your
bedroom can create a feeling of anxiety.
-Keep the room neat and clean with a
balanced look and feel. Clutter and trash stresses you out and represents
unfinished business, which can prevent you from really resting well in your
room. On that note, it can also affect your sex life.
Get Better Sleep #3 – Valerian
Valerian is a hardy plant whose roots
are used in a number of ways as a sedative and sleep aid. It is thought to work
by increasing the amount of GABA (gamma aminobutryic acid) which helps regulate
the action of nerve cells and has a calming effect.
Because of its calming effect, it is
also extremely popular as a natural anxiety remedy - prescription anxiety
medication also increase GABA, albeit much more than valerian. It’s easy to
brew up a cup of tea, but if you find the odor too strong, it is also available
in capsule form.
You will need…
-1 tsp of dried valerian root
-strainer or infusion device, such as a tea ball
-8 oz. fresh water to boil
-8 oz. fresh water, hot from the tap
-strainer or infusion device, such as a tea ball
-8 oz. fresh water to boil
-8 oz. fresh water, hot from the tap
Directions
Fill either the mug you wish to steep
your tea in with the hot tap water to get it warmed up (warming it up like this
can help keep your tea toasty for longer.)
Put 1 tsp of valerian root in your
infusion device - if you are steeping the root loose, wait to do anything with
it. Boil 8 oz. of water in your kettle, remove from heat, and empty your mug of
the hot tap water.
Place your infusion device or the
loose root in your mug, and pour the hot water over it. Cover and steep for 15
minutes. Uncover, remove device or strain, and get ready to enjoy a peaceful
night. Add milk or honey if you’d like for flavor.
Get Better Sleep #4 - Get Acupuncture
Acupuncture is one of the main
components in traditional Chinese medicine (TMC), and one of the oldest healing
practices in the world.
It is thought that stimulating
specific points corrects the balance of energy or the life force by opening up
channels called meridians, which close off when stress inflames and contracts
vessels.
The thin needles, upon insertion,
open up these blocked channels and allow your brain to better understand that
it’s time to go to sleep. It also signals the release of neuro-endocrine
chemicals (like tryptophan/melatonin) to help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
Get Better Sleep #5 - Make Your Bedroom
Your bedroom is a place of rest. It
is your retreat to restore your mind and body by sleeping. It is not a place to
watch T.V., or a second office.
If you have them, the computer and
T.V. have to go. They not only keep you awake, but they don’t give a sense of
relaxation. They carry stress into your room, and stress does not help you
sleep.
Get Better Sleep #6 - Stick to a Schedule,
Establish a Ritual, and Keep a Diary
Humans are funny creatures of habit,
and our bodies usually work quite well when something is done ritualistically.
For example, exercising randomly every few days won’t do much, but exercising
every day for 30 minutes will over time make a huge difference. The same thing
goes for sleep.
Establish a calming ritual that you
do every night before crawling in bed, and you will probably find it easier to
transition from being awake to being sleep. The ritual is also a time to relax
and let go of stress and thoughts that crowd your head and keep you up.
Some ideas include…
- Drinking a cup of warm tea a half
an hour before bed
- Doing a series of gentle stretches
- Reading 1 chapter exactly of a book every night
- Doing a series of gentle stretches
- Reading 1 chapter exactly of a book every night
Take a warm bath: There’s nothing quite like sinking into a warm tub to wash the
stress of everyday life away and it also feels great to crawl into bed nice and
clean. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil (lavender is great) to
get the soothing benefits of aromatherapy as well.
Sip something: Making up a nightly drink to help you fall asleep has the double
benefits of the drink itself lulling you off to dreamland, and the ritual of
drinking it which tells your brain and body “ok, it’s time to relax.” Doing
something like reading while you drink your night time beverage adds a nice
dimension to this habit.
Meditate: Take
some time before you crawl in bed to meditate and clear your mind of cluttering
thoughts. Thinking too much, as we all know, can keep you awake for hours as
you churn over the same thoughts again and again.
Getting a good night’s rest is not
just about your body - with how complex our thinking process is, our minds need
just as much help (if not more) to get ready for bed.
Get Better Sleep #7 - Get More Melatonin
This chemical is oh-so-important to
sleep, but our body needs outside sources to get it. While it can be taken as a
natural supplement in pill form, here are some foods that will help boost
production.
Cherries: Not
too hard to guess since cherry juice was one of the first things listed, but
they also contain tryptophan which is metabolized into serotonin and finally
melatonin
Bananas: I
remember before a solo I had to do in band class, my teacher told me to eat a
banana 30 minutes beforehand, because they helped calm you down. I think it
must have done something because my solo got an honorable mention, and I never
do well performing under pressure.
Bananas contain tryptophan, and
potassium and magnesium as well, which are muscle relaxants. Have one a
half-an-hour before bed every night and up your magnesium levels while
simultaneously relaxing your muscles.
Get Better Sleep #8 – Exercise
Exercise on a regular basis, and you
will sleep better. Not only will you sleep better, but you’ll have more energy
when you’re awake-and not just because you slept better, but because exercise
has a weird way of helping us go to sleep and giving us more energy.
For this reason, don’t work out right
before bed, or you’ll likely end up more awake.
Get Better Sleep #9 - Drink a Cup of Chamomile
Chamomile has long been a reliable
remedy for helping people doze off. It relaxes your muscles, and is thought
that, potentially, a substance called apigenin can bind to GABA receptors which
affect the central nervous system and sleepiness.
Other studies have disagreed with
apegign theory, and think other constituents in the chamomile are what act as a
sedative. Either way, it’s tasty and it makes you tired. You can, of course,
buy chamomile tea from the store, but I personally love it fresh as well.
You will need…
-A rounded ¼ cup of fresh chamomile
flowers OR 2 rounded tablespoons of dry flowers
-Honey (optional)
-Milk (optional)
-Freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
-Honey (optional)
-Milk (optional)
-Freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
Directions
There’s nothing quite as delightful
as a cup of freshly brewed chamomile on a chilly night as you settle in for
bed. If possible, try to use fresh flowers (German variety, preferably) but you
can use dried as well if you cannot harvest fresh.
If you’re using fresh flowers, use
only the flower heads and compost the stems. Place the flowers in a teapot, and
in a separate pot bring 4 cups of cold water to a rolling boil. Pour the water
in the pot over the flower in the tea pot. Let steep for 5-6 minutes and serve
hot.
Do the same process for dried as for
fresh, but use 2 rounded tablespoons of dried flowers. Add a little bit of
honey and milk to taste. Squeeze in the juice of a freshly sliced lemon to
taste as well.
Get Better Sleep #10 - Make a Lavender Sleep Sachet
Aromatherapy has a number of
different uses, but is perhaps used most often for relaxing or creating a sense
of drowsiness. Numerous studies have resulted in science giving a nod to the
validity of aromatherapy.
People who were exposed to the scent
of lavender in the trials experienced better moods, and one study followed
brain activity with an EEG machine, which showed the subjects undergoing
lavender aromatherapy did in fact show brainwaves suggesting drowsiness, while
other scents increased alertness.
If you find yourself having a hard
time drifting off at night, try making a lavender sleep sachet to stash
under your pillow or on a bedside table to help you relax and drift off.
Get Better Sleep #11- Get Your Carbs
This may sound like a negative thing,
but it’s not really. Tryptophan, in order to have any effect on sleepiness,
needs to cross the blood-brain barrier.
The blood-brain barrier is a
filtering mechanism of the capillaries that carry blood to our brain and spinal
cord tissue, and blocks the passage of certain substances. This was proven by a
study done more than 100 years ago, in which scientist’s injected blue dye into
animal’s bloodstreams.
It was discovered that the tissues of
the entire body except the brain and spinal cord turned blue, thus confirming
the theory of the blood-brain barrier.
It is theorized that eating
carbohydrates makes it easier for tryptophan to cross the barrier, since it has
to compete with other amino acids to make it through.
The release of insulin in response to
the carbs directs the other amino acids to muscle, leaving tryptophan a clearer
passage into the cerebrospinal fluid.
You will need…
-A relatively small amount of carbs
e.g. some cereal or a piece of bread
Directions
About 15 minutes before bedtime, have
your snack to divert those large chain amino acids to the muscles and help
tryptophan do its thing.
Get Better Sleep #12 - Magnificent Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the most vital
minerals, and yet most of us are lacking it. You can thank increasingly poor
diets for this one.
Magnesium plays a huge role in the
functioning of GABA receptors, which is the primary neurotransmitter that calms
your central nervous system, relaxes you, and can help prepare you for sleep.
GABA won’t necessarily make you drift
off to sleep magically, but you can be pretty sure you’re going to have a hard
time sleeping without it. While the best way to up magnesium is to eat a
balanced diet, taking supplements can greatly help.
You will need…
-Magnesium supplement
Directions
Follow the
Directions
for dosing.
Get Better Sleep #13 - Utilize Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is one of those ancient
herbs that people have turned to for centuries. Once thought to be an
“herbal-cure all”, it was used to treat anything from asthma to snake bites.
These days, it’s used primarily to lift mood and promote calmness and relaxation.
Since depression is often related to insomnia, probably because of
a lack of serotonin, lemon balm can help you achieve sleep by promoting mental
and physical health.
Several studies have confirmed its
sedative effects, however it should be noted that too high of a dosage (1800
milligrams) actually increased anxiety. Here, it is made into a mild,
uplifting, and relaxing tea.
You will need…
-2 tablespoons of dried lemon balm,
or 8-10 tablespoons of fresh lemon balm
-2 teaspoons dried chamomile
-Honey to taste (optional)
-8 ounces of fresh water
-2 teaspoons dried chamomile
-Honey to taste (optional)
-8 ounces of fresh water
Directions
Place the loose herbs in a mug and
cover with 8 ounces of boiling water. Steep for 5 minutes, strain, and drink
30-45 minutes before bed.
Get Better Sleep #14 - Saint John’s Wort
Like lemon balm, Saint John’s Wort is
used frequently to help with depression, and in turn helps with disrupted
sleep.
Its main constituent-hypercine- is
thought to work by reuptake inhibition, which raises the overall level of
serotonin in the brain.
More serotonin = more melatonin=
better sleep. You can take it in capsule form, or prepare a strong tea to use
as a sleep aid.
You will need…
-2 teaspoons of dried Saint John’s
Wort (herb top/flowers)
-8 ounces of freshly boiled water
-honey or lemon to taste (optional)
-8 ounces of freshly boiled water
-honey or lemon to taste (optional)
Directions
Place the herb in a mug and cover
with boiling water. Steep for 5-10 minutes, strain, and drink once daily
(either morning or 30-45 minutes before bed.)
15. Hops Into Bed
The first thing that comes to mind
when you hear the word hops is probably beer, but this quick growing vine is
also an excellent remedy for calming nerves and promoting relaxation (not in
the form of beer, sorry!)
Rather, it can be made into a strong
tea and drank right before bed, or made into a sleep sachet and placed under
your pillow at night (just replace or add it to the lavender).
You will need…
-2 tablespoons of dried hops
-4 cups of boiling water
-A quart glass jar with a tightly fitting lid
-4 cups of boiling water
-A quart glass jar with a tightly fitting lid
Directions
Place the hops into a glass jar with
a tightly fitting lid and cover with boiling water. Allow it to steep for at
least 5 hours, or overnight, and then strain. Reheat or chill and drink a cup
30-45 minutes before bedtime for an easy and restful slumber. This will keep in
the refrigerator for 2 days.
Get Better Sleep #16 - Make Some Noise
Some people need to sleep in complete
silence; while on the other hand, some need a little background noise.
For many (myself included), the
dripping of the faucet, the hum of electricity, the sound of themselves
breathing, or the blankets rustling as they toss and turn stresses them out and
keeps them awake. So what’s the deal?
Technically speaking, white noise is
a consistent noise that comes out evenly across all hearable frequencies. When
you get jarred awake or bothered by a noise at night, it’s not really the noise
itself, but the abrupt inconsistency in the noise that you hear.
The fact of the matter is you still
hear when you sleep, and white noise can mask those inconsistences. The
scientific aspect set aside it is just plain soothing, filling out the silence
that makes you feel trapped with racing thoughts or excess energy.
You will need…
-Something that creates white noise
Directions
When you go to sleep, turn on the
white noise. My personal favorite is a fan, but there are even white noise
machines tuned specifically for the purpose of drowning out sound.
Get Better Sleep #17 - Sip a Glass of Warm Milk
Does milk actually make you sleepy?
In short, probably not on a chemical level! While there is the sleep inducing
amino acid tryptophan in milk, studies are debatable that it actually does
do anything.
Much like turkey, the levels aren’t
such that they would have much of an impact. But all of that doesn’t mean it
won’t make you sleepy at all, and there is still reasoning behind a glass of
warm milk, mostly in terms of psychology.
Many people find the warmth soothing
and relaxing, helping them unwind both physically and mentally. The routine of
a glass of warm milk is like any other routine that you need to complete before
bed, getting you one step closer to falling asleep.
You will need…
-1 glass of warm milk
Directions
Roughly 30 minutes before bed, start
winding down. Turn off electronics, read a book, and heat up a glass of milk to
a toasty warm, but still comfortable, temperature.
Get Better Sleep #18 - Cozy Up with Catnip
Catnip, a plant that is a member of
the mint family, isn’t just for cats - it works a treat when it comes to having
a sedative effect on humans. The compound responsible for catnip’s effects
across both species is called nepetalactone.
While it can make cats frisky and
wild, it can make people relaxed, drowsy, and ready for bed. Enjoy it in the
form of a warm tea before bed with a little bit of honey.
You will need…
-1-2 teaspoons of dried catnip OR 3-4
teaspoons of fresh catnip
-8 ounces of boiling water
-Honey to taste (optional)
-8 ounces of boiling water
-Honey to taste (optional)
Directions
Place catnip in a mug and cover with
boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes, covered, and then add honey to taste if
you like. Drink 30 minutes before bedtime.
My experience with insomnia…
I’ve faced a battle with insomnia for almost 4 ½ years, and I know when bedtime
rolls around all you want is magic sleeping aid to make you fall asleep without
having to do anything.
The (painful) truth is that if you
want to be healthy and get a good night’s rest, you may have to re-learn how to
put yourself to sleep. The things that knock you out cold are nothing more than
scary medications that only cause suffering-they don’t solve your sleepless
nights.
We need our rest, perhaps now more
than ever in our crazy world, and taking the time and dedication to find
natural ways to drift off is vital in making sure you get to sleep, stay asleep
and wake up refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to lead a life filled with good
energy.
Tips from Personal Experience:
• Practice meditation if racing
thoughts keep you up at night. Meditation takes patience, but it is invaluable.
Among so many other things it can teach you to simply let go of a thought and
leave it powerless, which leaves you undisturbed and able to rest.
• Really do try the cherry juice,
it’s darn tasty and makes for a sounder sleep in my experience. Make sure to
drink it about 30 minutes before bed so you don’t have to go the bathroom in
the middle of the night.
• Chamomile tea with milk and honey
has put me to sleep more effectively then sleeping medications at times.
• Habit. Habit. Habit. Form a
relaxing habit that tells your body “time for bed now” and it will, at some
point, start to listen. This includes setting a bedtime, and wake-time, and
sticking to them.
• Get any form of a screen out of
sight after a certain hour. It has been proven many times over that this will
disrupt your sleep.
• I bow down to a sleep mask. It’s
gentle weight over my eyes and the ensuing darkness is the only reason I am
able to fall back asleep when I wake up too early in the morning-remember,
levels of light determine how much melatonin you make.
• Never reach for sleeping pills,
especially prescription. They will cause anguish and strife and many, many,
more sleepless nights.
By Claire Goodall
(a bee-obsessed natural-convert from Minnesota) who is a holistic health lover.
She is the author of Everyday Roots Book.
It's a Book that
she creates to help you replace the toxic products and medications in your home
with healthier, all-natural alternatives.
It contains 215+
effective home remedies and covers everything you will need to protect your
family and save money every month.
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