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Jillies Blog

health and wellness, fitness, foodie, lifestyle, better health

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Natural Treatments for Insomnia

March 20, 2023

Insomnia can be a very difficult and frustrating problem, and it can have a significant impact on your health. Many people think that prescription medications or over-the-counter sleep aids are the only methods available to manage insomnia, but there are several natural treatments that can help.

What Causes Insomnia

Primary Insomnia is referred to when there is no underlying cause.

Sometimes there is an underlying cause such as a general health condition, anxiety, depression or sleep disorder. This is diagnosed as secondary insomnia.

Insomnia may be made worse by:

  • poor sleep habits (sleep hygiene)
  • substances including caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and other drugs
  • stress caused by work, financial problems, relationship issues or grief
  • medical issues, in particular conditions causing pain, hormone changes (e.g. hot flushes and night sweats during menopause , and breathing, urinary or digestive problems
  • mental health problems — insomnia can be a symptom of anxiety, depression, rumination or other disorders
  • sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnoea, circadian rhythm disorders caused by irregular sleep patterns, restless leg syndrome and periodic limb movement
  • life stage — elderly people are more likely to have insomnia
  • shift work— people who work different shifts often do not sleep as well as those who work set hours during the day
Why Is Insomnia a Problem?

Insomnia is a health risk and if left unmanaged can cause:

  • increased risk of hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • diabetes
  • obesity
  • depression
  • stroke
  • heart attack
  • poor decision making
  • irritability
  • mental illness
Management of Insomnia

The cause of insomnia will be diagnosed by your health professional or doctor. The management will depend largely on the cause. For instance obstructive sleep apnoea is a cause of insomnia. Your doctor may refer you to a Sleep Disorder Clinic. There you will be assessed and may be advised to have a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine (CPAP) to assist your breathing. This helps you to get a good nights sleep by managing your sleep apnoea.

Are There Natural Options?

There are, thankfully, quite a few natural methods for dealing with insomnia. Many people find relief in herbal remedies, lifestyle adjustments, and exercise. Once you’ve checked with your health care provider about possible medical causes for your insomnia, you might try some of these natural treatments for insomnia.

Herbal Remedies

Herbal teas and supplements are said to be a gentle and effective way of inducing sleep. Herbs with a reputation for inducing sleep include the following:

  • Chamomile – This is a long-held remedy for sleeplessness that is exacerbated by nervousness and anxiety. Drinking a cup of chamomile tea in the evenings before bed may be all you need – but it can have a slight diuretic effect, so drinking a cup an hour or so before bed might work better. You may also find it beneficial to drink it throughout the day, hot or cold, or mixed with other beverages.
  • Valerian Root – It makes an unpleasant tea, but many people have had significant success with taking valerian root capsules. Valerian is a natural sedative.
  • Lemon Balm – In contrast to valerian, lemon balm tastes very good and makes a lemony tea. Like chamomile, drinking a cup in the evenings may help promote sleep. You could mix it with chamomile tea as well.
Lifestyle Changes

Insomnia can sometimes be managed by making adjustments to your lifestyle. Here are some ideas.

Exercise Regularly

This is one of the best ways to get your body into balance and help you relax at night. Plan to exercise a couple of hours before you go to bed.

Cut Out Caffiene

Drinking coffee is very addictive. It is a stimulant as well as a social norm. Next time you are out with friends for a coffee try a herbal tea instead. You still get the social aspect however are reducing your coffee intake.

Smoking

Those who smoke cigarettes tend to have more sleep problems than non-smokers.

Diet

Make changes in your diet to reduce sugar, artificial colours and flavours and preservatives. These substances can cause hyperactivity and mood imbalances.

Self Care

Practicing self care prior to sleep can help eliminate the stressors from your day. Choose what makes you feel relaxed for instance having a warm bath, hot shower or meditating. This will help you to relax your mind as well as you body. Very often we go to bed and we are physically tired from the days work and activities however we find that our brain activity is still high (going a million miles and hour). We are thinking constantly about work, family or financial problems to name a few. If you find this is happening you might need to have a book to read or relaxing music to listen to.

Self Compassion and Insomnia

Treat yourself as kindly as you can. You’re worth it.

When you are going to sleep are you constantly finding you self critize. Are you saying to yourself “why cant I sleep, why cant I solve this problem, if I were a better parent, friend etc” then you will have difficulty getting to sleep.

Learn to be self compassionate which is turning compassion inward. Be kind and understanding rather than harshly self-critical. Give yourself encouragement rather than being cold and judgmental if you have had a difficult day at work, with your family or when challenges and difficulty arise.

Practice meditation and use these skills when you need them. The meditation below is by Kirstin Neff. Kirstin is a renouned speaker and founder of Self Compassion. Check out Kirstins website for more meditation exercises. https://self-compassion.org/

Research is finding that having a good restful sleep is a major contributor to good health and balanced lifestyle. Talk to a Health Professional or your Family Doctor if you or a family member are having difficulty sleeping and you have tried to manage his by yourself implementing strategies such as above.

Sleep Hygiene

February 20, 2023

Sleep hygiene is the term used to describe good sleep habits to ensure you get a good nights sleep.  Common sleeping problems (like insomnia) are often caused by bad sleeping habits that have been reinforced over decades.

Medications are available which are used to treat insomnia, but these tend to be only effective in the short term. Ongoing use of sleeping pills can cause dependency and don’t induce natural sleep. Therefore developing good sleeping habits, independent of medication would seem to be the best long term solution.

If you have prolonged sleeping difficulties talk to your health professional, they will be able to advise you if you need further sleep assessment to exclude other medical issues such as sleep apnoea.  You will then be referred to the most appropriate specialist for management.

Considerable research has gone into developing a set of guidelines and tips which are designed to enhance good sleeping.  Evidence also suggests that these strategies can provide long-term solutions to some sleep difficulties.

Sleep Hygiene Tips

Regulate your Sleep Patterns

Going to bed and getting up at more or less the same time every day will provide your body with some regularity with your sleep patterns. You will find that this strict routine will help set your body clock.

Sleep when Sleepy

Try to sleep when you actually feel tired or sleepy, rather than spending too much time awake in bed, you will start to worry about why you can’t sleep and end up lying awake.

Get out of Bed if you can’t Sleep

If you haven’t been able to get to sleep after about 20 minutes or more get up and do something calming or boring until you feel sleepy. Then return to bed and try again.

Sit quietly on the couch with the lights off, bright light will tell your brain that it is time to wake up. Read a non stimulating book. Avoid doing anything that is too stimulating or interesting like screen time with a device, as this will wake you up even more.

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Avoid Caffeine and Nicotine

It is best to avoid consuming any caffeine in coffee, tea ,cold drinks, chocolate and some medications because of the stimulating effect of caffeine. Some people don’t have a coffee after 4pm for instance because it the caffeine will interfere with their sleep patterns.

Resist having cigarettes for at least four to six hours before going to bed as the nicotine is also a stimulant and will affect your ability to fall asleep.

Avoid Alcohol

Avoid alcohol for at least four to six hours before going to bed. Many people believe that alcohol is relaxing and helps get to sleep but it actually interrupts the quality of sleep.

Bed is for Sleeping

Do not to use your bed for anything other than sleeping and sex. Your body will associate bed with sleep, if you use your bed to watch television, work on your laptop, pay bills and other things they distract from the real purpose of your bed being for sleep.

Clothing

Choose loose sleepwear, in materials that are cool and soft. It is purely a matter of choice but avoid tight fitting sleepwear that will make you hot and therefore wake up because you are uncomfortable.

Napping

It is best to avoid taking naps during the day to make sure that you are tired at bedtime. If you can’t make it through the day without a nap make sure it is for less than an hour and before 3:00 PM.

Sleep Rituals

You can develop your own rituals of things to remind your body that it is time to sleep some people find it useful to do relaxing stretches or breathing exercises for 15 minutes before bed each night, or sit calmly with a cup of caffeine free tea.

Relaxing Bath or Shower

Have a hot bath or shower as part of your routine. Relaxing in a warm bath, or standing under a warm shower will be refreshing and prepare you for having a good nights sleep.

Checking the Time

Many people who struggle with sleep tend to check the time frequently, this ends up adding more stress if the person can’t sleep. Worrying about whether its late or early, I havn’t been to sleep yet, counting the hours before daylight adds stress. If you have had 5 hours sleep this is what yo will focus on all day, and be tired all day.

You end up feeling very tired and overwhelmed in the morning.

Use a Sleep Diary

Using a sleep diary can be a useful way of making sure you have the right facts about your sleep rather than making assumptions. It is a good idea to only use it for two weeks to get an idea of what is going on because having a sleep diary is about checking and monitoring the amount of time you have been asleep. If you have a smart watch you can monitor it on the watch.

You may fine this blog post on Tracking Sleep helpful.

Once you have an idea about your sleep pattern give yourself a couple of months to implement changes to your sleep habits then monitor yourself again to check out your improvements.

Exercise

Regular exercise is a good idea to help with a good nights sleep. Doing strenuous exercise in the four hours before bedtime morning can be detrimental because of the endorphins released when you exercise. Going for a walk is a great way to start the day feeling refreshed.

Diet and Sleep

A healthy balanced diet will help you to sleep well but timing of your meals is important. Some people find that a very empty stomach my bedtime is distracting so it can be useful to have a light snack. At the same time a heavy meal soon before bed can also interrupt sleep. A warm glass of milk is recommended as it contains tryptophan. This acts as a natural sleep inducer.

Your Bedroom

Your bedroom needs to be quiet and comfortable place for sleeping. Check out your bed, you may need to make some changes if it is not comfortable.

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Are your pillows comfortable or do you wake up with a stiff neck and headache. Wearing an eye mask or earplugs can help if your home is in a noisy area.

Do you Sleep Alone

Sleeping with a partner can be distracting, particularly if they snore or are restless during the night. If this is happening talk to them about their sleep habits. It may be necessary for them to seek professional help for snoring or other chronic sleep issues.

Check these sleep hygiene tips and if you can identify any issues you are having or if you are needing assistance, contact your doctor or other health professional to help you to improve your sleep habits.

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I am a lifestyle blogger whose interests follow my career and hobbies.  My intention for my blog is to be an informative interactive platform so my readers will have a positive experience from visiting.  I encourage you to contact me with comments or further information you may require.

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