Thirty-five to 40 million US adults complain that sleep regularly eludes them.
Insomnia is a term that describes a broad range of sleep difficulties, including the inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep. A 2008 survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that 65 percent of U.S. adults experienced sleep problems at least a few nights each week, with 44 percent having trouble sleeping every night or almost every night. While effective in the short term, prescription sedatives are not intended for long-term use because they are addictive, have numerous side effects and cause abnormal sleep patterns. Safe, effective and nonaddictive alternative therapies and remedies are available without a prescription.
Instructions
Herbal Sedatives
1. Make valerian root tea using 1 to 2 tsp. of the dried root shortly before bedtime. Valerian root has a pungent earthy odor and flavor, so if a tea made from dried valerian root isn't to your liking, try capsules instead. Valerian root, also known as garden heliotrope or valeriana officinalis L., is available in health food stores and nutritional supplement sections of many grocery stores and pharmacies.
2. Lemon balm contains terpenes, which are credited with the herb's sedative properties.
Make lemon balm tea, using 4 tsp. of dried herbs per cup of boiling water. Lemon balm, also known as Melissa or Melissa officinalis L., is an herb named for its pleasant lemon fragrance. The sedative action as well as the scent of lemon balm is attributed to a group of chemicals called terpenes.
3. Make chamomile tea at bedtime as a gentle relaxant. The blossoms can be purchased loose in health food stores or in tea bags at many grocery stores. The delicate daisy-like blossoms have a sedative effect attributed to the compound apigenin.
4. A pillow filled with lavender blossoms is a fragrant sleep inducer.
Add lavender blossoms to a sleep pillow to complement your nightly sleep ritual. A few drops of lavender essential oil can be sprinkled on your pillow to induce sleep as well. Lavender, or lavandula officinalis chaix, helps to slow nerve impulses, which can facilitate sleep.
Other Natural Sleep Inducers
5. Take 800 mg of calcium and magnesium at bedtime along with 400 units of vitamin D and B-complex, which should include the recommended dietary allowance of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and pantothenic acid. Taken together calcium and magnesium are mild neuromuscular relaxants and help promote sleep, especially if muscle tension contributes to wakefulness. In combination with vitamin D and B-complex, they play an important role in the regulation of the nervous system.
6. Take between .1 mg and 0.3 mg --- up to 3 mg is safe --- of melatonin as an effective sleep aid, both by inducing as well as maintaining sleep. Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, a small gland in the center of the brain. This supplement is most effective when melatonin levels are low, so if it doesn't work, it might be because your melatonin levels are normal.
7. Progressive relaxation is a technique involving the physical comparison of muscular tension and relaxation, reminding you how it feels to relax. Begin by tightening the muscles of the face and neck. Hold for two seconds and then relax the muscles. Continue this with all of the muscles, working your way down until a deep and complete state of relaxation is achieved.
8. Practice meditation or yoga before bed to relax your body.
Practice 30 minutes of yoga before bed to help you relax. There are many different kinds of yoga, all of which are nonaerobic and focus on slow and controlled breathing, which facilitates a sense of calm and relaxation.
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