Natural Sleep Remedies! 5 Sleep Medicines to Beat Insomnia

Insomnia is one of the most common complaints that people go to the doctor for and impacts approx. 1 in 4 Americans. Many insomnia sufferers reach for over the counter sleep medicines and some seek other stronger sedatives. There are several causes, some which are psychological factors, medications (beta-blockers, oral birth control, etc.), anxiety, pain, sleep apnea, low blood sugar, restless leg syndrome, alcohol, coffee, tea, chocolate, etc. Sleep is essential to both the mind & body. Impaired sleep, dysfunctional sleep patterns, & sleep deprivation impair mental & physical function. Sleep functions as the most natural antioxidant to the brain because it eliminates toxic build-up we have accumulated during the day. The amount of sleep requires varies from person to person, but most adults require 7-9 hours of sleep per night and women tend to require more sleep than men.

Natural Sleep Remedies #1 – Stress Reduction Techniques

As a sleep medicine for insomnia, taking time to quiet the mind in preparation for sleep can help to relax the nervous system. Biofeedback techniques such as progressive muscles relaxation, autogenics, and slow belly breathing are relaxation techniques that can help induce sleep & naturally beat insomnia.

Natural Sleep Remedies #2 – Exercise

Regular physical exercise is known to improve sleep quality and a simple sleep medicine. Exercise of moderate intensity should be preformed in the morning or afternoon and should be avoided in the evening before bedtime to prevent stimulating the body when it should be preparing for relaxation.

Natural Sleep Remedies #3 – Dietary/Lifestyle Factors

Balanced blood sugar is important for maintaining a sleep state once you are asleep so you don’t wake during sleep. A quick drop in blood sugar levels will result in awakening due to release of regulatory hormones, such as cortisol, adrenaline, etc. An easy sleep medicine to fix disrupted sleep due to hypoglycemia is putting some nut butter on half an apple or some crackers 20-30 minutes before bed. The fat & protein of the nut butter will slow the absorption of sugar from the apple to sustain an appropriate blood sugar level throughout the night.

Natural Sleep Remedies #4 – Supplements

5-HTP is a serotonin precursor & serotonin works on the central nervous system to initiate sleep. 5-HTP in clinical studies has been shown to promote & maintain sleep, as well as increasing REM sleep (deep, dreaming sleep). 5-HTP should be taken 30-45 minutes before bed as a sleep medicine. Our pineal gland in the brain produces melatonin, which has been shown in clinical studies to induce & maintain sleep in adults & children. However, melatonin’s effects are most notable as a sedative when our own production of melatonin via the pineal gland in low. Another study revealed that slow-release capsules yielded better effects on maintaining sleep throughout the night.

Natural Sleep Remedies #5 – Herbal Medicine

There are several herbs that have a relaxing sedative quality. The most clinical research has been done on Valerian root as a sleep medicine. In some of these studies, Valerian was as effective as benzodiazapines & barbiturates in improving the time required to get to sleep & sleep quality. As opposed to these mediations, Valerian also reduced morning sleepiness. Hops & passionflower have also been shown in studies to improve sleep parameters, such as onset of sleep & quality of sleep.

To learn more about a natural approach to insomnia, visit the For Patients page at https://acesonaturalmedicine.com/plainfield-il/holistic-approach/ or call (815) 782-3974 to set up a free 10-minute consultation or book an appointment with Dr. Michael R. Smith, ND, BCB.

https://acesonaturalmedicine.com/plainfield-il/naturopath-services/