Home remedies for Insomnia

Treatment of insomnia vary according to types and causes of it. Please read our previous article on Insomnia or Sleeplessness for full details. You can consult a psychologist, psychiatrist, or neurologist according to the cause of it.

Natural ways to treat Insomnia are much helpful and this includes the following…

Table of Contents

Modification in sleep pattern:

Forcible attempt to sleep only drives it further away. So it is better to divert the mind in different things like soft natural music peaceful to mind, reading books with peaceful and positive thoughts.

To overcome it one should have a fixed sleeping schedule and must adhere to it. Early to bed and early to rise is a good rule.

Half to one hour of sleep before the evening may also be more beneficial than more sleeping hours at night. This type of schedule is much helpful for students as they awake the whole night, drinks much tea or coffee. But in the examination hall, they may feel difficulty in concentration. So it is useful to take one to two hours of sleep in between.

One should not lie on the back but sleep on the side with one or both knees upward to the abdomen, and head and shoulders slightly forwarded. During night this position should be changed several times from one side to another.

Balanced diet:

Research has also shown that individuals who are suffering from chronic insomnia also have deficiencies of nutrients such as Vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin D, and also minerals like calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and Zinc.

Nutrients are very helpful for sleep mechanisms to work effectively. Magnesium is an important mineral for our body which helps to relax the muscle and relieve stress. This way helpful in healthy sleep patterns. So our diet pattern should be modified in a balanced diet.

Some food should be excluded from the diet such as white flour products, sugar, and its products, tea, coffee, chocolate, cola drinks, alcohol, fatty foods, excessive use of salt and foods containing additives, preservative, coloring, and flavoring agents, etc.

Fresh and dry fruits, whole all cereals, seeds, salad should be included.

Milk with honey should be taken as milk contains amino acid tryptophan which is helpful in the induction of sleep.

Exercise:

Lactic acid is produced by various metabolic activities and exercise stimulates the elimination of it from the body. Hormonal changes are produced by regular exercise which is beneficial to the body and also to induce sleep.

Ideal exercises are walking, skipping, jogging, swimming, etc. However extreme or vigorous exercise should be avoided especially at bedtime.

Controlled breathing is also beneficial for sleep. For that one should lie on the bed and take deep breaths expanding the abdomen fully. Then hold your breath until you can. Repeat this exercise until you are comfortable. Carbon dioxide is accumulated in the body while we hold our breath and this induces natural sleep.

Yoga:

Yoga helps to tone up the glandular, respiratory, and nervous system and also gives physical and mental relaxation. In this way, yogasanas are of great benefits for the patient of insomnia.

Shirsasana, Sarvangasana, Paschimottanasana, Uttanasana, Viparitakarni, Shavasana should be done.

Meditation:

Meditation helps to relieve stress. Meditation with chants and mantras repetition during the whole day is helpful in calming and focusing our mind.

Hydrotherapy:

Hydrotherapy is also effective in inducing sleep. Application of hot packs to the spine before retiring, hot fomentation to the spine, hot foot bath, or an alternate hot and cold foot bath at bedtime is much beneficial for the patient of insomnia.

When one’s nerves are irritated, the cold hip bath with the feet in the hot water at bedtime is also effective.

This is all about home remedies or natural treatment for insomnia. This helps to treat it as well as for good health maintenance. Please share the article with your friends. Thank you.