How to Get Sleep at Night Naturally

How to get better sleep at night?

This is a question asked by many including me. And when you are an insomniac, sleep takes on a new meaning. Like the holy grail, you have heard a lot about but not convinced it exists. I have had my fair share of difficulties associated with not being able to fall asleep naturally. Which in turn made me do hardcore research on sleep. Like what’s the big deal? Why so many people have issues falling asleep? We all know we need sleep to rest our bodies. Without rest, we are shrivelled up prunes. Sorry for the nasty comparison, but that is the truth. In a world where we are always racing to get things done, it is important that we get rewarded by sleeping fitfully through the night. It is not too much to ask. In fact, to be able to sleep is our birthright.

Great, now all I need is a placard and a picket line. (rolling eyes)

Jokes aside. How to sleep better at night naturally is an extensive subject that needs hours and hours of study and pages and pages to write about. Since that is not possible at the moment, I am going to try my best to compress all the data I have gathered on how to get deeper sleep naturally into one BIG blog post! So if you have some extra minutes to spare and is interested in our topic of the day (you are STILL reading, yes?), make yourself comfortable. This is gonna take a while.

How to Get Sleep at Night Naturally

My interest here is to approach the subject from a natural perspective. Meaning, less help from sleep pills and focus on the lifestyle that can trigger a sleep pattern beneficial to you. You would be surprised how much difference it can make by adding little tweaks to your life.

Trying some more natural ways to fall asleep could be a good idea for starters. Take a look at these 5 Natural Remedies for Insomnia that could help solve the problem!

Aromatherapy

These days aromatherapy has been proven to be one of the safest ways to use as a sleep aid. Lavender essential oil is #1 recommended. You can put lavender on your toes, make a spray to mist your pillow with or take a nice warm lavender bath.

RELATED: 5 Essential Oils to Relieve Stress

Set up the essential oil diffuser and pick your favorite oil if other than lavender. Set the timer on and tada! You will be floating away to dreamland in no time. 

Food and Diet

If you typically have problems falling asleep at night, there are a number of steps to take to correct this. Believe it or not. One major contributor to how restful your night will be is the food you eat. Yes, it’s true! Most of us these days are always in a hurry when it comes to mealtime and our diet.

Try and limit your caffeine. It can have a pronounced effect on sleep, causing insomnia and restlessness. Sugar is another big one as it can disrupt sleep in the middle of the night as blood sugar levels fall. Try eating foods rich in magnesium like legumes and seeds, dark leafy green vegetables, wheat bran, almonds, cashews.

Below are a few options you can include in your diet that can help you get the adequate night’s sleep you deserve. Here are 5 foods to help you sleep through the night.

1. Turkey

Turkey is well-known for its ability to cause people to drift off to dreamland when they eat too much of it. Why? Turkey contains an amino acid called tryptophan. It increases the amount of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, produced by your body.

In addition, like other meat, turkey contains protein. Studies have also shown that protein helps individuals stay asleep throughout the night.

2. Almonds

There are many different health benefits associated with almonds, making them a popular snack food. One of these benefits is providing your body with melatonin, mentioned above.

Almonds also contain high levels of magnesium, which lowers levels of the stress hormone known as cortisol. When you have a lot of cortisol in your body, while trying to get to sleep, you can easily find your mind racing with no sleep in the horizon.

3. Passion Flower Tea

Passionflower tea is a herbal tea, popular for its antioxidant properties. The antioxidants found in this potent beverage reduce inflammation and help to decrease the risk of heart disease… an added benefit.

Back on the subject of sleep, there is a special antioxidant found in passion flowers known as apigenin that binds with certain receptors in your brain, helping keep you calm.

Drinking passion flower tea also helps your brain produce more GABA, a chemical that suppresses the effects of other stress chemicals in your brain. These calming effects make passionflower tea one of the ideal drinks that help you sleep.

4. Chamomile Tea

Another popular herbal tea, chamomile tea also contains the sleep-inducing antioxidant apigenin mentioned above. Additionally, it contains antioxidants called flavones which reduce inflammation and lower your risk of developing certain cancers. In herbal tea, my go-to is chamomile but any of the Sleepy Time teas are great. It’s the same scent as what you’ll smell when using chamomile essential oils and is often the tea of choice for people to drink before bed to calm them down enough and relax them to sleep. It’s no secret that stresses can cause issues with sleeping patterns so using chamomile essential oil at night can help.

The sleep-inducing effects of chamomile tea are similar to passionflower, meaning you can alternate between these teas for variety with similar results.

5. Kiwi

Kiwis are a delicious (low-calorie) fruit, great for snacking. They’re also nutritious, containing high levels of vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium and high levels of yet another sleep-inducing brain chemical known as serotonin.

Serotonin helps you to fall asleep and regulates your sleep schedule. The antioxidants found in kiwis are also thought to have an effect on how deeply you sleep throughout the night.

If you are wondering about the tips and tricks on how to make you sleep, bookmark this page.

All of these foods for insomnia sufferers are great and can help to sleep if you add them to your diet. But, it’s also important to consider what NOT to eat before going to bed as well. It really DOES make a difference!

Consuming lots of sugar or stimulants such as caffeine before bed makes it much harder to drift off. Consuming a lot of calories just before bed can also be an issue because you’ll likely end up going to sleep before you have time to work them off.

Try these 5 foods that help you sleep better through the night and see how it will help improve your sleep habits.

Yoga

This is the best form of exercise before bed that will help your system to relax. It is very healing as well. It’s worth your time to pick a quiet place 30 mins before bed and resort to a favorite yoga posture. There are tons of online videos for beginners if you are completely new at this. So, really there is no reason you shouldn’t try.  The power of Yoga is not something to be taken lightly. Did you know it promotes harmony, removes toxins from your body, and increases self-awareness and personal power? That is correct. 

Magnesium

Magnesium is well known for its ability to relieve insomnia. It also helps muscles to relax, to give you that calm “sleepy” feeling and help you unwind after a long day. Magnesium works just like a charming start with the lowest dose. First, talk to your pharmacist and see what mg may work best for you.

I have tried herbal tea, yoga, aromatherapy, and magnesium from this list. And it has helped me to a certain extent in my battle against insomnia. As long as you are able to find ways that work for you (except prescriptions and such),  sleeplessness is something you could tame and bring under control in the long run.

I hope you find these natural remedies for insomnia useful and apply them one way or the other in your fight against it.

Avoid Negative Language

Does your brain seem to take over when you lay down to sleep? Many people struggle with negative thoughts consuming them immediately upon laying in bed. If you’re one of them trying to find ways to kick negative thoughts before sleep, try refraining from using any negative language one hour before bed.

Common examples of negative language would start with things like “It’s all my fault” or “I hate this thought”. When you make a conscious switch in your mindset one hour before bed, you’ll be more prepared to kick negative thoughts before sleeping. This process helps train your mind to focus on other positives in life prior to laying down.

Go To Sleep Earlier

Bye bye Netflix!

Various research has shown that those who go to sleep at a later time in the day tend to struggle with negative thoughts before sleeping. Consider switching up your bedtime routine to include an earlier bedtime. Make sure your mattress is comfy and inviting. If the current one doesn’t speak to you or not helping you relax, check out Layla mattress. I have only heard great things about this brand.

They also have weighted blanket which in my opinion is heaven!

While you’re an adult and may think “having a bedtime” is silly, believe me, this step to commit to going to sleep earlier will surely help those negative thoughts stay at bay so you can sleep.

RELATED: Feel Great With Healtop Natural Living

Use Self-Guided Meditation

Many people have used self-guided meditation apps before they lay down to sleep. You may incorporate this new option into your bedtime routine. Turn off all distractions and focus on your breathing- in and out. Try to picture something nice in your mind- a quiet waterfall, beautiful meadow, beauty of the ocean, anything that brings serenity. Watch your body relax to the stillness surrounding you. Be in that state, hold on to it as much as you can. You will feel any negative blocks dissolving and a sense of love rising from within. You are now ready to relax and get deep, fitful sleep naturally.

Combined with going to sleep earlier, practice some meditation via a free self-guided meditation app on your smartphone. This will help you relax your mind and in turn, you’ll slip off into slumber easier without negative thoughts.

Enjoy Some Music

Many people who suffer from negative thoughts before sleeping has found using music has helped them fall asleep easier. You may purchase an MP3 player or use your smartphone with a timer set so that you won’t be wasting electricity playing music all night long. Music has been known to be very therapeutic for people who suffer from negative, anxious thoughts before sleeping.

RELATED: How to Get Rid of Tiredness Instantly

How to Get Better Sleep- In Conclusion

There are many tools people try to use as a means to kick negative thoughts before sleeping. What you can do is try each of the tips on how to fall asleep naturally I shared today. Find out which ones or a combination of ideas are most helpful. And then use those ideas or a combination of them to stop those thoughts from creeping in as you lay down to fall asleep. I hope that these tips on how to sleep better at night naturally help you stay sane and refreshed. Let these relaxation techniques before bed minimize the noise in your head so you can set off to a night of restful sleep again soon.

xx

With love, Vinma

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