Insomnia is a sleeping disorder, more common in women, which affects the quality and quantity of sleep.
Common Causes of Insomnia
- Stress, anxiety, depression, and other emotional problems (anger, worry, grief, trauma)
- Hormonal imbalances
- Thyroid dysfunction (hyperthyroidism)
- Digestive problems
- Medication side-effects (antidepressants, corticosteroids, high blood pressure drugs, contraceptives, painkillers, diuretics, weight loss pills, stimulants, etc.)
- Chronic pain
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Kidney problems
- Chaotic lifestyle
How Lack of Sleep Negatively Affects Our Health
- Lack of energy
- Sleepiness during the day
- Loss of libido
- Decreased focus, performance, coordination
- Increased stress
- Health problems
- Weaken immune system
- Hormonal imbalances
- Cognitive impairment (sluggish thinking, brain fog, decreased attention, problems reading and listening, memory problems)
- Weight gain
- Fast Aging
Natural Ways to Improve Sleep and Treat Insomnia
- Go to bed early, before 22:00.
- Don’t eat after 7-9 PM. Your body will not busy wasting energy on digesting food and will be free to relax.
- Leave your computer, laptop, tablet, cell phone outside of your bedroom. Electronics mess up with your body, tire up your mind, and wire up your brain, making you unable to relax and fall asleep.
- Keep work away from your bedroom. You have unfinished business? Leave it for tomorrow morning. It can wait. Don’t overuse your brain. Don’t do any stimulating activities with 2 hours before going to sleep.
- Don’t watch TV before sleep. It distracts your mind and you won’t be able to relax for sleep.
- Use relaxing, soothing, balancing, harmonizing, calming, sleep-friendly essential oils: Lavender, Valerian, Orange, Vetiver, Cedarwood, Chamomile, Sandalwood in an aromatherapy diffuser.
- Take a warm relaxing bath with Epsom salt, which contains magnesium. During the bath, magnesium is absorbed through your skin, promoting relaxation and wellbeing. Lack of magnesium can lead to anxiety, contraction, tension, and stress.
- Listen to instrumental, calming, soothing music in the background. Harmonious music and sounds from nature (birds chirping, waterfalls, rivers murmuring, wind through the foliage, Amazonian rain, ocean waves) have the gift of promoting a sense of peace and calmness, which will help you relax, unwind your mind, and sleep well.
- Watch comedies, read comic books or jokes. A healthy laughter reduces stress hormone levels (cortisol), regulates blood pressure, boosts the release of endorphins, induces a state of wellbeing and helps you have a good night sleep. Laugh more, sleep better, and live longer.
- Drink warm milk (it can also vegetable milk like almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk) with 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon of honey. This is an Ayurvedic drink that calms your mind and emotions, promotes relaxation, stimulates digestion and metabolism, and reduces inflammation. You’re all set for a good night sleep.
- Exercise during the day. When you are physically active you spend energy and you energize your body in a healthy way, producing good hormones that will make you feel good and help you sleep well at night.
- Stop drinking caffeine or alcohol especially in the evening.
- Do relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises.
- When you can’t sleep, don’t lie in bed tossing and turning. Get up and do a non-stimulating activity, something relaxing and quiet like reading, drinking a cup of tea or milk with turmeric and honey, doing relaxing yoga poses, meditating, or taking a bath.
- Block any light coming from your window with thick curtains. Lights (especially flickering lights from signs) can prevent you from sleep.
- Spend more time in nature. Walk in the parks, sit on a bench and look at trees, grass and sky, stay in the sunlight (of course, with hats, long sleeves, sunscreen, and a bottle of water to hydrate enough).
- Take natural herbs with mild sedative properties (instead of Diazepam), such as passionflower, lavender, valerian, jasmine, etc.
- Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillow that keep your back straight and your neck in line with your spine, for a relaxing position and a good sleep.
- Take Calcium and Magnesium supplements – these minerals promote relaxation.
- Keep a lavender, valerian, chamomile sachet next to our pillow.
- Make a herbs-filled pillow to help you sleep, with sleep friendly herbs that we already talked about.
- Massage your body with sesame oil in which you add a few drops of relaxing essential oils.