Sleep is essential for the functioning of our body and brain. It is scientifically proven that a night of good sleep improves learning, memory, decision-making capacity, even creativity and mood. For this reason, it is good to know more about natural remedies to fight insomnia.
Sooner or later everyone experiences difficulty falling asleep, especially in certain periods of their lives characterized by high levels of anxiety and stress. We fail to rest well and recharge our energy, thus triggering a vicious cycle.
What is insomnia?
The word “insomnia” is used to indicate difficulty in falling asleep, insufficient or not restful sleep, characterized by numerous nocturnal awakenings. At night we find ourselves tossing and turning in bed, in terrible drowsiness, looking at the clock every hour. Hours pass and we realise that we are still awake and conscious and that the sun will soon rise. The mere thought that morning is coming, and that we will be tired and in a bad mood all day, makes us anxious.
Types of insomnia
- Initial: when you have difficulty falling asleep
- Central: when it occurs with frequent nocturnal awakenings, light sleep, staying up late at night.
- Terminal: after sleeping poorly during the night, you wake up early in the morning before the alarm clock goes off.
- Mixed or generalised: when there is a combination of these difficulties.
I have experienced periods when my sleep was very turbulent. I am familiar not only with the difficulty in falling asleep but also with the frustration generated by the absence of sleep continuity for long periods of time. Or the annoyance of constantly waking up for no justifiable reason. It’s so annoying.
On these nights, you wander with your mind from one thought to another, from the past to the future without any logical and rational connection. For example, you find yourself thinking futile things generating unreal worries between dreams and reality that make you feel incapable of mastering the flow of your thoughts. It is never a good feeling not to have control of own thoughts and state of mind.
What are the most frequent causes of insomnia?
The causes of insomnia are many and varied:
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Hormonal alterations
- Caffeine or alcohol
- Drugs
- Allergies
- Muscle pain
- Prolonged use of laptops and smartphones
Why is it important to sleep well?
Sleep regulates hormones, stabilises mood, improves brain function and promotes biological cell turnover in the tissues of all organs of the body. Sleep, especially good sleep, is essential for mental and physical health. Therefore, it is our priority to try effective natural remedies to improve the quality of rest. After a good night’s sleep, our immune system will certainly thank us!
What are natural remedies against insomnia?
Meditation
Our mental state is very important for a peaceful and quality sleep, so we must take care of it if we want to sleep well and rest. Meditating in times of great stress is essential. I try to meditate directly from my bed. For me, it’s nothing more than staying 10 minutes in silence with myself. During this time I try to eliminate negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. Then I do simple breathing exercises that help me relax. In my opinion, if you do them in the evening with your eyes closed, you are already halfway there!
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is one of the most ancient natural remedies for insomnia recorded since the time of the Greeks and Romans. It consists of the use of natural essential oils and ointments to relieve stress and improve sleep. Lavender, mandarin, sweet orange, bitter orange, valerian, lemon balm and chamomile are among my favourite relaxing essences. I prefer not to use them directly in the bedroom but in the living room and bathroom in the evening. My goal is to create a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere in the last hours before going to bed. I used to close the windows, turn on soft lighting and essences. This atmosphere helps me to relax and my brain slowly shuts down in preparation for sleep.
Writing
When it is the negative thoughts that are bothering you, then there is no better solution than writing and reading to help clear your mind. Take 5 minutes to think and try to understand what it is that is troubling you. Ask yourself: “what is causing me concern and anxiety?” Perhaps an interview, a health problem, something about your loved ones or your future? Facing reality will at first increase your anxiety. But it is only by self-analysis that you will be able to understand the problem.
Once you have collected your negative thoughts, arm yourself with a pen and paper and write them down. You will notice that at first, you will not know what to write down, but try to write two or three lines. From then on, let yourself go with the flow of your thoughts, regardless of grammar and punctuation. Write everything that comes into your mind in one long paragraph. At this moment it is as if a transfer of negative energy from within you to the outside is taking place, and after a while, this will make you feel much better. Then take the paper and tear it up or burn it. This action causes a feeling of liberation at an unconscious level.
Reading
By reading positive and motivational affirmations your mood will change. You will start to see problems in a rational way and focus on finding solutions. After all, you know that there is always a solution, at least for 99% of cases. There are very few problems for which there is no solution, and you should be truly grateful if you don’t have one. Personally, this thought is enough to change my mood. And remember to always go to sleep with a smile. It seems trivial but it is really important for the quality of your sleep, as the brain also perceives from your facial expressions which hormones to release.
Stretching and regular physical activity
Stretching is useful not only before and after training but also as a stand-alone workout to be performed at least twice a day. It brings numerous benefits to the musculoskeletal, fascial and tendon systems. As well as increasing flexibility and elasticity in the joints and tissues of the body, it helps to reduce accumulated tension. Incorrectly performed movements, stress and anxiety cause tension especially in the upper body (neck, shoulders and chest). Massage, regular physical activity and stretching exercises help to relax and prevent contractures and musculoskeletal pain that may occur in the future. Be careful, however, you need to perform the exercises correctly in order to avoid damage and get the real benefits.
A warm bath
What could be more relaxing than a hot bath? Combine that with an interesting book, soft background music, good tea, a scented essence. The combination couldn’t be more perfect. All the senses of the body are satisfied and in ecstasy. If you’re not used to bathing in this way, I recommend you start as soon as possible. You won’t be able to do without it. Always try to make time for yourself at the weekend. You need to recover the energy to face new challenges. Remember that relaxed people work, live and, above all, sleep better.
Relaxing infusions
Lemon balm, passionflower, hawthorn, chamomile and valerian are among my favourite relaxing herbs. Every evening I love spoiling myself with a different herbal tea, to which I add a teaspoon of honey and an inevitable biscuit. This is for me the better time of day! While I’m sipping my warm herbal tea, I like writing down ideas, thoughts and plans for the next day or simply relax while watching a TV series.
These were my natural remedies against insomnia. Also, remember to pay attention to your choice of mattress and bedding so that they are hypoallergenic and of good quality. Let me know in the comments if you have any other natural remedies for insomnia to recommend, I’d love to try them!
A big hug, Tonia.
