Natural Approaches To Control Sleep Problems

by Kathi
(Pennsylvania)

An occasional bout of insomnia, although unpleasant, is usually a transitory condition. You will often notice the difficulties come and go within one or two days.

But sometimes, for some people this persistent lack of sleep can lead to major health issues. But many people, before they break down and make an appointment with the doctor, they wish to try an assortment of “recipes to success” they have learned from family, friends and even neighbors. To see if any of these is an option for you, try this short test to see if any of these will relieve your current difficulties with sleep.

• Avoid caffeine from coffee, tea, chocolate, soda etc.. Even some medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and aspirin have caffeine which boosts your metabolism temporarily.
  
  
• An old folklore is to drink a glass of warm milk before bed. Milk is high in the amino acid tryptophan, which does relax and enable many people an easier road to a deep sleep.
  
  
• Melatonin is often used for the occasional battle of jet lag when traveling but it also is a good sleep-inducer.
  
  
• Using valerian has been proven to be effective by many reports of satisfied customers. Always avoid this one though if you have high blood pressure. Although it does not actually put you to sleep, it is good for relaxation which often leads to sleep.
  
  
• Lose all the distractions. Lights, TV, radio, telephones, computers, pets, children and on and on. All of these are nothing but distractions in your household and to your efforts to fall asleep. Schedule lights out and electronics off at certain hours and stick to it. If you are still not prepared yet for slumber, get up and read a book, a magazine or do any kind of quiet and easy on the mind duties. This mood of relaxation will often put you in the mood to sleep.
  
  
• Hot and cold has got to go. Weatherstrip, caulk and seal as needed. Keep your bedroom around 65 degrees every night for optimal sleeping conditions for the human body.
  
  
• If you are a heavy snorer, purchase and give the nasal strips currently on the market a try. These help to open up your nasal passageways and ease your discomfort from low oxygen.
  
  
• Maintain consistent sleep cycles. Forget sleeping in a couple of days when you have the chance. This is the easiest way to disrupt your body’s normal sleeping rhythms.
  
  
• Menopause is a known sleep disruptor. Try drinking some cold water before bed, use a small fan, start deep breathing exercises and wear cool cotton fabrics as soon as hot flashes start to bother you.
  

After a little time and detective work plus a few daily habit changes, if you still do not see appreciable results, make an appointment with your doctor. Explain your recent attempts at controlling your sleep problems, all with no apparent success. Finding a solution now to your inability to sleep will reduce your chances of future heart disease, diabetes, stroke, obesity plus so many other complications common to a shortage of continuous good sleep.




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