There are few feelings worse than being overworked and tired but not being able to fall asleep. What’s really scary is that women who have trouble falling asleep outnumber men by 100%, which is due to the hormonal changes we go through each
month. What’s definitely worse than insomnia itself is getting hooked on sleeping pills. The tricky thing is, they create a psychological rather than chemical dependence. Read on to find about natural ways to fall asleep in order to respect your body and stay healthy.
1. Learn Relaxation Techniques
A traditional favourite is having a warm aromatic bath. Why not indulge in a beauty soak with your own blend of calming essential oils like ylang ylang, sandalwood or
lavender. Make it nourishing by adding natural anti-aging agents such as shea butter- based bath products. To
ensure your trip to dreamland, enjoy a cup of warm milk instead of iconic champagne while having a soak, or afterwards when you’re tucked into bed. Never add
honey to your milk in the evenings as sugars will leave your brain supercharged for hours.
2. Eat Your Way to Sleep
Instead of sleep-eating, reverse the process and consume magnesium rich products like whole grains, cashews, bananas, warm milk with cocoa powder and wheat bran based breakfast cereals. Interestingly, instant coffee is
magnesium bomb with 456 milligrams of magnesium per 100 grams of dry granules. Just make sure you don’t indulge in any kind of coffee after 5pm as sleep-reducing caffeine effects last for up to 7 hours.
3. Super Herbs
Nature gives us what no fancy lab can, aromatic herbs which are not only relaxing, but each has a number of other health benefits. Dare to experiment; mix herbs
and find a blend which works for you best. Use valerian, chamomile, lavender, rooibos African red bush tea, linden, hops and passion flower. Their efficiency has been proven over hundreds of years around the world
4. Right Place, Right Time
Your body craves fresh air at all times, so open the windows in your bedroom and turn off the a/c for some time. Also, if you can’t sleep, it helps to get out onto a terrace or a porch and breathe consciously while visualizing yourself sinking in a pillow deeper and deeper with every exhale. Aside from fresh air, what’s crucial for sound sleep is the absence of light. You want to send your body a clear message that it’s night and it’s time to turn off. Good sleep routines also mean getting used to regular bed time and wake up hours. Stick to these and allow
for more than the bare minimum of 5 hours of sleep, working your way up to 7 hours.
5. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
If you still need more natural ways to fall asleep, consider hiring a well-recommended therapist who will bring sleep back to your life with cognitive behavioral therapy. The main challenge will be to quiet down your
overactive mind and its irritating chatter.
