We all know getting proper, restful sleep is essential to our overall happiness and well-being.

But sleep doesn’t come as easy to everyone.

If you struggle with insomnia, it can have you staring at the ceiling for hours, desperate for a solution.

While your local pharmacy may have several options to offer you, why not start by trying some natural remedies first.

Let’s talk about some of the best natural remedies for insomnia.

The Best Natural Remedies For Insomnia

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia describes a variety of sleep problems, including difficulty falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, early morning awakening, and non-restful sleep.

What Causes Sleepless Nights?

Some common causes of insomnia include stress caused by worries about work, school, health, finances or family.  Serious concerns can keep your mind active at night, making it harder to sleep.

Stressful life events such as the death or illness of a loved one, divorce, or a job loss can also lead to insomnia.

What is the Best Natural Cure for Insomnia?

Home Remedies for Insomnia Include:

• Melatonin.
• Magnesium.
• Lavender oil.
• Chamomile.
• Valerian root tea.
• Meditation.
• Getting regular exercise.

What Foods are High in Melatonin?

Eggs and fish are known as having higher melatonin.  For plant foods, nuts have the highest content of melatonin.

Certain kinds of mushrooms, cereals and germinated legumes or seeds are also great dietary sources of melatonin.

What Fruit is Highest in Melatonin?

Cherries are a great natural food source of melatonin.

What to Drink to Sleep Faster?

Drinks to Help You Sleep at Night:

• Coconut water.
• Valerian tea.
• Decaffeinated green tea.
• Chamomile tea.
• Herbal tea with lemon.
• Warm milk.
• Almond milk.
• Cherry juice.

What Should You Not Drink Before Bed?

Before bedtime you should be avoiding drinks or hot beverages that contain caffeine. They can make us feel more awake, and can disrupt our sleep.

Drinks to be avoided near bedtime include: coffee, tea, and energy drinks.

What Food Induces Sleep?

Magnesium helps relax muscles and induce a sleepy state. A lack of magnesium can potentially cause restless leg syndrome and muscle spasms.

Green leafy vegetables, pumpkin seeds, avocados, bananas, beans, nuts and seeds are all foods that are rich in magnesium.

Try a banana with low-fat yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese. Cherry juice is also known to promote sleep.

What Does Eating a Banana Before Bed Do?

Bananas are the perfect sleep aid. They provide vitamins and minerals that can improve the quality of your sleep. Bananas can reduce stress and anxiety, help alleviate muscle cramps as mentioned, and regulate your sleep cycle with serotonin and melatonin.

Which Fruit is Best for Sleeping?

Research has found that eating a kiwi before bed can improve sleep.

People who ate two kiwis an hour before bed found that they “fell asleep faster, slept more, and had better sleep quality.”

(Source: sleepfoundation.org )

What Tea is Best for Sleep?

• Valerian Root.
• Chamomile.
• Lavender.
• Lemon Balm.
• Passionflower.
• Magnolia Bark.

(Source: sleepfoundation.org )

Final Thoughts:

As mentioned, getting enough sleep is vital to our overall health, happiness, and well-being.

Keep your approximate bedtime and wake time as consistent as possible day to day, even on weekends.

Stay active, as regular activity helps promote a good night’s sleep.

Avoid stimulating activities before bed, and schedule any exercise at least a few hours before bedtime.

Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips I’ve missed, or if you’ve ever suffered from sleepless nights and insomnia.

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Natural Remedies for Insomnia