9 Natural Remedies to Help You Sleep

Back in the olden days, they weren’t looking for sleep medications, white-noise machines, or luxury mattresses to get a deep slumber. Probably because they did not have modern life distractions and trappings to be involved in.

Fast forward to now, insomnia has become a common condition for a large number of adult populations around the world. We may blame it on Netflix, improper sleeping patterns, or hectic lifestyles, but the lack of sleep is affecting the quality of life. It has negative effects on brain function, physical health, creativity, memory, learning capacity, and the list is endless. 

If catching sleep or staying asleep is trouble for you too, let’s take the help of natural remedies to help you sleep better. Read on to learn more:

What Is the Most Effective Natural Sleep Aid?

1. Melatonin

There is a hormone naturally produced by your body solely to help you catch sufficient sleep—the name is melatonin. Melatonin comes into play at nighttime when light decreases, signaling the brain and body to rest. When melatonin levels decrease due to factors such as age, jet lag, sleep disorders, or other health issues, your sleep quality gets disrupted. Taking melatonin supplements is believed to have a positive effect on promoting sleeping hours and its quality. 

2. Light Therapy

Light has the principal control over regulating the sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm) of human beings. When light enters the eyes, it is carried to a particular group of cells in the brain that then sends signals throughout the body to tell other organs that it is time to wake up. It also helps increase serotonin levels that produce the melatonin hormone, helping in improving sleep quality.

Consequently, exposure to more light early in the morning pushes your sleep schedule backward to earlier in the evening. So, it is best to walk outdoors after crawling out of bed for 30-35 minutes every morning if you like to sleep early. 

3. Exercise

Regular exercise boosts the overall well-being of the mind and body. It improves immunity, enhances the mood, keeps you fit, helps with weight loss, and encourages sleep. Moreover, the more active you will stay in the daytime, the more rest you will need at nighttime, hence, requiring sufficient sleep. Engaging in moderate physical exercises for 20 minutes 5 times a week at least should allow gaining you all these benefits.

4. Relaxing Bedtime Rituals

Whatever makes you calm, helps you sleep. Your bedtime rituals don’t have to be traditional. You can indulge in any activity for an hour or two in your bed to comfort your senses and prepare your mind for sleep. It can be reading gossip magazines, practicing a skincare regimen, listening to your favorite music, or writing a journal. Bedtime rituals are all about helping you relax and rest before a good night’s sleep.

5. Massage

Massage is a highly relaxing practice to comfort an exhausted body. Not only does it ease the pain, but it also helps with mental irritability and tension. Another notable benefit of massage is stimulating serotonin production that results in encouraging sound sleep. Every once in a while, when you could make it to bed at a decent time, try giving yourself a soothing massage with essential oils blends. 

Essential oil blends improve your massage experience and provide numerous wellness-supporting benefits to the mind, body, and spirit. Not to mention, essential oils leave behind amazing aromas to promote an atmosphere for a long, restful night’s sleep. 

6. Lavender Oil

Lavender oil is one of the oldest natural remedies to help you sleep. Its soothing aroma creates a calming and comforting ambiance that supports a peaceful and tranquil mental state, easing you into a deep sleep. It also helps unwind the mind, improve mood, calm negative feelings, ease stress, and promote mental and emotional wellness. However, to get the goodness of lavender oil, make sure you have pure, natural, and organic lavender oil without additives. 

7. Aromatherapy

The age-old practice of aromatherapy is among the effective folk remedies to sleep well at night. It involves inhalation, massage, and diffusion of organic essential oils. You can either massage your pulse points with diluted essential oils, inhale them directly through the bottle, or try placing a few drops on your pillow. Diffusing essential oils is another easy and non-messy way to get the aromatherapy benefits of your favorite essential oil. 

8. Chamomile Tea

Chamomile is known as one of those herbs that help you sleep instantly. It has been used as a natural sleep aid by diverse cultures for centuries. Its soothing and calming effects on the mind induce sleep and help with anxious and stressful feelings. 

The sleep-promoting quality of chamomile comes from an antioxidant named apigenin abundantly present in chamomile tea. Apigenin is believed to help relax the mind, significantly improving sleep quality and duration.  

9. Bedtime Yoga

Yoga has many health benefits, and promoting restful sleep is one of them. It is a technique of exercise, muscular stretching, and breathing for relaxation and holistic healing. You can choose poses and postures that you are comfortable with instead of opting for complicated movements. Perform your selected style for 20 minutes before bedtime to unwind your mind and body. It will have positive effects on your sleep quality as well.