ABZ’s of Sleep: Natural Insomnia Remedies for Your Best Night’s Sleep

Author: Melanie Kozlan

The only thing worse than a sleepless night is several sleepless nights where you lie awake staring at the clock counting the hours til you have to get up. Sleeping pills may seem like an easy solution, but often only offer a temporary fix to a larger problem. Try one or more of these natural tips that will make your insomnia seem like a bad dream! You also might want to consult our 25 natural stress remedies since stress and insomnia seem to go hand in hand.

• Avoid coffee/tea, caffeine and alcohol at least 4 hours before bed. Alcohol might seem like a quick fix for a night of sleep, but you might only be sleeping off the alcohol and wake up still tired. You also don’t want to create a sleep pattern that depends on alcohol.

• Similarly, don’t exercise close to bedtime. You might feel like you’re tiring yourself out, but you’re actually waking your body up.

• Have a small snack before bed. Going to bed hungry will only keep you awake.

• Develop a routine: Going to bed and waking up around the same time everyday will make your body accustomed to a healthy sleep schedule.

• Only use your bed for sleeping! It seems irrelevant, but using your bed as a home base for everything from eating, working, or using Facebook weakens your mind’s association between your bed and sleep. Using your bed for various activities will make it more difficult to turn off your thoughts when you want to sleep.

• If you can’t fall asleep, do something else. You’ll be more productive than just lying away frustrated and by the time you go back to bed you’ll have a better chance of falling asleep easier.

Other tips:
• Have a hot bath an hour or two before bed
• Try a herbal remedy: Venereal root and lavender are said to aid insomnia
• Start a sleep ritual- Convince yourself you need a glass of warm milk or to watch an episode of 30 Rock before bed.
• Make your bed somewhere you want to be: If it’s too hot/cold, bright or uncomfortable you’re body will mostly likely dread bedtime.