Natural sleep aides?

[Yvette84]

Anyone know of any natural sleep aides that actually work????

[MetallicAguy]

I used to have problems sleeping so I'd turn off the lights and listen to my ipod. Reading also makes me fall asleep too.

[spunkmaster]

Two things work for me, I don't know if they're commonly accepted, but hey...whatever works, right?

 

1.) Anything lavender scented. I sometimes burn lavender candles or essential oils when I can't sleep. I find the scent relaxing for some reason.

 

2.) chamomile tea. It actually doesn't taste half bad, it's easy and fast, relatively cheap, and even better...it's healthy for you! I know here, I can find it at Wal-Mart for cheap. I'll just drink some when I get stressed out, and it calms me right down so I can sleep. (I have a problem with stress-induced insomnia.)

[CarnelianButterfly]

Wine, one glass and a warm shower.

[vandgsmom]

Valerian is the most commonly used homeopathic aide. You can get it in a sublingual, a gel capsule, or a tea.. it also works well with a little Feverfew thrown in (works great for migrane sufferers)

 

Be warned, tho. It is a strong smelling herb, reminiscent of old socks boiled in turpentine, but I didn't mind it because it was still a natural (as opposed to chemical) earthy smell...

[Yvette84]

k, thanx. But how about things you can buy at the store? like natural pills or something. I know melatonin is supposed to be good, even though most people say it doesn't do anything.

[vandgsmom]

Lol.. they sell all of the ones that I mentioned at the health store, and a pared down version at most walmarts with the vitamins...

 

and you could probably get the tea, the candle, and the ipod while you were there, too...

[FortunateOne]

Diet!

 

Avoid all stimulants in processed foods and drinks for a few days and your body wil do the rest, but make sure you're able to sleep in since your body will want to catch up on lost sleep.

 

I've tried many over the counter things and they all failed until I changed my diet. As for the melatonin pills, the only way it helped was to take a quarter of a pill to sleep okay, not the whole pill since it made me a nervous wreck.

[skyjuice]

Hi

 

I would read history book if I couldn't sleep. It would bored me to sleep. LOL.

[Siriana]

Valerian - for me it works the best. Right now I have some herbal capsules for situations when there is a lot of stress icluded and these are their ingridients:

125 mg Valerianae radix - valerian

25 mg Melissae folium

25 mg Menthae piperitae folium

Try to find something similar. Maybe it will work for you.

 

And check out your habits. These are the things that are not helping you to fall asleep:

- watching tv 2 hours before you go to bed or playing computer games

- drinking coffie, coke or tee with teine (it has an effect as coffein) in the evening - I can't drink coffie afer 3 p.m. if I want to be in bed at 11 p.m.

- eating a lot of sugar

- eating just before going to bed

- for some people getting a shower right before going to bed doesn't work - It wakes me up!

- watch out that your bedroom is not too hot - there is possiblity you will wake up everal times during the night because of that.

- keep tv out of your bedroom

- buy your self curtains (if you don't have them) that are not transparent

- clean any dust in your room if you have it.

- buy only natural fabrics sheets and pijamas

- put some relaxing pictures on the walls (if you have a working area in your room avoid relaxing pictures there - put a small photo of something active there - buildings, traffic or something)

- avoid annoying (active) colours in your bedroom as bright red.

 

So I suggest you to drink camomilla tea with some honey (I purchased honey with etheric oils of ylang ylag,lavander and cammomile - it tastes great) or valerian tea (it has awfull taste and it stinks) before you go to bed. 2 hours before going to sleep I suggest reading something easy - magazine, a good book (not SF, action...) or dooing some hobbie - making jewlery, combining clothes what to wear tomorrow..

Don't spend that time in a room that is full of artificial light as you are in the middle of the day. Half an hour before going to bed I suggest lightning a candle or reducing light.

[quietgrl]

Diet!

 

Avoid all stimulants in processed foods and drinks for a few days and your body wil do the rest, but make sure you're able to sleep in since your body will want to catch up on lost sleep.

 

I've tried many over the counter things and they all failed until I changed my diet. As for the melatonin pills, the only way it helped was to take a quarter of a pill to sleep okay, not the whole pill since it made me a nervous wreck.

 

Hhhhhmmm diet

[jilligirl]

I use a sleep hypnosis CD sometimes, and when I listen to it I fall asleep within 10 minutes. Also, I wake up only 1 time per night when I listen to the CD versus 2-3 times when I don't listen to the CD.

 

I've heard that chamomile can help you relax, too, but it has never really worked for me.

 

Also, make sure that all of the lights are off -- even your end-table lights (mini light next to your bed). TV, too. If it's not shut off, put it on a timer to go off. I usually wake up more in the middle of the night when my TV is on.

 

All in all, though, I'd say that the self-hypnosis CD for sleep works best.

 

I forgot to say: Another poster suggested valerian. I sprayed the essential oil mixed with water onto my pillow a few times in the past. Didn't help me sleep any better, but it did cause me to have very vivid dreams. I would wake up hot, too. That's just my experience, though. I never drank it before, so drinking it could be different, I guess.

[xwingsct]

I use to the same problem. I would be up all night.

Here's what I do. Exersice regularly and try not to go to bed with tons of problem in your head. Try to clear your head as much as possible before head hits the pillow .It didn't happen overnight for me. I have to practice that everytime I go to bed and I usually put on old black and white movie. For some reason everytime I watch B&W movie I fall asleep. Don't get me wrong I love some B&W movie but when I watch it in bed I never finish it. It must be the violin soundtrack. I heard some poeple tune in C-span or the weather channel. But most importantly. Clear your head before you hit the pillow. Put all the problems aside and said I'll deal with it tomorrow. It's something you have to practice everynight. Don't expect the result right away. Some poeple is good at controlling their own mind more than the other.

[shellshocked]

I used Valerian for awhile,

but then switched to Damiana....

 

It's a natural herb and (supposedly) aphrodisiac...

(not sure how good of an aphrodisiac it is tho,

cause it KNOCKS ME RIGHT OUT!!)

 

you can get it at GNC.

[New_Horizons]

Whether you use natural or artificial sleep aids, your body will eventually get addicted/accustomed to them. You'll need more and more to achieve the same effect, and if you quit suddenly, you'll have severe insomnia. Be careful and try not to use them constantly. Also, a weak artificial sedative is better than a strong natural product.

[Siriana]

I don't agree with New horizons. I am more for natural product, than artifical ones (even if they're mild).

But also he gave a good advice too -it is important not to get accustomed - so if your natural aids stopped beeing efficient you need to take a brake from them instead taking more.

[easyguy]

Everyone in this thread thus far has complicated the issue. No products are necessary. There seems to be a drug for everything in this day and age.

 

The most effective way to get a good night's sleep is to focus on your breathing. Take long, big breaths. Perhaps meditate if you are comfortable with that. It is an easy method, and requires no money. Just a few minutes to slow down. Never go to bed stressed out or angry.

 

And of course, don't drink a cup of coffee right before you go to bed, otherwise you'll be up for hours.

 

Give it a try.

[unface]

I don't know about natural... but if you're just looking for some OTC pills that you can buy, Benadryl works great. It's what most of the other sleep assist pills are made of, but if you buy the store brand Benadryl, it's a lot cheaper.

 

I use it most nights and it puts me out pretty quick. An added benefit is that it also helps me with allergic reactions to my cat