Natural Remedies to Help You Sleep

Every night millions of Americans have difficulty getting to sleep. Many rush to the drugstore to buy over-the-counter sleep medicines while others would rather watch late night TV than suffer the side effects of sleeping pills. With crazy schedules and sleeping woes, there has to be a better way to fall asleep and stay asleep. Here are some natural sleep remedies that many believe are safer than over-the-counter sleep medications with fewer side effects.

Mom always said to take your vitamins. Two sleep boosters that become even more effective when taken together are magnesium and calcium. When you take magnesium along with calcium, you cancel out any potential heart problems that could arise from taking calcium by itself. Experts recommend taking 200 milligrams of magnesium along with 600 milligrams of calcium each night.

Another natural remedy to help you sleep is wild lettuce. Folks who have suffered from anxiety, headaches, joint and muscle pain may be familiar with the benefits of wild lettuce. It’s not only effective at reducing anxiety and calming restlessness, it’s also been shown to suppress restless legs syndrome. Experts recommend taking 30 to 120 milligrams of wild-lettuce supplements before bed.

Benjamin Franklin once said “Beer is proof God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben forgot the mention that beer is proof God wanted us to sleep too. Nearly every beer drinker is familiar with the calming effect of hops, the female flowers used for making beer. Little wonder the same extract is widely used as a mild sedative to treat insomnia as well as anxiety. Taking 30 to 120 milligrams before you hit the hay has helped some people get some much needed shut eye.

Ever wonder why spas and massage parlors are so relaxing? Massage therapists know aromatherapy is a powerful weapon when it comes to helping clients relax. The key is lavender and studies prove it helps in sleep. This inexpensive, nontoxic fragrance is the ideal way to experience a peaceful slumber. Lavender is available in sprays that you can spritz on your sheets or pillows or you can place a lavender-filled pillow on or near your bed.

Ever heard of melatonin? It’s the very hormone that controls sleep and sleep experts are using it in low doses to naturally induce sleep. Studies show that taking higher doses of melatonin can cause toxicity as well as increase your risk for infertility and depression. For this reason, it’s recommended that you only take 0.3 to 0.5 milligrams before going to bed.

There are many health benefits associated with yoga and stretching but few know that gentle yoga or stretching followed by simple meditation also helps you to relax and fall asleep. Easy yoga stretches in bed followed by 5 to 10 minutes of meditation that involves nothing more than paying attention to your breathing can help you to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.

Another natural remedy to help you sleep comes from, L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea. L-theanine helps you maintain a calm alertness during the day as well as a deeper sleep at night. Unfortunately, there’s not enough L-theanine in green tea to be effective so look for Suntheanine, a brand of pure L-theanine, at the store and experts say to take between 50 to 200 milligrams at bedtime.

Finally, millions who have suffered from insomnia have ultimately benefited from Valerian, a plant native to Europe and Asia that’s been used to treat anxiety and insomnia since the time of ancient Greece and Rome. A number of studies have shown that valerian in capsule, tea, tablet or liquid extract forms improved deep sleep, the speed of falling asleep and sleep quality. Experts recommend taking 200 to 800 milligrams before bed.

This information was gathered as a starting point for people looking for more natural remedies to help them sleep. In no way shape or form are we diagnosing sleep issues, for that you need to seek out a professional assistance. Additionally we have only shared what has been claimed to of worked for others and again make not claim that this is what you should use or do. Please consult your physician for professional medical advise before starting any natural sleep remedy. There are many natural things that are not safe especially when proper amounts are not understood.