Home remedies for insomnia
Every third adult German suffers from sleep disorders . There are 3 different types: 1. people who cannot fall asleep, 2. people who cannot sleep through the night and 3. people who wake up much too early in the morning and can no longer sleep. Stress and depression are usually the causes. There are various home remedies and tricks that help against insomnia .
What are sleep disorders?
Sleep disorders (insomnia) are impairments of sleep that have existed for a long time and can manifest themselves as problems falling asleep or sleeping through the night.
Behavioral problems that occur during sleep or waking up disorders such as sleepwalking, nightly grinding of teeth or nightmares that prevent restful sleep are a special form. During the day, the lack of sleep is often noticeable through severe tiredness, lack of concentration and reduced performance.
Short-term sleep disorders in stressful situations occur occasionally in everyone and do not require treatment. The doctor speaks of insomnia when the person concerned cannot get an undisturbed night’s sleep for a period of more than three to four weeks. In the long run, sleep disorders impair mental and physical health, possible consequences can be a weakened immune system and depression.
Who is affected?
In western industrialized countries, around 20 to 30 percent of all people suffer from sleep disorders in the medical sense. Women are almost twice as likely to have problems falling asleep and sleeping through the night as men. On the other hand, a night’s sleep impaired by breathing pauses during sleep (sleep apnea) is much more common in men than in women. With increasing age, the depth of sleep decreases, while short periods of wakefulness occur again and again during sleep. In addition, the day-night rhythm changes: Older people usually go to bed earlier and therefore wake up in the early hours of the morning. Insomnia requiring treatment is present when the disturbed night’s sleep impairs the patient’s well-being during the day – this is the case for about half of people over the age of 65.
Causes
Sleep disorders are often triggered by great psychological stress, they can also be a side effect of depression or anxiety disorders . Numerous diseases such as multiple sclerosis , Parkinson’s disease or restless legs syndrome are also associated with impaired sleep at night. Hormonal factors influence the night’s sleep in thyroid disorders and during menopause, and pain prevents restful sleep in a variety of disorders.
Alcohol, medication and drugs can also cause sleep disorders. Sleeping habits and the environment have a major impact on the duration and depth of sleep: noise, brightness and a room temperature that is too high or too low are just as detrimental to restful sleep as are overly sumptuous evening meals or intensive exercise before going to bed. An irregular sleep pattern when working shifts or frequent long-haul flights can also have a significant impact on the quality of sleep in the long term.
What helps against insomnia?
- Late in the evening, no more lavish meals should be eaten, as these are digested in the following 4 hours and can thus disturb sleep .
- People who suffer from insomnia should get in the habit of getting up at the same time every day, whether it’s more or less sleep. Staying in bed for a long time should also be avoided at the weekend, as otherwise the daily rhythm gets mixed up. If it is possible to develop a consistent rhythm throughout the week, the body finds rest more easily in the evening.
- In the evening neither spicy dishes, as they irritate the stomach, nor sweets should be eaten. Sweets, especially chocolate, have a stimulating effect and make it difficult to fall asleep.
- A method that some people find helpful to combat insomnia is to imagine parts of your body getting heavier and sinking into the mattress. One after the other you work your way from your feet to your head. If you still can’t think of sleep, you can actually try counting sheep. This monotonous activity distracts the mind until it finally falls asleep.
Quick help for insomnia
- Certain foods contain the amino acid tryptophan, which the body needs to make serotonin . Serotonin is a brain messenger and plays an important role in the quality of sleep. For example, a small banana, milk or a slice of chicken or turkey before going to bed are good home remedies for insomnia.
- To make it easier to absorb tryptophan, you should eat a few carbohydrates with the foods listed. For example, eat a small biscuit with a glass of warm milk.
- It is helpful against insomnia to place the alarm clock in such a way that the clock face is hidden. When you can see the clock face, you keep staring at it and thinking how you’re going to get through the next day with so little sleep. It is best to have an alarm clock that is silent and cannot be read in the dark.
Alternative remedies
- One of the most effective remedies for insomnia is valerian . It helps very well with problems falling asleep and has fewer side effects than synthetic sleeping pills. There are oral tablets available from online drugstores, but you can also make your own tea. When preparing tea from a valerian root, about a teaspoon of the crushed root is poured over with boiling water. Unpleasant odors are produced during preparation.
- Another home remedy for insomnia is a warm bath with ylang-ylang and lavender oil. Lavender is a mild sedative . In addition, pure lavender oil can be applied to the forehead and temples to calm the mind and soul.
- A nap is only a help for people who do not suffer from insomnia. If you have trouble falling asleep, you should avoid taking a nap, as the likelihood of falling asleep faster in the evening decreases rapidly. It’s more helpful to distract yourself and stay awake, and then fall into bed exhausted earlier in the evening.
See Sleep Disorders for more information . If all of the home remedies and self-strategies listed here do not lead to improvement, a doctor should be asked for advice. Restful sleep is very important for human health and overall condition.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.