There’s nothing quite like that ready-to-take-on-the-world feeling after a good night’s rest. But if you frequently find yourself wide awake as the evening hours tick away, feeling bright-eyed the next day may seem like a dream. The good news? Restful sleep is within reach—no Ambien necessary. After all, the sleeping pill and some of its snooze-inducing cousins are associated with some unwelcome side effects such as compromised short-term memory as well as walking, eating, and driving in your sleep. No thank you!
If you’re struggling with sleep issues and traditional advice hasn’t made a difference, you might consider visiting a naturopathic doctor or other complementary health care practitioner for natural sleep remedies. At first, the basic recommendations will likely be similar whether you see a conventional doctor or a complementary medicine practitioner. For example, it’s important to make sure your bedroom is conducive to sleep. It should be dark, not too hot and not too cold, and quiet. It’s also important to evaluate your physical activity routine. Intense exercise late in the day can also be overly stimulating, whereas yoga and deep breathing can help you nod off more easily.
If basic advice doesn’t help enough, a physician would likely recommend a prescription for a sleep medication, whereas a complementary medicine practitioner will continue to look at your experience holistically to provide more customized natural sleep remedies. He or she will take into account the whole person, not just your sleeping problem as an isolated issue, to better understand the root cause. Here, I’ve outlined eight of the most tried-and-true natural remedies that can help address common factors that disrupt sleep. You can apply many of these yourself, or you can work with a professional for more comprehensive therapy.
Watch what you eat and drink. Avoid caffeine past 3 p.m. so your body can metabolize it before it’s time to go to bed. Avoid alcohol two to three hours before bed. Alcohol helps you fall asleep initially, but many people wake up two to three hours later. Lastly, eating heavy, spicy, or greasy meals before bedtime can interfere with sleep. If possible, have your last meal about three hours before bed. Hunger can interrupt sleep, too, so if you feel pangs before bed it’s okay to have a light snack.
Sip herbal tea. About an hour before bedtime, pour yourself a cup of herbal tea containing ingredients known to aid relaxation such as chamomile, skullcap, lemon balm, or passion flower. Brands such as Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime and Yogi Tea Bedtime Tea contain some of these herbs. If you get into the habit of sitting down to a steaming mug of herbal tea about an hour before bedtime, it also creates a routine and signals to your brain that it’s time to quiet down and get ready for sleep.