Do you sleep poorly, badly and get up in the morning still tired? Then you really need to look for insomnia remedies that will allow you to rest well and longer.
Granted that insomnia is defined as the inability to sleep for at least 7 to 8 hours despite the fact that the body feels the need, it is also true that this fact can be defined as a sleep disorder only under certain circumstances. In short, if you happen not to sleep for a night, perhaps as a result of a stressful day or a problem occupying your mind, this is not insomnia.
It is, however, if the difficulty in sleeping goes on for a long time. Medicine identifies two types of insomnia:
- primary insomnia - this type of disorder is the most severe, because it is not related to any medical or psychological condition. It can sometimes last for years and almost always ends up endangering the individual's well-being.
- secondary insomnia--in this case, however, insomnia is the direct result of a specific event, hormonal imbalances such as in menopause and pregnancy, caffeine and alcohol abuse, medication intake, or disease, such as fibromyalgia, cervicalgia, and gastroesophageal reflux.
If what ails you is primary insomnia, it is always advisable to consult a specialist, while in the second case you can take care of it yourself by finding the insomnia remedies that are most appropriate for you. Here are five that, followed consistently and carefully, could really change the quality of your life.
Remedies for insomnia: make your room a comfortable environment
If you already struggle to sleep, know that you cannot fight insomnia without taking action on your bedroom. In fact, this will have to be comfortable enough to allow you to relax and facilitate falling asleep. Among the remedies for insomnia, this is the one you absolutely must follow, always.
First, make sure that at bedtime the room is completely dark, and if this is not possible, go ahead and resort to using a night mask: darkness, in fact, stimulates the production of melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland that stimulates sleep.
Of course, among the remedies for sleeping right away is silence. Turn off TV, radio, turn off cell phone notifications, and make your sleeping environment completely quiet and muffled. If you rest with a snoring partner or live in a busy area, use earplugs or cover the loudest noises with white noise, such as from a fan or air conditioner.
If you then suffer from neck or reflux insomnia, try changing pillows. In fact, there are special orthopedic pillows on the market, such as the Pharmaflex Cervical and Pharmaflex Reflux, which, by changing the position of the head during sleep, help combat the symptoms of these conditions, allowing you to sleep better and longer.
Remedies for insomnia: set a routine
It may sound strange, but among the remedies for insomnia is routine. First, make sure that you always go to bed and wake up at the same time, even on weekends. The body is greatly affected by changes in the sleep-wake rhythm, so if you suffer from insomnia, it is good to respect your biological clock.
Before going to sleep, avoid using video games and, more generally, tablets and cell phones, because the blue light from electronic devices alters circadian rhythms. In addition, an hour before bedtime it is always a good habit to indulge in a warm bath to relax the body and mind, while a good book will be pleasant company while waiting for sleep.
And if all that is not enough, then nature will take care of it: natural remedies for continuous and peaceful all night sleep are there, so why not use them?
Remedies for insomnia: resort to natural cures
Herbal insomnia remedies have been known since ancient times and, unlike modern drugs, gently stimulate falling asleep without any side effects. Remedies for anxiety insomnia include valerian, which, by helping the nervous system relax, induces a pleasant state of well-being that facilitates falling asleep, and passionflower, which also used for children, induces pleasant natural relaxation.
Of course, natural remedies for insomnia cannot include chamomile tea, which is also readily available in supermarkets, and hawthorn, which regulates heart rate and blood pressure and relieves sleep problems.
The real advantage of natural sleep remedies is that while they elicit a fair amount of relaxation, they do not cause drowsiness, so they can be used in other circumstances as well. Best of all, herbal teas for insomnia are neither addictive nor addictive, so you won't have to worry about discontinuing them when you no longer need them.
Remedies for insomnia: change your lifestyle
Another valuable tip for getting a good night's sleep and fighting insomnia is to change your lifestyle. You may never have thought about it, but certain habits, while there is nothing wrong with them per se, can make insomnia worse and condemn you to staying awake longer than you can afford.
Among the remedies for insomnia, in fact, appears the elimination of the afternoon nap, which, even if it makes you feel better at the moment, will prevent you from falling asleep at an acceptable time in the evening. The bedroom, then, should be used only for sleeping: when you wish to watch TV or read a book, take refuge on the sofa, so that your mind does not associate the environment with activities that have nothing to do with sleep.
And then there is lifestyle as a remedy for insomnia: regular healthy eating, physical activity and limited alcohol and smoking consumption contribute significantly to your health, but trust me, they will also help you sleep better.
Remedies for insomnia: change mattress
To relax and fall asleep quickly, your body needs to be able to relax. It is obvious, then, that if the bed you sleep on is not comfortable, insomnia may be waiting in the wings. That is why a paragraph on mattresses is a must in an article on insomnia remedies.
As a general rule, know that a mattress you can sleep well on should be at least 8 inches high, properly support your spine and fit your body. If yours does not satisfy you, but you do not want to make a new purchase, know that you can entrust your sleep to toppers, or mattress covers, usually made of latex or memory foam, that help correct the critical issues of your old mattress, without forcing you to buy a new one.
Then if you suffer from back pain and what keeps you from sleeping is pain, you can opt for the Pharmaflex mattress topper, which will not only help you sleep better but also take care of your spine by decontracting the muscles and decompressing the vertebrae during sleep.
In short, there are many remedies for insomnia: now it's up to you to find the one that's right for you and start having long, restful sleeps again.