Is this something that you would say more than 3 days in a week? When you are wide awake staring at the fan and then at your phone trying to find a friend, who might be awake to talk to, you might feel that you’re the only person who does not get sound sleep.
But insomnia and sleep disorders are more common than you might think
- More than 30% of the population suffers from insomnia.
- One in three people suffer from some form of insomnia during their lifetime.
- Women are up to twice as likely to suffer from insomnia than men
- 90% of people who suffer from depression also experience insomnia
So how much sleep do you need? This actually depends from person to person but the general guidelines recommended by the National Sleep Foundation states that adults between ages 20-65 need 7-9 hours of sleep. A person suffering from insomnia or some sleep disorder finds difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, even when he has the chance to do so. People with insomnia can feel dissatisfied with their sleep and usually experience fatigue, low energy, difficulty concentrating, mood disturbances, and decreased performance in work or at school.
While sleep medications are prescribed by a doctor in chronic conditions, it is still a drug that you could potentially get addicted to. Here are a few natural methods that will help you to sleep well and experience all the benefits that come with a good night’s sleep!
Consume foods that help improving sleep
Melatonin is the hormone that regulates your body’s sleep and wake cycle. There are some foods that contain naturally occurring substances that promote the production of melatonin and help you to sleep better. ,
Include foods like walnuts, almonds, dairy products like milk, butter, and cheese, lettuce and rice in your diet to help with better sleep.
You might recall your grandmom saying “A glass of warm milk before bed will help you sleep better”. Calcium in dairy products help manufacture melatonin which triggers sleep and the calcium also regulate muscle movement which promotes sleep.
Also, avoid sugar and caffeinated products just before sleeping. Try to eat at least 2-3 hours before bedtime.
Acupressure points to promote faster sleep
There are specific points on your body if pressed or massaged gently just before sleeping, will help in sleeping faster. They are as follows –
- There is a small depression just below your brows right above your nose. Apply gentle pressure to that point using your thumb for 1 minute.
- On top of your foot between your first and second toe, there is a depression. Press that area for 1-2 minutes
- Massage both your ears for 1-2 minutes
Make your environment conducive to sleep
Having a conducive sleep environment plays a very important role in quality and faster sleep. Make the room completely dark. Have dark curtains if there is too much light coming in from the windows. The temperatures should be slightly lower than what you normally like. Use a soft comforter or blanket to cover yourself. Do not have your phones or laptops/tabs around your bed. There are also specific devices/gadgets available that will help you sleep better if you are suffering from a chronic problem
Maintain a routine
Having a fixed routine, for the day as well as just before sleeping is very important.
- Your routine must start with getting up at the same time in the morning no matter what time you slept, for at least 4-5 days in the week.
- Keep hydrated.
- Get atleast half hour of sun exposure daily.
- Include some form of exercise in your daily routine.
For the bedtime routine, once dinner is done, indulge in activities that will help you slow down. So, dim the lights, start listening to some slow calming music. Use a diffuser with lavender oil in your room. Lavender is known for its soothing effects and helps in sleeping. Take a warm/ hot shower. Give yourself a small massage post the bath, including the acupressure points and you be will be ready to sleep.
You can get aroma oils and a diffuser here
Listen to prayers/ chants or meditative music
Listening to meditative music, or prayers or chants is another effective way to help calm yourself before bedtime. Lie down on the bed and play the same music/ chant on loop. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. And along with helping you to sleep, this also brings in a lot of positive energy in your homes.
Read other ways to remove negativity from your homes
Yoga for better sleep
Regular practice of yoga is known to cure several ailments, including insomnia or abnormal sleeping habits. Yoga helps unwind at the end of the day and gives better sleep at night. Asanas like Standing forward bend (Hastapadasana), Cat stretch (Marjariasana), Child pose(Shishuasana), and Legs-up-the-wall pose (ViparitaKarani) are very beneficial.
Adding theses simple and effective diet, routine and exercises are definitely going to improve your sleep time as well as quality. Do let us know if you have some other simple tips that help you sleep faster and better.
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30 Comments
Thank you for sharing these remedy- there is nothing like sleeplessness. I have recovered from my earlier seeping problem now but it is cool to see these easy remedies to cure it.
I loved your tips for sleeping..I would definitely try some of these!!
I have tried a couple of them and yes, they do work.
Music, especially instrumental flute, is beautiful and calming and helps, I feel. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your tips. I forgot about using lavender scent. I will have to try the acupuncture points you mentioned.
Hey Sabeeka, a very informative and helpful post. I am going to try the acupressure points. Actually, I can advise my mom in law who often faces sleep deprivation. I as a mom am often so tired after all the chores that my body craves for bed at night.
Thank you for this post Sabeeka. I really need to incorporate a few of these tips. Coming from a sleep deprived mother.
That’s very informative and helpful post. Sleep deprivation is a real thing. I face this issue and now a days i am trying acupressure and yoga to get rid of this issue. Also trying to maintain a light diet plan for dinner. This blog post talks about many more remedies. Thanks for the share
It’s a great write up. Personally, I feel Yoga or any other form of exercise on daily basis helps you in sound and good quality sleep.
This is a well researched post on sleeping. I agree that some form of physical workout is essential to tune your body into a set routine. Yes, I have recently started using a aroma difuser for mental relaxation. Thanks for sharing the post
Super informative post… I appreciate your effort in curating this post… Applause…
This information will be helpful for people and everyone should read the post.
Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks for the informative post! Music always calms me down before sleeping. Have never tried acupuncture yet.
Hi Sabeeka! This is an informative and much need post for our generation especially. I find it hard to catch up on 7-9 hours of sleep but getting there. Lovely tips,..will try it out. Cheers!
Hi Sabeeka! Informative read. Much needed for our sleep deprived generation. Cheers!
Sleep disorders are horrible. They can wreak havoc in anyone’s life. Thanks for the tips.
These are great tips and I loved your opening line!!
Thanks for this. This is honestly a topic that affects me in real life and there are a few pointers in this article I would like to try out.
This is something I need in life. I suffer from this. I take hours for me to drift off to sleep, which will result in me not going to bed until wee hours of the morning. But somehow during my vacation I sleep nonstop as if someone drugged me. I would like to try those pressure point massages.
This is another informative read from you Sabeeka, you have an art of making things tougher to achieve look like an easy job.
Keep writing, more power to you.
Thank you, Sabeeka for this post. I always feel sleepy even after good 7-8 hours of sleep and your tips like massaging and listening to slow chants before sleeping might help me a lot.
Hitting the bed on time and yet not getting enough beauty sleep is one of the primary rants I have these days. Guess it’s time to put some of these remedies to use.
Thanks!
Interesting insights. And a blg that I’d like to re-visit again soon. Cheers!
These were very helpful.thank you for collating them.
Very well articulated. We have personally used the lavender oil with a set up gifted to us where we can use it on a plate over the bulb, it is really soothing. All the other options are very simple and direct. Good post
very informative post American state|on behalf of me} as i’m perpetually craving for new content that may facilitate me and my data grow higher.
Looks like a must for each one of us, so we don’t feel sleep deprived every single day. :p
Writing festivals.. and sleep. Aah now therein lies the rub. Also having a baby … there goes some more sleep. I think I shall just wait for my child to get married and walk off into the sunset to catch up on my sleep.
I used to gued to the phone before my bed time and it hampered my sleeping pattern but once I sto[pped doing that, I get a btter sound sleep. I also trhy and listen to soothing music or the Hanuman Chalisa, it helps to calm myself. Thanks for such an informative article.
Great tips, Sabeeka! Being an insomniac, I was drawn to this post and guess what, it had all the things that I have tried to seduce Lady Sleep 😀
Finally, three things worked for me – Yoga stretching before bed, Deep breathing followed by 10-20 minutes of guided meditation, and Chamomile tea.
I’m sure the other ideas work as well, but I guess I was a difficult student 😀
Anyway, it’s a helpful post and I hope you’ll keep sharing things like these in future too!
These are such practical, easy and helpful tips. A good sleep is necessary for overall good health.
I really needed this. Thanks.