Things You Do to Sleep Better

Hi Nirmala,

Try a cup of hot camomile, catnip, anise or fennel tea. All contain natural ingredients which will help you sleep. Most health food stores will also have special blends of herb tea designed to soothe you and help you get to sleep.

 http://ourhealthwisdom.com/tip/sleep/insomnia/drink-herb-tea

Duh, it's been a while since I've been here and I posted a comment only to realize I had already posted a while back.  At least I'm consistent, I still mentioned the Natural Calm magnesium.

 Just a tad more on it....magnesium deficiency prevents smooth muscle relaxation and proper functioning.  It's easier to become magnesium-deficient than some might think and that restless feeling (even if it's not what you'd identify as restless leg syndrome or is not that severe) could be your smooth muscle system asking for a little magnesium.

An hour ago I was telling my sister about how I've been having trouble sleeping.  At 11:20 I got an email inviting me to join Wellsphere.com.  I found this particular topic after two clicks and am now ready to go to bed!  ;) (Yes, I'll give myself some downtime between the computer time and sleep.)

 I take 500 mg of magnesium every day for Migraine but have been taking it every morning.  I think I'll switch to nighttime!  I have the regular white pills, not fast-absorbing ones.  Any tips on how many hours before bed I should take my magnesium?

 Thanks for the tips!;)
 

3 mg of melatonin works well for me.

If you have noises outside your window, like barking dogs or cars, that disturb you when you're trying to fall asleep, try to block them out with some kind of white noise.  We use a humidifier in the winter and a ceiling fan in the summer that blocks most of the street sounds.

I would also recommend, if this continues, that you get your doctor to set you up for a sleep study to make sure there isn't something deeper happening.

In the yoga context sleep remedy takes the approach of settling the central nervous system.

Tracii's post below touches on many of the methods we use. Rubbing oil into the skin is one of the best as the skin is the termination of the nervous system.

Avoiding yang foods in favor of more calming Yin foods, reducing or eliminating activities which jar the nervous system (like television violence, computing, arguing), and preparing the body for sleep with a few minutes of relaxation (not reading or sipping tea but lying still) are also very helpful.

As for bedtime, I'm told there some research on sleep that indicates getting to be around 9pm tends to be most beneficial. Apparently an hours worth of sleep after 11pm is not worth as much to the body as an hour of sleep at 9. 

Valerian root works wonders and can be found at any health store (and increasingly in places like Wal-Mart...people are catching on!)

Other natural sedatives/calming substances:

Lavender, sage, cinnamon, 5-HTP, calcium, magnesium, green tea, vanilla, yerba mate, korean ginseng, sandalwood

Relaxing activities:

Massage, hot bath, inhalation of essential oils w/ calming properties, deep breathing, nature sounds, reading, sitting in low light...

Use your bedroom only for sex and sleeping, go to bed around the same time nightly, and stop all stressful activities at least an hour before retiring.

Stay away from computer monitors (and other devices that shine light into your eyes) right before bedtime. The extra light fools your brain into thinking it's earlier in the day.

Also, don't eat two hours before bedtime. Food keeps you awake.  

Hi Nirmala,

I see you've been getting a lot of great advice here. I just have one thing to add. Calcium and Magnesium are supposed to help you sleep better. That may have something to do with why warm milk helps? Since I started taking a calcium supplement (especially with dinner) I have noticed that I sleep better. Of course it has other health benefits too! Good luck!