How to treat temporary insomnia naturally
How to treat temporary insomnia naturally
Sleep cycles
The normal sleep cycle goes from light sleep into deep sleep and then back out to the lighter dreaming REM sleep. Normally people will have about four of these cycles during an optimal seven to eight-hour night’s sleep. But if you stay up to watch your favourite soapy and still have to get up at 5 am, you are at risk to deprive yourself from quality sleep. Sleep deprivation can cut your normal dose of growth hormone in half. If you feel odd on some mornings it could be because you’re hung over with yesterday’s half-repaired cellular damage.
Sleep is for healing and re-growing all the tissues of your body so you can be ready to go in the mornings. It is important that you need to value sleep enough to go to bed.
How to treat temporary Insomnia naturally
- Take a warm bath, shower or sauna – you can add one cup of Epsom salts and one cup of Bicarbonate of Soda to your bath and it will relax you and withdraw toxins from the body.
- Massage – soft and slow, but firm enough to de stress the muscles.
- Music – soft and gentle music will make you relax and promote sleep.
- Warm milk or camomile tea – take 15 minutes before bedtime.
- Eat a sleep snack that contains a lot of L-tryptophan like warm milk, eggs, cottage cheese, chicken, turkey, cashew nuts – it will promote sleep.
- Avoid alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and foods that you are sensitive to – it will disturb your sleep pattern
- Wear socks to keep your feet warm – the veins in the feet dilate at sleep time.
- A well-ventilated room at about 10 degrees Celsius is good for sleep – too warm a room will not promote sleep.
- A firm bed will support your body so that you can relax and sleep.
- Sleep on your back – that is the best position to sleep in. If you have to sleep on a side – sleep on the right side otherwise your lungs, stomach and liver press against your heart and puts stress on the heart. Never sleep on your stomach because it puts stress on all the internal organs and causes shallow breathing. It can also lead to neck and upper back problems.
- Exercise in the morning can promote a good night’s rest especially for office people.
- Go to bed the same time every night – your body likes routine.
- If you cannot sleep for 30 minutes, get up, do something relaxing – until you feel tired, and then try to sleep again.
- Do not sleep late – get up the same time every day – do not lay in bed and think that you must get up – do it.
- Get up earlier and go to bed earlier will help to reset your clock.
- Design your bedroom to enhance sleep – do not work, read and watch TV in bed – let your body associate your bed with sleep and stop television / computers 1-2 hours prior to sleep. You can also light candles to create a more tranquil ambiance.
- Afternoon naps – if you did not sleep the previous night then it is fine – but if you have a sleep problem, limit your sleep to the night. Siesta is good for some people. Keep the room dark at all times during sleep.
- No electrical devices like digital clocks – if you cannot sleep, it will irritate you if you watch it. The electromagnetic fields of electronic devices can have a negative effect on sleep. Put your cell phone on flight mode.
- Sleep with your head pointing north – it brings your energy in harmony with the earth’s energy fields.
- If reading makes you tired fine – otherwise stop reading 30 minutes before bedtime so that you can start to switch off.
- Move your toes – it stimulates your body – energy flows and you start to relax – also do it in the morning before you get up to energise the body.
- Rub your tummy from the naval in circular direction – clockwise and anti-clockwise.
- Progressive relaxation – lay on your back and concentrate to relax from toes to head.
- Deep breathing – most people breathe too shallow and only fill the upper part of the lungs. Proper breathing brings life and energy to the whole body. Lie on your back and breathe deeply.
- Visualise something peaceful, visualise something that bores you or visualise yourself counting sheep.
- Imagine it is time to get up and you do not want to get up.
- Silent ears – lie on you back, close ears with thumbs and listen to the sound for 10-15 minutes and sleep.
- Cranial electrotherapy stimulation – Alpha-Stim SCS – Tel: 021-885-1014 / 021-782-5430
- Meditation can help you to manage your stress better and that can help you to sleep better at night. If you cannot meditate learn how to. You can contact the Practical School of Philosophy Tel: 021-683-6314 // com or Liz Welsh for Transcendental Meditation at Tel: 021-788-2225 // www.tmincapetown.co.za
- Medication – avoid any stimulating medication that can disrupt sleep.
- Liquids – minimise liquids 1-2 hours before bedtime.
- Journal – write in your journal what lingers in your mind.
- Obesity – being obese can increase risk for sleep apnoea and can prevent quality sleep.
- If nothing of the above helps, then consider Magnesium first then natural medicine like Melatonin and/or Valeriana & Passiflora (mixed). Remember, even natural medicine is just a temporary solution and you must establish why you do not sleep and address that so that you can sleep without medicine
Do you still struggle to sleep at night after trying all of the above? Please contact your Integrative Healthcare Professional for help.
