How can I get a full night's sleep naturally?

Question

I wake up so many times at night, for no good reason. I don't want to use medications... are there any natural, at-home remedies for sleepless nights? I'm exhausted!

Answer 1

Passion Flower

Here is a really good all natural insomnia treatment. Mix a few passion flower blooms with 1 cup of boiling water and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Strain the mixture, sweeten it with honey if desired, and drink it right before going to bed.

Alternatively, take 6000 mg of dried passion flower in capsule form.

Aniseed

Mix 1 teaspoon of aniseed with 1 cup of water and brew it for about 20 minutes. Strain and sweeten to taste.

Kava Kava

Here's a proven herbal insomnia treatment. Kava kava not only relaxes muscles, but also has an impact on the brain's emotion centers.

Take two 500 mg capsules about one hour before bedtime.

Lettuce

Cooked lettuce has fantastic relaxant properties, and lettuce tea is known to be a quick-acting sedative.

Mix 1 cup of shreaded lettuce with 1 cup of boiling water and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Strain the mixture and drink it before going to bed.

Some people claim this to be the most effective natural insomnia treatment known as well as one of the best relaxants.

Valerian

Valerian is known to be very effective for inducing sleep.

Mix 2 teaspoons of dried valerian root with 1 cup of boiling water. Strain and drink. If the taste is too strong for you, instead you can take 300 mg of a standardized extract, or 1 teaspoon of tincture.

Warm Milk

Tryptophan is a chemical compound that is effective for inducing sleep.

While tryptophan exists in a natural form in the milk, it is the warming of the milk that activates the tryptophan.

To reap maximum results from this natural insomnia treatment, mix 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of honey with 1 cup of warm milk. Drink 30 minutes before bedtime.

Feverfew

Mix 2 tablespoons of feverfew flowers with 2 cups of boiling water. Strain and drink.

Lemon Balm

Because lemon balm contains high amounts of terpenes, chemicals that have natural sedative properties, it is well known as being a very effective herbal insomnia treatment.

Mix 3 teaspoons of dried herb with 1 cup of boiling water. Strain and drink before bedtime.

Bee Balm

Some people guarantee that you will get results from this herbal insomnia treatment. Mix 2 tablespoons of bee balm with 2 cups of boiling water. Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes. Strain the mixture and drink.

Camomile

The chemical compound found in camomile known as apigenin is a very effective sedative. Make a tea and drink shortly before bedtime.

Lemon Balm And Valerian

Here's an all natural insomnia treatment that will give you the results you are looking for.

Studies have shown that taking 160 mg of valerian extract and 80 mg of lemon balm extract have brought on sleep as effectively as one standard dose of drugs in the Valium family.

Herbal Sedative Tea

Supposedly used as a natural sedative, this herbal insomnia treatment may work wonders for you.

Take 1 tablespoon of bee balm, 1 tablespoon of hops, 1 tablespoon of peppermint, 1 tablespoon of chamomile, and 1 tablespoon of crushed fennel seed and mix all together real good.

Now take 1 tablespoon of this mixture and add it to 1 cup of boiling water and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Strain the mixture and drink it about 30 minutes before bedtime.

Pennyroyal

Another herbal insomnia treatment that has been around for decades is pennyroyal. Mix 1 teaspoon of pennyroyal herb with 1 cup of boiling water and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Strain it and sweeten to taste.

Peppermint Mix

Mix 1 tablespoon of sage, 2 tablespoons of peppermint, and 1 tablespoon of rosemary. Take 1 teaspoon of this mixture and add it to 1 cup of boiling water.

Cover it and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Strain the mixture and sweeten to taste with honey. this mixture has been used for a long time to sooth the nerves, act as a relaxant, and provide a natural form of insomnia treatment.

Answer 2

1) Excercise but not a few hours before you go to sleep.
2) Eat food that promotes sleep like turkey.
3) Do not drink coffee in the afternoon.
4) Limit your morning coffe to 2 cups.
5) Designate activities on bed to sleeping and having sex only... meaning do not read books or eat on the bed.
6) Leave your work problems at work. Do not keep thinking about work. If you have trouble with this, try writing down your worries / problems on a sheet of paper. This might help you visualize and get control of the problem (if lack of control is an issue).
7) Ask your Doctor about Valerian. It is a natural herb that promotes sleep.
8) Lastly, you can ask your doctor about other drugs that promote sleep, but be sure to get 8 hours of sleep!

Good luck!

Answer 3

I'm a doctor - and this answer is serious. Are you eating well? Do you exercise? Have a lot of stress? Eat well, exercise regularly, and try to minimize stress daily. These all help. Multi-vitamins are good and healthy. Are you sexually active? This helps with sleep if you are! Look for patterns and identify things that may be preventing you from getting enough sleep. Make changes as needed.

Answer 4

ok this is totally different than evryone else's answers but it always works for me.

Think of osmething that bores you. Then get a book on that topic. Commit yourself to reading it. That will sure to make you fall alseep.

Seriously, everytime I try to read something that I don't like, as much as I try, and I do try- to read it as away of expanding my knowledge, I fall alseep. I now have a few books I have never read but those books have taught me that just by opening them, I am sure to fall alseep.


I alo have an eye mask...not that silicone kind but the kind that has the wheat in it. It feels cool on the eyes and has a slight weight to it. It is soft fabbric and I can put some aromatherpy scent on it also.

I do not believe in sleeping pils, Once you stop taking them, it becomes even more difficult to sleep than previously.

Answer 5

Before you go to bed, try drinking some hot tea ( cammomille) I know you said you don't want to take medications, but I used to take Melatonin, you can get it in the vitamin aisle at you local grocery store. (it is natural) But be sure to give yourself 8 hours of sleep time. If I cannot sleep, I also try a hot shower, and putting clean sheets on the bed or listening to a nature CD (like rain/thunderstorm/ ocean waves)

Answer 6

Getting enough exercise during the day (though not after 3 hours before your usual bedtime) is essential and has already been mentioned. If that doesn't work, eat some cherries and turkey about an hour before you want to go to bed. The cherries have melatonin in them and the turkey has tryptophans. The combination of both should knock you right out.

Answer 7

Your body naturally produces a substance called melatonin. Sometimes you don't make enough. However, you can buy a natural melatonin supplement. I needed to use it for about 2 years. It's not addicting, and I never had any side effects. The brand I bought was called melanex i think. that and a good nightly stroll was all i needed to fall asleep fast and soundly. Good luck.

Answer 8

Make sure not to nap during the day. This may sound strange but try it: When you are in bed and can't fall asleep, get up within 15 minutes and do something... read, wash dishes, anything. And when you feel tired again, get back into bed. Do this again and again. Don't use your bed for ANYTHING but sleep. Not to read, not to watch TV, etc. Try this and see if it helps. It helped me within a couple of weeks!

Answer 9

I used to have this same problem. I've found that if you burn a relaxing scent candle and do not eat an hour before you go too bed this will help. I also recomend closing your bedroom door and having all of the lights off. Another thing is to make sure all of your doors are locked before you go to bed and close your curtains/ blinds in your bedroom to provide less anxiety. Anxiety is one of the major reasons people do not sleep.

Answer 10

Honestly and in complete seriousness, masturbation. It helps one to relive stress and become more relaxed, therefore making it easier to fall asleep. I belive there was a collage study about it, but im not sure. If thats not for you or you just dont want to, exaust yourself during the day with activites such as viserous exercize and long jogs. Doing so can also put you in shape, so its a win-win situation, presuming you have the time. Just remember, do not exaust yourself or engage in vigerous activities RIGHT before you sleep, or else it will be a restless night. I wish you luck.

Answer 11

Make sure you are sexually relaxed and dont bring office work home with you, this puts stress on your home and makes it an uncomfortable place for you and a horrible place to sleep. If its thoughts of the day that keep you up then i suggest a wave machine (a sound device that makes the noises of a calm beach of a camping night).