What are some healthy ways to beat insomnia?

Question

I don't want to take like Unisom or Ambien. I work nights and I really need to get some rest right now, but I can't sleep. What are some things that I can do?

Answer 1

Exercise (but not too close to bedtime)

Enjoy a warm bath before bed

Ask your doctor about taking natural supplements for sleep (Valerian Root and Melatonin are a couple)

Make sure your bedroom is dark and cool

Watch your caffeine intake (cola, iced tea, coffee)

Sweet dreams!

Answer 2

Don't ever take the sleeping pills route!!

1. They will damage your liver big time and you can get into serious health problems.

2. You will get hooked up on them and you won't be able to have a normal life any more if you don't take your pills everyday.

The sleeping pills industry is damaging our health by capitalizing on our ignorance, and by distracting people from effective and natural ways to deal with this problem. I had been taking prescription sleep medications [Ambien] for over 5 years. It stopped working and I simply took more. Still did not work. Nights were very difficult - medication put me to sleep but I would wake up after 2–3 hours with a strong sympathetic response (fast pulse, pounding heartbeat, wide awake alert). It was a very difficult cycle to break. I was really in bad shape due to lack of sleep.

After years of struggling I was able to cure my insomnia naturally and pretty fast. I followed the Sleep Tracks sleep optimization program, here is their official web -site if you want to take a look: http://www.insomniacure.net

Ohhh..and Good Luck!

Answer 3

Below is a long list I once wrote about ways to fall asleep. The list is so long that reading it might put you to sleep :-) If you want info on over the counter sleeping pills and prescription pills, send me an email. What helped me a lot to fall asleep, especially when my mind was racing, was to lie in bed and listen to relaxation CDs, especially those that contain someone speaking with relaxing music in the background. The combination of voice and music is very soothing. Many of these CDs are available on eBay for very low prices. A warm bath is a great way to help you to sleep (depending on the season). If you can’t take a bath, you can give yourself a foot massage with slightly warm massage oil, sesame oil, or castor oil from a health food store. A helpful technique is to relax your body one part at a time. So you could relax your feet, your lower legs, upper legs, moving up from your lower belly up to your chest, etc., until your whole body is relaxed. Of course, guided relaxation methods can help. As vividly as possible, imagine yourself at the beach, in the mountains or country, or whatever is most soothing to you. If you have annoying thoughts that run through your mind when you are trying to sleep, you might have to talk to a counselor or therapist about that. I suggest avoiding prescription sleeping pills unless nothing else helps. There are herbs that might help you to sleep, eg, valerian root, chamomile, hops, passion flower, skullcap. However, what most people don’t realize is that it can take at least a few weeks for some herbs to build up in your system before they start to work. The minerals calcium and magnesium might be helpful for sleep. You can also try L-Theanine, 5-HTP or melatonin. I would not take melatonin for over a month unless your doctor says it is ok.

Answer 4

They say that oftentimes insomnia is the attempt to force unnatural sleep cycles on yourself to meet deadlines and work when you may only be stressed and NOT really physically tired. Take 30 minutes to relax before you try to sleep (read a fun magazine, take a walk, etc.), be good to yourself, change your crazy life if you can, read long poetry (especially if you're not a fan) and sleep some place really comfortable used only for sleeping.

Or read long answers like this one on Answers til you fall asleep. (Actually, using the computer or watching TV is counterproductive.)

Answer 5

Exercise and weight lifting enduce sleep. Try doing a pushup pyramid (start at 5 down to 1 then back up to 5) That usually works for me!

Answer 6

Remain active throughout the day, solve your problems a few hours before retiring, and settle in to relax without stress, phone calls, food, drink, etc at least an hour before bedtime.

Answer 7

There is a natural medicine called Sleep MD. You can get it at Wal-Mart. My friend has insomnia and she tried alot of things but nothing else worked but this. AND its allllllll natural.

Answer 8

“not really a great value for money, its like when you get a memory foam pillow top your getting a memory foam mattress…don’t get me wrong still is a great product but everybody is suggesting to just get a memory foam topper…but I’m sticking to my memory foam pillow top because it has been a very wonderful experience, never felt rest quite like sleeping in my memory foam pillow top…no more snoring for me and the numbness I feel every morning I wake up is totally cured…”
by Jack
Wisconsin

Answer 9

i really wish i knew, i have the same problem,, even when i go to bed late 11 or so im still up at 3, i really wisg i could get a good full nights sleep. good luck, i know how you feel.

Answer 10

Get a good bed, don't drink coffee or soda during the day, or at least cut way down, don't have a hectic lifestyle.