A lot of people across the world suffer from insomnia, and even those of us that don’t struggle to get a good nights sleep from time to time. This is unfortunate, as sleep is very important.
A good nights rest aids all kinds of cognitive functions; it helps our memory, it helps us to manage our emotions, it helps with a lot of things. Therefore, if you are struggling to sleep well at night, it’s important to speak to your doctor about ways you can tackle the problem.
There are also a few natural remedies to aid sleep that you can implement yourself. Here are 5 things that you could try to help you sleep better at night.
1. Go Unplugged Before Bed
Modern technology is great. It entertains us, educates us, and allows us to stay connected with our friends and loved ones anywhere and at any time. However, this is both a blessing and a curse.
Most of us take our phones, tablets, or laptops with us everywhere, even to bed. Having constant access to social stimulus and entertainment at night, however, can prevent you from properly ‘winding down’.
Scrolling through social media at night might be what’s keeping you awake by making your brain more active. Try to detach yourself from your phone at least 30 minutes before you plan on going to sleep to give yourself some downtime.
2. Stop Napping
Napping in the day can mess with your body’s natural ‘circadian rhythm’ (fancy talk for body clock). This means that your mind might not know when it’s supposed to be bedtime due to all the naps.
Naps can be tempting, but they could be doing you more harm than good by keeping you awake at night, so try to keep them to a minimum.
3. Exercise More
Believe it or not, exercising can help you to sleep better.
If you’re not sleeping well at night, it might simply because you’re not tired enough. If you’re inactive in the day, your body and mind might not feel the need to rest at night.
Up your activity levels and try to exercise more and it might have a positive effect on your sleep pattern, allowing you to sleep more deeply and get proper rest.
4. Turn the Fan On
Sometimes, the cause of your sleep troubles is actually your environment. There may be noises you’re hardly even aware of waking you up. Sometimes, silence isn’t the answer.
White noise can actually be better than silence for sleep as it covers up and drowns out more jarring sounds.
Your brain naturally tunes out to white noise after a while so it won’t keep you awake. You can download white noise apps on your phone, but that would be going against our number one tip! Instead, I’d recommend turning on the AC to a comfortable temperature, or a fan, as these kinds of appliances create their own white noise.
5. Have a Cup of Chamomile Tea
It’s well known that chamomile is a herb that aids sleep.Various studies have found that drinking a cup of chamomile tea or consuming chamomile extract can help you to fall asleep faster, and to sleep more deeply. Have a cup before bed and see if it helps!
There are other herbs that have a similar effect. Some cannabinoids, for example, can aid in sleep, whereas others can have the opposite effect. For example, the herb Sativa is energizing and uplifting, whereas Indica has a relaxing effect.
