Lack of sleep

There are   natural and herbal remedies for insomnia and sleep strategies that usually  negate the need for pharmaceutical sleep aids and provide restful sleep without the unpleasant side-effects of medication .

One of the simplest natural remedies for insomnia is to create a  quiet atmosphere for  sleep. Sleeping is an activity of the brain. If your brain is too “busy”  , sleep is not going to happen easily or well. Removing distractions from your sleep space can drastically improve your sleep quality. Distractions include television, radio, telephones, and computers. As much as possible, try to separate your sleep space from your work or activity space  – avoid activities like checking email and reading .

 If you often have trouble sleeping  , you may find it helpful to darken the area you sleep in .   Visible light is tied to increased brain activity  , and  our brains are naturally set to sleep when it is dark  .   Covering windows with opaque curtains or blinds  and  checking to be sure all electric light sources  are turned off can do a lot to help your insomnia  . If you are unable to fully darken your room , eye shades  are another effective option  .

Another of the simple but effective natural remedies for insomnia  is to move  during the day, and  reduce physical activity at night  . Most of us know there are health benefits to exercising , but few of us make it a  daily routine  .  If you want to sleep well   at night, acquiring physical activity during the day can  be the deciding factor   between success and failure. Instead of thinking of it as exercise , think of it in terms of allowing your body to  synchronize with your mind  . Simply   walking for 20 minutes during the day can help your brain to relax at nighttime  .
 
While is may seem obvious to some reading this , many insomniacs ï»¿ do not know  ï»¿ the importance of avoiding caffeine and alcohol late in the day.  A simple rule of thumb for those with difficulty sleeping is to ï»¿ avoid caffeine after 3 p.m. and avoid alcohol after 7 p.m.. Caffeine stimulates the brain to stay awake and alert  . Although alcohol is often used to relax and might help to ï»¿ make you feel drowsy  ï»¿ initially, due to its dehydrating and diuretic effects, it will often cause you to awaken during the night with thirst and/or the need to urinate, and it seems to interfere with reaching the deeper stages of the sleep cycle..

Natural remedies for insomnia , including herbal treatments based on Traditional Chinese Medicine practices dating back thousands of years are available. These formulas are particularly useful in treating transient insomnia. Combinations of herbs  ï»¿ often work better for insomnia relief than single herbs. This is especially true if the remedy has been constructed specifically for insomnia, as some products are.

Whether you use a cocktail of ï»¿ single herbs or a pre-formulated mixture , be sure that your insomnia remedy includes zizyphus and poria, which are remarkably effective herbs for relaxing the mind .  It is also  a good idea to only use  herbal remedies produced in the United States, subject to stringent quality control standards, as herbal remedies manufactured in Asia can be contaminated with toxins .