Using Natural Sleep Aids

Sleep Tip #7

Using Natural Sleep Aids

Natural sleep aids can help you sleep better

Having a hard time falling asleep and getting the rest you need?

More than 60 million Americans have trouble getting a good night's sleep too. Interrupted sleep can affect your emotional and physical health.

This is more than just a irritant that makes you feel drained the next day. Your memory, focus, and mood are all disrupted, and your risk for depression, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure is doubled.

Thankfully, there are simple, natural solutions that can help you sleep better:

Drinks can help (but, we don’t mean alcohol).

Warm milk has a calming effect on your brain. The amino acid tryptophan in milk is converted into serotonin, which helps you fall asleep.

Chamomile tea is also great for your sleep because it contains flavonoids and terpenes. These interact with the receptors in your brain that control sleep and wakefulness.

And last, but not least—tart cherry juice! Tart cherries contain melatonin, which helps regulate sleep patterns and can be taken as a supplement or as part of a dietary regimen.

Physical activity at the right time can improve sleep.

Several studies have found that when people exercise at the right time of day—usually in the morning or afternoon—they sleep better than when they exercise later in the day or evening.

Though researchers aren’t completely sure why--it’s known that moderate aerobic exercise boosts the amount of nourishing slow-wave (deep) sleep you get.

Use melatonin supplements when necessary

Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle.

It's naturally produced in the body, but as we age and our bodies become less efficient at converting sunlight into energy (aka "circadian rhythm"), our natural production of melatonin decreases as well.

It's also important to note that melatonin supplements aren't a replacement for getting the right amount of sleep; they're meant for use in addition to getting a good night's rest.

Keep your room temperature cool.

Study has shown that the ideal temperature for sleeping is somewhere between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you're having trouble falling asleep right now, try lowering the thermostat on your heater or air conditioner and see how much better you feel!

Make sure your room is dark when it's time to sleep.

If you want to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep all night, your room must be dark at bedtime.

That means no TV or computer screens (or any other kind of screen), and no reading under low light, even if you're reading an e-book reader or on your phone.

You can also try using some eye masks, blackout curtains or other window coverings that are made specifically for darkening rooms at night.