It can be a struggle to get the proper amount of sleep each night. With as important of a role sleep plays in the healing and detoxing process of our bodies we can’t afford to lack in it. We need too figure out ways to battle insomnia and catch some zzz’s.

It’s no wonder we have a difficult time getting sleep. Between the increasing amount of stress we endure on a daily basis. Then couple that with environmental noises, hormones, temperature fluctuations, depression, other health issues, and busy life it’s difficult to develop a regular sleep routine. Oh, we can’t forget for those of us with little ones that don’t sleep through the night too. Getting a full nights sleep seems impossible.

How Much Sleep Do We Need?

It’s recommended according to the National Sleep Foundation to follow these numbers based upon age:

• Newborns: 14–17 hours
• Infants: 12–15 hours
• Toddlers 11–14 hours
• Preschoolers 10–13 hours
• School-aged children: 9–11 hours
• Teens: 8–10 hours
• Adults: 7–9 hours
• Older adults: 7–8 hours

As an adult it may seem difficult to get a restful 7-9 hours of sleep, however it is very important. Many of us want to avoid sleeping pills as they have been shown to cause shallow breathing, which can cause issues for some people with asthma or other lung related problems. They can be addicting. Plus there are many side effects like dizziness and problems with balance, changes in appetite, drowsiness during the day, uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body, difficulty doing common tasks the next day, trouble with memory, headache, heartburn, or stomach pain to name a few.

Natural ways to catch those Zzz’s

• Make Your Bedroom Your Bedroom – Get rid of the electronic devices like tv’s and computers. They don’t promote a sense of peace and relaxation but a source of stress.
• White Noise – Some people prefer to sleep in complete silence, while others can’t stand the silence with the sounds of the clock ticking, faucet dripping or someone else breathing. We need a consistent sound that drowns out the others, because it’s really the inconsistent sounds that keep us awake.
• Regular Exercise – When you regularly exercise you tend to have more energy throughout the day and will fall asleep quicker and remain asleep better through the night.
• Improve the Feng Shui – It’s about maximizing good energy flow throughout your room by organizing your furniture in a certain way. Have you bed in a place that it can be easily walked around to get in. Also have it positioned so you can see the doorway, as not being able to see the doorway can cause anxiety. Remove the clutter within the room as it brings stress and can even affect your sex life. If at all possible have more than one window for natural light and open the windows if you don’t have allergies.
• Acupuncture – Helps to open up channels called meridians, which close from stress. This helps the brain to better understand it’s time to go to sleep. It also helps release the neuro-endocrine chemicals, like tryptophan and melatonin, that will help you fall asleep and remain asleep.
• Meditate – Take time before you go to bed to clear your mind of the racing thoughts. As that is one of the things that prevents us from getting a good nights sleep.
• Create a Routine – Get in the habit of going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time. This will help with your circadian rhythm, our natural body clock. Also develop a routine before you go to bed at night. When we do the same things nightly before we go to shut our eyes it helps our body and mind know it’s time to rest. This routine may be taking a bath, writing in a journal, or reading a chapter in a book. Whatever it may be just do it nightly.
• Make a Lavendar or Hops Satchet – Both lavendar and Hops have a relaxing affected on the body. Place a satchet with both or one of them on your night stand or under your pillow to aid in sleep.
• Essential Oils – Some sleep inducing blends are sandalwood, frankincense and mandarin, or lavender and bergamot.

Foods & Herbs To Aid In Sleep

1. Tart Cherry Juice – ½ cup to a 1 cup of tart cherry juice. It’s a great source of tryptophan, and essential amino acid that changes into serotonin, that converts into melatonin which is what helps us sleep at night.
2. Banana – Eat a banana 30 minutes before bed. They contain tryptophan, magnesium, and potassium which will help with muscle relaxation.
3. Chamomile Tea – Drink a cup 30-60 minutes before you go to bed. It’s helps relax the muscles. Chamomile contains apigenin which is a substance that can bind to GABA receptors. These receptors affect the central nervous system and create sleepiness.
4. Valerian Root – You can steep it like a tea or it comes in pill form. Valerian has a calming effect on the body with increasing the GABA, it promotes relaxation.
5. Magnesium & Calcium – Alone and together can help with sleep. A good source for them together in a food is a warm glass of Goat’s Milk Kefir.
6. Passion Flower – It has a natural calming affect and has been shown to reduce anxiety. It has been shown to be a very powerful sleep aide but without the drowsiness affect the next day.

My Experience With Insomnia

I struggled with insomnia on and off for over 15 years. It was part of the symptoms I dealt with while I was depressed. When I was just a teenager I found myself up into the very early hours of the morning. Then falling asleep just a couple hours before my alarm would go off to get up in the morning for school. I would then struggle to make it through a day of school. Falling asleep in classes that they would turn the lights off to look at the overhead projector or a movie. As I got older the more stress I was dealing with in life the harder time I would find falling asleep at night. My mind would race with all that I had to accomplish or any of the struggles I was dealing with in my day.

Luckily I found relief when I began to change my lifestyle. I incorporated daily exercise. I also started to change my nutrition. The final straw that broke my insomnia was when I did a 21 Day full body cleanse. It fueled my body properly with the exact nutrition it needed, and provided me with the supplements to detox from everything that was weighing me down. It helped me to sleep the best I remember ever sleeping. Since then I have continued with my exercise routine, and have developed a regular bedtime routine. I very rarely find myself unable to fall asleep at night or waking in the middle of the night unable to fall back to sleep.

Precautions With Natural Sleep Aids

Always make sure you start with small amounts of any new food, herb or essential oil. Different people have different reactions to certain foods, herbs or oils. If you notice anything unusual, stop taking or using it immediately. Please consult your doctor first if you have been on prescription medication for sleep or any other medication before starting any of these foods, herbs or oils.

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