Alternative Treatments Information Update

French Translation

Bookmark and Share

Natural Sleep Aid Tips and Remedies


This article is a summary of some of the sleep aid remedies that are described in greater detail and with recipes and instructions at www.sleep-aid-tips.com

Balance and perspective:

At certain times, insomnia may result from stress.

Massage techniques can ease tense necks, aching shoulders and upright torsos, and face massage can be an instant calmer.

Some stress is an inevitable part of life, but when you need to achieve a state of inner calm, a range of meditation and visualization techniques can help you work through your insecurities, worries and anxieties.

With practice, stress can be diminished so that it is no longer a cause of sleepless nights.

A calm environment:

Lack of sleep can also be exacerbated by external factors such as noise, a "busy" atmosphere in the bedroom, or simply the wrong type of mattress.

By making the best of your physical environment, you can reduce or remove many of these detrimental factors.

Following the principles of feng shui you can arrange your bedroom space to best effect and remove clutter that can clog free-flowing "chi" or energy.

Choosing a calming room décor and lighting scheme can soothe the senses, while establishing a bed-time ritual can make sleep a pleasant and comforting experience to look forward to.

Pampering treatments:

In view of the many demands made by daily life, it is essential to find time to switch off from cares and worries in the evening, and indulge in some personal quality time.

However busy you are, you should take time to wind down before trying to go to sleep, otherwise your mind will still be buzzing with the concerns of the day.

Surrounding yourself with gentle candlelight and sinking into a hot bath laced with aromatherapy oils or herbal sachets can go a long way to soothe and prepare your body for sleep.

Essential oils such as lavender and clary sage added to the water help to diminish tension headaches and muscular aches, while bath bags or bath salts made with chamomile help to ease stress.

You can also use the natural energies from flowers and herbs as a base for warming foot baths, soporific sleep pillows and effective sleep tinctures.

Bedtime snacks:

You ate dinner at 6pm; it's now 11.30pm and you're ready to go to bed, but now you're feeling hungry and thirsty again.

What do you do? Instead of raiding the refrigerator for a substantial and perhaps indigestible meal, it is better to opt for a light snack, such as toast with a topping and perhaps a hot, comforting beverage.

Try to avoid tea and coffee as they are stimulants and will tend to keep you awake if you drink them late in the day.

Instead, herbal teas prepared for their sedative properties may be sipped in the evening, while warm, milky drinks are ideal for consumption before bed - milk contains peptides that calm the system.

The occasional hot toddy can also provide a delicious way to wind down, and this is particularly good on a cold winter's evening, especially if you are suffering from a cold.

Calming the psyche:

Sometimes it is difficult to sleep due to excessive emotions, such as fear, excitement or anxiety. Crystal therapy can help to calm heartache; choosing the right stones can also calm restlessness and anxiety, and help to regulate sleep patterns.

Crystals can be helpful when bad dreams and nightmares are keeping you awake, as can techniques such as visualizing a guardian angel or spiritual protector. When you have perplexing or mystifying dreams, it can be very helpful to write down what happened before you forget, so that you can ponder and try to analyze them later on.

Working towards an understanding of your dreams adds an enjoyable richness to what can be the fascinating pageant of sleep.

Exercise to relax:

Keeping the body moving is essential for good sleep - without exercise, you 3will not be physically tired enough to rest at night. Aerobic activities such as walking and cycling exercise the heart and tone the muscles, while some specific yoga techniques provide an excellent way to stretch and relax.

Instant fixes:

If all else fails and you are still awake in the dead of night, try some or all, of these quick insomnia cures:

? Lie on your back with your knees propped up on a small pillow
? Sleep with your head pointing in the direction North
? Get up the same time every morning and go to bed at the same time

every night for a week
? Visualize yourself in a peaceful place, such as a field full of wildflowers with a gentle breeze blowing, or near a gently flowing stream where you can see fish swimming past you.
? Visualize a boring scenario, such as a lecture you have no interest in
? Read out loud the names and numbers from the phone book
? Reserve your bedroom and the bed as a place for sleep only
? Wiggle your toes gently until you fall asleep
? Rub your stomach lightly
? Cut up a mild onion, place in a jar by the bed and sniff before retiring.
? Think of ten wonderful things that have happened to you today
? Squeeze all your muscles together tightly for a few minutes and

then relax.
? Threaten yourself that "If I am not asleep within the next 10 minutes, I will get up and?" clean the oven, or clean the fridge?.whatever you really hate doing? When your brain knows you really mean it - this will scare you to sleep to avoid a nasty chore!

Avoid these sleep deterrents:

? Drinking excessive alcohol
? Smoking cigarettes
? Drinking caffeine
? Taking long naps in the afternoon
? Watching disturbing films prior to bed
? Reading mentally stimulating books prior to bed
? Playing video games
? Listening to fast paced or loud, stimulating music.

About the Author: Helene Malmsio is an student and advocate of self help strategies for improvement in all areas of life, including health. The results of her self help personal development studies can be seen at her sites: http://personal-enterprise-self-help-resources.com and http://sleep-aid-tips.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Daily News & Analysis

Bon Iver wins Grammys for best alternative music album, best new artist
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin's Bon Iver won two Grammys Sunday night: for best new artist and best alternative music album. Accepting the best new artist award, frontman Justin Vernon said he wanted to recognize all the performers who had been nominated, and all the ones ...
'Bon Iver' wins for alternative albumSacramento Bee
Bon Iver Grammys 2012: Justin Vernon and Band Win Best Alternative Music AlbumSpinner
Wisconsin's Bon Iver wins Best Alternative Music AlbumNewsradio 620
Wetpaint
all 110 news articles »


Ghacks Technology News

The Alternatives to Windows 8
Ghacks Technology News
So with so many people wary about the changes that Microsoft are bringing forth I thought I'd take a look at the alternatives, see how they might fit with your Windows world, and examine just how realistic a switch away from Windows this year can ...

and more »


Alternative Medicine May Impact Physical and Emotional Health - Dr. Carol ...
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
Fields associated to the New Biology suggest that alternative medicine tools may impact cellular health and biochemistry and psychological well-being. 12 of these tools will be taught Feb 16, 2012, by Psychologist Dr. Carol Francis in the Los ...

and more »


Tightened Medicaid ER rules prompt pushback from some doctors
Kitsap Sun
That group has been shopping around an alternative to Medicare's list of 500 conditions since May, without success. It proposes reducing overuse of ERs by making sure primary-care doctors follow up with patients who've been to the ER.
Washington physicians propose alternative plan to support state efforts to ...Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal

all 2 news articles »


Charter schools: A parental choice and alternative to the neighborhood school
Our Colorado News
However, over the next three to four months I would like to share my professional points-of-view on why the choice of a charter school is a viable alternative to the neighborhood school. I believe that the viability of such a choice rests with how ...

and more »


My Fox 8

School bra search case headed to NC Supreme Court
My Fox 8
RALEIGH, NC (AP) — The case of a teenager who had to untuck her shirt and pull out her bra with her thumb as part of a search for pills at an alternative school in North Carolina is headed to the state Supreme Court. A 2-1 ruling last year by the ...
NC high court to hear case of teen who had to lift bra as part of school's ...The Republic

all 64 news articles »


Group submits alternative map for Robeson County commissioners seats to ...
Fayetteville Observer
Stackhouse said the board did not send the three alternative maps that were considered, including one prepared by the committee with the help of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, as it had promised during an open meeting in December.



Alternative Energy High Performance Engine Innovator DyneGen Will Feature NEW ...
PR Web (press release)
New technology company to show its flagship "Super-Charged" alternative energy engine running on natural gas at the world's largest agricultural show and expo in Tulare, California. DyneGen, Inc., a Dallas-based energy technology engine manufacturer ...



Insurers plan boost to alternative assets
Financial Times
By Alistair Gray, Insurance Correspondent Insurers are set to recast their traditionally conservative investment approach once Europe's biggest regulatory shake-up of the industry takes effect with plans to boost holdings of alternative assets, ...



CBC.ca

Rick Santorum is the conservative alternative to reality
Washington Post (blog)
By Stephen Stromberg Rick Santorum isn't the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. He's the conservative alternative to reality. He consistently mistakes belief for truth — and even fiction for fact. On abortion, belief becomes truth: He regularly ...
Conservatives: Romney's OK if Obama is alternativeHuffington Post
Santorum Pulls A Newt: It's A 'Two-Person Race!'TPM
Santorum Says 'This Is A Two-Person Race'WXII The Triad
Times Record News -CBS News -The Daily Campus
all 5,257 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2010