Best Sleep Remedies

A good starting point for considering the best sleep remedies is creating the right conditions for sleep. First of all, consider your caffeine intake. Caffeine is a stimulant and will therefore its consumption will impede sleep. This is fine during the day, but clearly not so during the night. You should look at how much you are consuming during the day and look to reduce, particularly during the latter part of the day and into the evening. Remember that it is not just coffee that contains caffeine - tea, many soft drinks and chocolate also contain caffeine.

Consider your sleeping environment. You should minimise noise and light, which is clearly more difficult if you live in a city or if you work shifts and need to sleep during the day.

Establish a bedtime routine. Through establishing this routine you tell your brain that you are getting ready to sleep. Although it is important to get enough sleep, do not stress about it. The more you worry about whether you are getting enough sleep the more difficult it will become. Try and avoid facing the clock when you are in bed as this will only exacerbate the stress you experience about not getting enough sleep.

Amongst the best sleep remedies are herbal remedies. There are a number of options for using these; some are available in tablet form and others are available in liquid form that may be sprayed around your sleeping environment. It is primarily a matter of finding one that suits you.

Valerian

Valerian is a herb that has been used as a remedy for insomnia for many years. In fact , in some parts of the world it is an accepted over-the-counter insomnia remedy. Although it is not particularly well understood how valerian works, it has been shown to be effective. However, it does not work for everybody.

It is generally taken around an hour before going to bed and tends to take between two to three weeks to start working. However, it should be used for more than three months at a time. It can have a rather unpleasant smell in its natural form, so most people prefer to take it in its capsule form. It should not be taken with certain medications, such as sedatives and antihistamines, or with alcohol.

Lavender

The calming properties of lavender have been known for centuries and have been an important part of herbal remedies for a range of anxiety based problems. There are a range of ways in which It can be used, but the most common are as a tea or as a topical spray. Another option is simply to make up a sachet of lavender to put under your pillow.

Camomile

Camomile is another popular sleep remedy, usually drunk as a tea before bedtime. It has generally relaxing properties and is generally suitable for children as well as adults.

There are a range of relaxation techniques that can be very effective in helping you get to sleep. One of the most simple and effective is these is visualization. Start by thinking of a relaxing scene, on a tropical island perhaps. You should involve all of your senses imagining the breeze on your skin, the smell of the sea and the flowers, listen to the waves breaking on the shore, etc. The more that you visualize and the more that you involve all of your sense the more effective it will be.