15 effective home remedies for sleep disorder

By Jenny Smith From Olwomen

The moment you lie down and rest your head on the pillow it is automatically signaled on to the brain that now is the time when you are supposed to get rid of all the crazy thoughts there ever has been inside and make sure one ends up having sound sleep for the night. Unfortunately, a huge population of the world is currently suffering from not just one but numerous sleeping disorders that is severely affecting their work and personal life style. If there is lack of sleep, it means that there will be less energy in the morning to process all kinds of information as compared to the person who has had 7-8 whole hours of sound sleep.

People who have sleeping disorders are often found to be dozing off while at work or for young adults the situation is found in between lectures at school or colleges. Such people find piece in afternoon naps but often end up waking far crankier as they were before. Afternoon naps are supposed to be short, power naps. They shouldn’t exceed more than 30-35 minutes as these naps are supposed to relax the brain and body muscles. These naps are not supposed to provide you with the comfort of a whole night’s sleep. Many people complain that they feel sleepy at night but as soon as they grab the blanket and rest on the pillow it occurs that the sleepiness vanishes as quickly as it was taking over. About 15-20% of American adult population is suffering from the condition known as insomnia. Insomniacs have a pretty hard time trying to put them to sleep, unable to sleep results in elevation in the amount of stress, depression and anxiety. Night is not the right time to think about all the embarrassing things that you have done in your life. It is the time to forgive and forget and simply move on.

There might be someone staring you from the closet but trust us they don’t have time to come over your bedside and scare the hell out of you because let’s be practical they too need to catch up on some sleep. When you know that sleep is about to hit you just finish up everything that is pending on your to-do list as quickly as you can and don’t take any unfinished chore with you on the bed. In order to overcome all kinds of sleeping disorder we have populated this article with a number of home remedies that are a breeze to try and are proven to be effective.

“Unfortunately, a huge population of the world is currently suffering from not just one but numerous sleeping disorders that is severely affecting their work and personal life style.”

15. Cut Down That Caffeine
We all know that coffee runs in the blood stream of people for whom staying alert is the key to perform well at work. More than 50% of the world’s population charge themselves up with a cup of coffee or tea each morning. Some on the other hand keep on having the drink throughout the day to keep them on the same level of activation as they were in the morning. People who have been studied taking coffee a couple of hours before bed time have reported more cases of disrupted sleep patterns or unease at falling asleep than people who avoided taking the drink.

Coffee is a great start but only in mornings.
One can have a limited amount of caffeine throughout the day in order to keep the performance level at par.
Having two much caffeine throughout the day results in misleading the brain to think that it still has a lot of energy to dissipate.
Stop having caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea and soft drinks by afternoon.
Though coffee and tea are good energy boosters when consumed in moderation but it is recommended not to give them to children since it also acts as a hunger suppressant and takes away basic nutrition from the food.
Caffeine is known to be a stimulant and hence it ends up increasing the levels of alertness and causes insomnia.
Say bye to your cup of coffee at least a good 5-6 hours before bed time.

14. Sip On Some Warm Milk
Where we recommend avoiding caffeine at night the best alternative to keep you comfortable and relaxed before going to bed is to have a warm glass of milk. Milk is not only recommended for children but adults who have been found to be drinking milk throughout their life have reported fewer cases of sleeping disorders as compared to the rest. Mothers often add turmeric in the daily bed time glass of milk for younger kids because both turmeric and milk are found to have therapeutic effects on the bones and body of young, growing children.

Though there is no rocket science behind having a warm milk but it has been found that the warmth of sipping out of a glass of warm milk puts a person into the relax mood.
The warmth lets the individual relax and unwind both on a physical and mental level.
The chemical substance amino acid tryptophan found in Milk is a sleep inducing agent. Though the amount found is not as effective in action but it is considerable enough for people who fall for it.
Get in to your favorite PJ’s half an hour before bed time and finish off any unnecessary chore that might be left behind. Turn off your WIFI, TV or any other electronic device and get yourself a glass of warm milk., enjoy having it sip by sip while reading your favorite book.

13. Quit Over Thinking
Indeed it is true that a man can never stop thinking about stuff that he has done in the past. But one must know that over thinking really kills you both from inside and out. Stress, depression and harsh signs of anxiety not only keep you awake but all these factors slowly and gradually have adverse effects on the mental health. First it all starts as a matter of sleep deprivation and sleeping disorder, whereas this issue keeps on growing and people tend to become schizophrenics and start hallucinating situations that do not even exist. Your life is far more precious than moments of despair that occurred somewhere in the past.

Truth is nobody has any kind of control on their past, so thinking about changing things is a stupid idea.
Keep all the bad thoughts away from yourself and your bed as much as you can.
In times of sleeping problems and signs of depression call in a friend or family member for a sleep over. Better to have a small chit chat right before going to sleep than to over think and kill yourself alone throughout the night.
Keep your mind occupied but in a good way, rather than thinking about the past problems, try meditating till sleep actually takes over your mind.
Talking to God can relieve many problems that man has no control over. There are also a number of breathing and relaxing exercises that are known and proven to have a very soothing effect on the brain.
“Afternoon naps are supposed to be short, power naps. They shouldn’t exceed more than 30-35 minutes as these naps are supposed to relax the brain and body muscles.”

12. Take A Healthy Dip Before Bed Time
There are two kinds of people in the world, the ones that take shower or a dip right before going to bed and the ones who do it the first thing in the morning. Both are equally amazing and have a number of health benefits. But both of these have different effects on the mind and the body. For those who are the early morning bathers, the one good effect it has on the mind is that it wakes it up from the last night’s sleep. It activates and alerts the brain to effectively wake up the rest of the body along with it. Thus, people have reported to have a good confidence boost in the morning right after taking a shower. It is often a good practice to include both the kinds in your daily routine because it not only keeps you clean but also boosts up your cognitive abilities.

Why do we suggest taking a dip at night as well, because having a time inside or under water at night relaxes the mind.
The water tries and de-stresses the brain from the daily hectic routine.
Makes it think that whatever happened throughout the day is a part of the past now.
Indulging in a water bath soothes the aching muscles for the people who are involved in extreme physical activity. This also includes stay at home mothers whose work is far greater than any other man in the world.
Women should definitely take a dip before going to bed because it takes away the entire mental burden that kept you heavy throughout the day.
Tip: Add essential oils and bathing salts to pump up the bathing experience.

11. Practice Yoga
Numerous celebrities are known to be yoga junkies and most of the time people keep on thinking how can stretching your body has so much positive effect, overall. Yoga is a lifestyle, it is not only about the stretching and putting the body in to abnormal positions but all the stretches that are part of the practice have enormous positive effects on the mind and the body. As compared to cardiac exercises and aerobics the key to do well is by keeping the heart rate at a normal pace.

Yogis’ are in fact the most relaxed kind of people you will ever come across.
Right before going to bed try out some very basic Yoga based stretches. The key is to relax yourself and not to activate and build up the heart rate.
The best way is to perform, neck rolls, arm stretches, and shoulder rolls along with simple back stretches.
It is suggested to do so because all these parts of the body are in a constant row of physical activity throughout the day.
Even for those who spend long hours sitting in front of the computer it is important to go through these stretches in order to unwind the muscles.
Make this practice a part of your daily pre-bed time routine and you will definitely find a 10-15% better ratio of sound sleep.

10. Spare The Weekends
It is a common practice of people who work for long hours throughout the week to catch up on the lost hours of sleep during the weekend. They believe that weekends are here to be sleep buddies. Those who are in a habit to wake up at 6am in the morning on weekdays, hog on to sleep for more than 4-5 extra hours on the weekends. Couples with kids also tend to enjoy these extra hours of sleep on a weekend morning. However, this is regarded to be a top of the list habit that disrupts normal sleeping pattern on a normal weekday. When the brain takes up all the sleep time on one day and gets into an extra relaxing mode then it is hard for it to get out from it.

Do not under any circumstances over sleep on weekends. Because this way you are forcing the brain to think that this is the ultimate remedy to unwind and relax.
Instead follow the same pattern of sleep as you do on weekdays so it is easier for you to get back to bed as the weekend ends.
Try indulging in a family activity like going out to the beach, or plan a family picnic, road trips are also a good idea.
The more active you stay on the weekend the more chances are for you to relax the night before Monday and you will find yourself running towards the dream land rather than staring the fan for signs of sleep.
It is better to develop a steady sleep routine and stick to it throughout the week rather than switching patterns for weekends.

9. Check On Your Diet
People often stay awake all night because of issues like indigestion or heart burn. Not always does unable to sleep relate to having a sleep related issue, there are many problems otherwise that target the brain directly and forcefully try and keep it awake for longer hours throughout the night. One of the major factors for this torture is an upset stomach, the more the problem inside the gut the more will be the brain dripping into anxiety and stress.

It is medically recommended to consume less amount of food during dinner time.
Avoid all kinds of junk and excessively oily and sugary foods.
These foods take more amount of time to digest inside the stomach and when people have food only a couple of hours before bed time these foods turn out to be a nightmare.
Often it is also associated that nightmares are a result of an overly stuffed stomach because the indigestion at night leads to a stressed mind.
Do not opt for caffeinated drinks, frizzy drinks or alcohol before bed time. At least cut the supply of such drinks by mid-noon.
Avoid all kinds of oily and spicy food. Yes weekends can be exception when one is out to party but to make this a habit is highly disapproved.

8. Relax With A Sip Of Herbal Tea
Herbs have been found to have all sorts of positive effects on our body for a very long time. Long before when allopathic medicine didn’t really come to exist, herbal doctors were the only way to get rid of minor illnesses. It is not that allopathic medication is of no use in comparison to herbal medication but, herbal medication and therapy does have its highs in comparison to issues that cannot really be targeted by OTC medications.

It is suggested to have a cup of a good mixture of herbal tea before bed time.
Some herbs like Chamomile, lemon balms, passionflower are quite a few that are known in the market to have positive effects on sleeping disorders.
However, where a sleep inducing medication will take only about 30-45 minutes to induce sleep, such herbal teas take a couple of weeks to take effect on the mind and the body.
Sometimes the use of sleep medications for longer periods of time starts deteriorating normal body functioning whereas the use of such teas however take time but do not pose any side effects as such.
However, it is suggested to limit the intake of liquid items before bed time because it might result in an annoying bladder throughout the night. Sip in a cup of herbal tea well before bed time so one can get it out for the system before finally hitting the sac.
“However, where a sleep inducing medication will take only about 30-45 minutes to induce sleep, such herbal teas take a couple of weeks to take effect on the mind and the body.”

7. Keep Your Bedroom And Bed Time To Yourself
What is the sole purpose of calling a room a bed room? Probably because it has a bed and that you are supposed to hit the room when you are finally done with all the daily chores and it is time just to sleep or to enjoy some intimate time with your spouse. Often having a good s*xual interchange with the spouse generates positive and mood lifting hormones that induces relaxation in the mind and body hence, preventing disruption in normal sleep. Though forcing the spouse to make it a daily ritual is not a practical application because it becomes more of a burden than of an exchange of emotions.

The key is to keep gadgets like TV, Projector screens, fancy lights and all such disturbing electronic stuff out of the room.
There are many interior decoration techniques that actually put the person in a better form to do things accordingly, one such technique is the Feng Shui.
For married couple yes kids can be a reason for disrupting sleep patterns because infants tend to wake up throughout night when they are hungry or wet and mothers have to be there to cure the issue.
But when the kids are old enough to be sleep on their own, it is better to teach them the practice to stay out of your room. Same goes for all kinds of domestic pets, because pets and kids are almost the same. Neither do they sleep straight on their own nor will they let anyone else do the same.

6. Keep The Exercise For Early Morning
Fitness is quite a deal for people who are living to stay fit rather than to stay alive on food. Fitness freaks cannot spend a day without working out and burning those calories. It is a psychological effect because fitness munchies eat a lot throughout the day to stay active and healthy and for them working out is a boot camp to burn those extra calories from the day before. But this does not mean that one has to be on the machine 24 hours in a day.

There are certain rules for working out as well. As much as you spend time doing muscle building and cardiovascular exercises, it is equally important for you to tone down the heart rate and muscles right after an extensive workout.
For people who are having problems putting them to sleep make sure that your fitness regime does not fall somewhere between 4 hours before bed time.
If it does, then this might be the leading cause of your disorder, since going through an extensive or even a mild fitness regime means that the body and the muscles are still in an activated state.
Best remedy for sleep related problems is to relax the muscles with the help of basic yoga before bed time.
For fitness munchies the hour right after you wake up is the best time to pump up the muscles because that way one will remain active throughout the day.

5. Work Up With A Good Scent
Just like having a sip out of a cup of herbal tea has a soothing and relaxing effect on the mind similarly having the effect to smell a good fragrance causes similar points in brain to activate and generate good hormones. Quite a cheesy approach, but when you meet a person who are wearing one of your favorite scents, you are automatically attracted towards them far greater than the time they approach you without the scent. This is also a trickery associated with the psychological effects on the brain. A good scent means a good interaction and a better relationship.

The best practice is to keep scented dried flower bowls besides your bed and keep on changing the material every month. Since, the scent in an open container evaporates away quickly.
Many doctors recommend the use of Lavender or Jasmine oil as a night time scent because these flowers are said to possess quite a soothing smell.
Often it is not possible to have fresh Lavender or Jasmine at your disposal, but now there are quite a lot of scent based essential oils that come in a variety of scents including Lavender and Jasmine.
These essential oils can be used in the form of dabbing a drop or two on the temples or on the wrists so that while sleeping the scent remains closer to the body. Or one can sprinkle a few drops on a tissue paper and keep on sniffing it, till it induces the sleep hormones.

4. Disconnect Yourself
With the ever changing demand of technology in the 21st century there has been an immense increase in information overload. People cannot even think about getting disconnected from the world that is only virtually connected with. People are connected through a large number of social portals where there is all kinds of information being shared every nanosecond by someone or the other from across the globe. No one actually sleeps on the internet; there is night in one part of the world while there is day in the other. Thus people find it difficult to stay away from such social addictions.

One leading cause of sleeping disorders is found to be the presence of wireless connected devices.
These devices keep on piling up notifications for you to check whenever you take a turn on the bed or simply take out your hand to grab the sheets.
No matter how much you try, you always end up staring at that bright LED screen and thinking over some useless post that has been shared a while ago.
The cure for this is to turn off all kinds of wireless connections from your devices. It is not recommended to turn off the phones or tablets altogether because these devices possess some benefits in times of emergency.
Even if your phone is connected to the internet try and keep it as far away from the bed as possible. Suggestion is to not to keep on the side table as well.
This might be a good tip because nowadays people tend to set up the alarm on their phones so when the alarm rings the next morning you will probably have to get out of the bed to turn it off.

3. Keep Your Sleeping Space Assembled
For kids it is like a dungeon of hidden mess as soon as you enter their room. Mothers are often found stressing about the mess their kids keep on making. But the best remedy for this problem is to discipline your children enough to make sure that they have the habit to clean up after themselves before going to bed. This way you will have fewer things to worry about yourself and things will be much cleaner in the morning. The same goes for your own sleeping space.

Do not rely on to any undone laundry inside your room.
We understand you need to get things done the first thing in the morning but that does not mean you keep the stuff right in front of your eyes.
Always make sure that your bed is done before you finally hop inside the sheets. A clear and neatly made bed is more attractive and seductive than a naked individual inside it.
Keep those unwanted mails and bills away from the eye sight, this way you will not find yourself stressing about clearing them all up till dawn.
A clustered room will get you far more emotionally stressed as you can think of.
“Even if your phone is connected to the internet try and keep it as far away from the bed as possible. Suggestion is to not to keep on the side table as well.”

2. Munch On A Healthy Snacks
Many Doctors suggest avoiding having heavy food items at night or right before sleep. Since such items take much time in digestion and end up upsetting the rest of the body rhythm. On the contrary there are a couple number of healthy snacks that when taken before bed time are found to be actually helpful at inducing sleep. Because bigger meals take about 3-4 hours to digest so to have a heavy dinner means you are definitely meant to stay awake later till midnight.

Doctors suggest that foods that contain a special amino acid named Tryptophan is known to have a sleep inducing effect on the brain.
The chemical is involved in the secretion of the chemical serotonin from the brain that is known to be helpful for sleeping.
The chemical is found in turkey or chicken meat, milk and even bananas.
So if you have a glass of warm milk along with a cookie you will not only be happy with the taste but your mind will be much happier.
The known bedtime snacks are composed of both proteins and carbohydrates. Having a banana or a spoonful of peanut butter somewhere about 20-30 minutes before going to bed is a great idea.

1. Keep The Temperature Under Control
Don’t torture yourself by sleeping in the Bahamas. It is definite that electricity bills kill the individual with those long digit bills but that does not mean that one has to pay those bills on the expense of one’s life and health. Too much humid and hot temperature in the room means that there will be unwanted sweating and discomfort throughout the night. If you have the luxury of an air conditioner, don’t hesitate to use it before bed time. You need it; your body definitely needs it.

The suitable temperature range is somewhere between 72F to 54F.
Anything below or above this temperature means you are definite to wake up throughout the night either due t o sweating or shivering.
Too cold or hot temperatures are heavy triggers to disrupt sound sleeping patterns.
Keep the bed room as dark as it is naturally possible and with the right kind of temperature setting there is fewer chances for you to wake up due to an uncomfortable feeling.
If you can balance yourself between the material of your PJs, the sheets and the room temperature, you are a definite winner.

Do’s
Wear your favorite PJs before bedtime. Doesn’t matter how tired or lazy you are, switching into your favorite pair of PJs is like a natural alarm that it’s time for bed.
Have a glass of cherry juice an hour before bed time. The fruit is known to be a sleep inducer due to the presence of the chemical Melatonin.
Make sure you have the best kind of mattress and pillow selected for optimum sleeping results,
Use breathable sheets in order to avoid unnecessary itching, irritation and sweating.
Turn of all kinds connections on your gadgets.
Cover your eyes with eye cover to block all kinds of natural source of light.

Don’ts
Don’t drink any kind of caffeine or nicotine based drinks like coffee, tea, alcohol.
Avoid eating heavy and spicy food before bed time.
Do not go for extensive workout routine at least 4 hours before bed time.
Do not smoke, nicotine is the prime compound present in cigarettes and is the close of sleep disruption.

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