Natural Cures For Insomnia Part 2

Dec 2, 2017 by Tatianna

This is a Part 2 of my Natural Cures for Insomnia. As I mentioned in the first article, I’ve struggled with sleep problems for many years since childhood and It took me a long time to learn how to get a good night sleep using the natural approach. All of these methods I mentioned work wonders when combined together.

My favorite drinks and teas which promote sleep:

• Unsweetened Almond milk with calcium
• Valerian tea
• Chamomile tea
• Passion fruit tea
• Peppermint tea

Nowadays you can purchase a variety of different teas with a mixture of many different herbs. If you go to your local supermarket and visit a tea section, you will find at least 2-3 varieties of tea which promote stress release and sleep, just make sure you get them non GMO and preferably organic. But, my favorite thing to do is look for these kind of teas on etsy.com. The reason I love to buy my tea from Etsy is because I love to support small business owners and the variety of delicious teas is a lot wider than in any supermarket.

Crystals For Insomnia

This information is for those who has an understanding about energy. Everything is made of energy, each object has a specific signature frequency and if you look under a microscope you can observe this energy moving, breathing and changing geometric shapes. Everything which surrounds us has life in it, absolutely everything is alive and not just the things with a heartbeat. People with extra senses such as my self can observe objects for more of what they are, energy in a less solid and more of a liquid form, so this is where I get to my next point of rocks and minerals come in. Each rock has a specific frequency and when this frequency is introduced to another objects, they somewhat align, the lower frequency object will raise to match the higher frequency object. Each rock/mineral has a different effect on different people. I personally do not know the metaphysical meaning and properties of every single rock, but when I intuitively find a mineral which I’m drawn to, I know its the one for me. I have three favorites, before I found them I didn’t know anything about them except the Amethyst. I bought these minerals because I was drawn to them and when I looked up the meaning it turned out they were exactly what I was looking for to place next to my bed and under my pillow. I will share with you some information about each of them separately and what they do to help me sleep.

1. Selenite

I own a Selenite tower mineral, when I saw it at the rocks/minerals shop I was drawn to it’s texture, I’m very sensitive to energy so when I picked it up I automatically felt this uplifting feeling. Since it’s white in color it has a very high frequency and there is no need to cleans it or recharge it, in comparison to other stones. It is a very cleansing and protective stone, a perfect stone to my opinion to place next to your bed so it cleanses an area around you.

 2. Azurite

I found this little beauty by accident, I call this stone a Magical Dreams Stone. I found it at a trade show and I was drawn to its indigo color and little sparkles. As it turned out this stone promoted beautiful dreams, I put it under my pillow. After I’ve been using it for a few months I found out other people were using Azurite and Selenite to promote sleep as well, I just did it intuitively. Make sure you cleanse the stone in salt water before using it, and further cleanse it once a month. Place it under your pillow for the most beautiful magical dreams.

3. Rose Quartz

This stone is considered to be a love stone, it is said to wear it if you want to attract love into your life. I find it to be very soothing and I love how it feels to the touch. I actually purchased a huge chunk of it in the mineral store, its raw and untreated rose quarts. When you purchase rocks/minerals raw and untreated they are very strong in their properties. Since it has a very soothing quality, you can place it by your bed or hold it in your hand prior to going to sleep.

Aroma Therapy Oil Diffuser For Insomnia

This was an absolute game changer for me! I got a few of them in my house. Not only they are completely natural, but they are actually good for your health. You can throw away all of your aromatherapy candles ( unless they are completely natural and are made with natural oils ). But since I’ve discovered Aromatherapy Oil Diffusers they have completely transformed an atmosphere in my bedroom, especially the Lavender Oil and Peppermint Oil. There is just something about Lavender Oil which makes me feel calm and peaceful, and Peppermint Oil makes your bedroom smell like holidays. If you add a little vanilla to your peppermint oil you will get a peppermint patty smell, delicious! I add several drops to my oil diffuser and my whole bedroom smells like a spa, so relaxing and it’s really good for your health unlike the artificial candles you find at your supermarkets.

Another way to use Lavander Oil is to rub a little on your pillow and under your nose, you can also purchase Lavender Herb and have fill a tiny material bag with it, smell it when you go to bed and it will give you a natural feeling of relaxation.

You can also purchase a mix of sleep promoting aroma therapy oils. If you live in United States you can find a really good one at your local Walgreens, they have a very inexpensive line of aroma therapy oils and one of my favorite is the Night Time.

Foods For Insomnia

The main vitamins and minerals which promote healthy sleep are: calcium, magnesium, tryptophan and vitamin B6, which aid in the production of melatonin ( a hormone which regulates your sleep/wake patterns ). When your body is close to falling asleep the production of melatonin increases.
Eating certain foods at certain times can help you promote a healthy sleep cycle, you can purchase purchase supplements with these vitamins and minerals but it’s better to get them from whole foods.

Calcium

Calcium is a mineral which helps our brains with melatonin production. A lack of calcium can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night and have difficulty returning going back to sleep. Nutrition rich in Calcium have been shown has been shown to promote healthy sleep patterns and lessen the insomnia. Sources of calcium include:

• Dark leafy greens
• Sardines
• Fortified cereals
• Soybeans
• Enriched breads and grains
• Green snap peas
• Broccoli

Or you can always take a Calcium Supplement.

Magnesium

Magnesium is considered to be a sleep mineral and is actually contained in natural sleep supplements. Magnesium is a natural relaxant which helps to deactivate adrenaline. If you’re waking up several times a night and have trouble going to bed you could be lacking on Magnesium. Excellent sources of magnesium are:

• Nuts and seeds (almonds, sunflower seeds, brazil nuts, cashews, pine nuts, flaxseed, pecans)
• Fish (salmon, halibut, tuna, mackerel)
• Dark leafy greens (baby spinach, kale, collard greens)
• Bananas
• Avocados

Tryptophan

Tryptophan is an amino acid and when it gets ingested it turnes into the neurotransmitter serotonin and then converted into the hormone melatonin.

Good sources of tryptophan:

• Legumes (kidney beans, lima beans, black beans split peas, chickpeas)
• Fruits (apples, bananas, peaches, avocado)
• Vegetables (spinach, broccoli, turnip greens, asparagus, onions, seaweed)
• Poultry (turkey, chicken)
• Seafood (shrimp, salmon, halibut, tuna, sardines, cod)
• Nuts and seeds (flax, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, cashews, peanuts, almonds, walnuts)
• Grains (wheat, rice, barley, corn, oats)

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 also helps convert tryptophan into hormone melatonin. If you’re lacking on B6 you will have a lowered serotonin level which can result in poor sleep patterns. A deficiency in B6 is also linked to mood disorders and symptoms of depression, and that can lead to insomnia.

Sources of B6 are:

• Sunflower seeds
• Flax Seed
• Spinach
• Bananas
• Avocado
• Fish ( salmon, tuna )
• Meat ( lean beef, chicken )
• Pistachios

My favorite Natural Supplement to Promote Sleep – Melatonin

As I mentioned earlier, Melatonin is a hormone which regulates sleep/wake cycles.

There are a few excellent sources of naturally occuring melatonin in foods:

• Fruits and vegetables (tart cherries, corn, asparagus, tomatoes, pomegranate, olives, grapes, broccoli, cucumber)
• Grains (rice, barley, rolled oats)
• Nuts and Seeds (walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, mustard seeds, flaxseed)

You can include these foods in your dinner.

But you can also purchase a melatonin supplement, which is what I do. I’ve been taking it for many years and I can honestly say it has no side effects. But there are a few factors to consider when purchasing a melatonin supplement.

1. More is not better. When purchasing a melatonin supplement, you don’t want to go over 5mg, the best is 3-5 mg. If you take anything more than 5mg of melatonin, you will wake up a few hours later and will not be able to go back to sleep. This is because melatonin is not your regular sleep aid. When you take melatonin, it triggers your body to produce melatonin within your system and if it produces too much, then like with everything else it will have an opposite effect. I’ve seen melatonin being sold in 10 mg and it literally makes my eyes roll.
2. Second factor to consider is to never take melatonin closer to waking time. If you woke up in the middle of the night, DO NOT CONSUME ANOTHER MELATONIN, otherwise you will be groggy all day. It is a night supplement and if you need to wake up few hours later, if will have a negative effect.

A little tip from me:

If you wake up in the middle of the night, eat a little piece of whole grain bread it will help to naturally ease you back to sleep.

Foods NOT TO EAT if you’re trying to get some sleep

Many of the foods to avoid on this list are healthy for you to eat, but just not recommended to eat before bed because they can interfere with sleep.

Avoid:

Foods and drinks that contain caffeine

Drinks containing caffeine such as coffee, green tea, black tea, energy drinks.
You should never consume caffeine later than 12 pm.
Dark Chocolate is another thing which you should never consume closer to bedtime.

Foods containing water

Fruits or veggies which contain a lot of water, such as watermelon or celery. Eating foods with lots of water content or drinking too much liquids before bed time will disrupt your sleep cycle because with frequent trips to the bathroom.

Avoid Heavy meals close to bedtime

If you feel really hungry before bedtime you can have a very light snack ( the foods I mentioned above, but in moderation ), you don’t want to stuff your self before bedtime because that will signal your body that you’re acquiring energy for an activity and you will have a hard time falling or staying asleep.

Creating the feeling of total comfort in your bed with the best hybrid mattress

In the Part one of my Natural Cures for Insomnia post I already mentioned how important it is to create the feeling of comfort in your bedroom and in your bed. I never used to think it was important but everything is known in comparison. My memory foam hybrid mattress has been a game changer for me, I’ve changed several mattresses over the period of few years and nothing compares to this one. Getting a great sleep is a luxury in our hectic world, but its one of the best things you can do for your health. The company Tomorrow Sleep kindly gave ma a promo code for my readers ( you can get 150 $ off any 500 dollar purchase, the code is FIT150, expires 12/31/17 )

Enjoy your beauty sleep,

Love,

Tati

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