Natural Sleep Aids

Despite the usual doctor prescribed seven to nine hours of sleep per night, this is not true for the majority of the population. The average American actually sleeps an average of six hours and 40 minutes. This can be attributed to a variety of different reasons specific to each individual. Whether it is because of a heavy school course load or a long work schedule, sleep is usually sacrificed for the sake of needing more time to complete an assignment. Or, it may just be hard for you to fall asleep due to loud noises, uncomfortable beds, or an uneasy mind.

Instead of buying endless supplies of sleep medication that may or may not help you sleep, think about using natural sleep aids. (Asp)

1. Magnesium and calcium. Individually, both of these elements are sleep aides. If you take them together, their effectiveness increases. Magnesium also serves to “cancel out any potential heart problems that might arise from taking calcium alone,” so keep that in mind whenever you decide to use these elements. (Asp)

2. Wild lettuce. An effective muscle relaxant, wild lettuce can also assuage headaches or quell any anxiety that may be keeping you awake at night.

3. Hops. An extract of hops can be used as a mild sedative to help reduce levels of anxiety or insomnia, helping you sleep better.

4. Lavender. Sniffing the aroma of lavender will help you drift into a peaceful sleep. Lavender is cheap and easy to find, and it helps your room smell lovely if you spray it onto your pillow and sheets.

5. Melatonin. Lower doses are effective enough to naturally induce sleep.

6. Yoga and meditation. Avoid any rigorous stretches or movement, but try including a few stretches into your nighttime routine. Or take a few minutes to close your eyes and to listen to your breathing.

7. Green tea. The amino acid found in green tea, L-theanine, helps to induce a calm in the drinker and to promote deep sleep.

8. Valerian. Serving as one of the most common sleep remedies, valerian helps to improve the quality of deep sleep and the speed at which an individual falls asleep.