Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a condition characterized by difficulty falling asleep or the inability to have sound, uninterrupted sleep. In most cases, victims suffer both. Statistics by the Sleep Health Foundation suggests that about one-third of the world’s population suffer from one form of insomnia or another.
The good news is that for most victims, the symptoms of insomnia are usually mild and manageable. But for those who have chronic insomnia, the condition can take a toll on their social life and workplace productivity.
Causes and Treatment for Insomnia
Stress and anxiety are the most common causes of insomnia. It mostly results from challenges in one’s family, workplace, school, health, or finances. Ordinarily, the feelings of stress should go away as you learn to cope with the stressors. But if such feelings persist longer than they should, they could result in anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or panic disorder. Each of these disorders increases your risks of insomnia and other sleep-related problems.
It’s worth noting that stress and anxiety are both mental conditions. This implies that mental disorders like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease can either increase your risks of anxiety or exacerbate an already-existing condition, thereby opening you up for insomnia.
Besides stress and anxiety, the following are other common causes of insomnia;
- Routine disruptions, such as moving homes, new work schedules, and jetlag occasioned by long-haul flights
- Sleeping in an uncomfortable environment
- Unhealthy bedtime habits, such as taking short naps or engaging in stimulating activities like playing video games right before bedtime
- Consuming stimulant substances like caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol, especially in the late evening
- Consuming too much food for dinner or eating too quickly, which affects normal digestion
- Certain medical conditions, particularly those that manifest in pain or attack your respiratory and gastrointestinal tract
- Certain medications
Many people living with insomnia intuitively go for sleep pills to try and mediate the condition. While these pills can somewhat alleviate insomnia, they’re infamous for presenting various unpleasant side effects.
However, the good news is that there are various natural remedies against insomnia, including the ever-popular cannabis. You can now buy cbd products, like Sunday Scaries CBD gummies, cbd oil, and use the substance to treat insomnia and a host of other medical conditions.
6 Natural Insomnia Remedies
Exercise
Exercise is one of the most effective sleep aids, with numerous studies directly linking adequate exercise to high sleep quality. For instance, a 2018 scientific review showed that exercise could shorten sleep latency. Sleep latency refers to the average time taken to drift from a complete state of wakefulness to sleep. To relieve insomnia and improve your overall fitness levels, consider exercising for about 45 minutes a day, at least three days a week.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation has been used from time immemorial to induce a state of complete mental relaxation. That explains its positive effects on sleep quality. Proponents of mindfulness meditation as a sleep aid argue that the technique helps your body to shut down, the inability of which is usually the major problem among people with insomnia.
Melatonin
Melatonin is the hormone that induces positive fatigue, enabling you to relax and drift off to sleep. Our bodies produce this hormone naturally. However, you can boost your melatonin levels by purchasing a melatonin supplement and administering it about an hour before going to sleep.
A recently-commissioned study indicates that people who consume melatonin supplements have shorter sleep latency and stay asleep much longer.
Practicing Healthy Sleep Hygiene
As poor sleeping habits are some of the leading causes of insomnia, correcting those unhealthy behaviors can go a long way in treating the condition. For instance, avoid engaging in mentally stimulating activities like movie watching, video gaming, or using social media late in the evening. Also, shun heavy meals or stimulant-like substances like caffeinated drinks right before bedtime.
Lavender Oil
Do you know why lavender oil is a common ingredient in air fresheners and fragrances? That’s because of its incredibly relaxing properties. Like mindfulness meditation, lavender has been used for centuries as a natural sleep aid.
You can consider having a late-evening bath with lavender-infused gels, spraying lavender fragrances on your pillow, or using lavender-enriched ointments for your night massage to relieve insomnia using lavender.
Cannabis
Cannabis is mostly used for pain management. However, extracts from the plant, particularly cannabidiol (CBD), have numerous other medicinal properties, including relieving anxiety, insomnia, nausea, seizures, and inflammation. It comes in the form of CBD Oil, CBD tinctures, Balms and CBD gummies for pain and insomnia.
According to research, CBD relieves insomnia by treating some of its core symptoms like post-traumatic stress disorder and REM sleep behavior disorder (RSD).
Conclusion
Insomnia is a severe medical condition that can affect your quality of life. However, it’s reassuring to know that there are tons of natural remedies that relieve insomnia without subjecting you to nasty side effects.
Reference Links:
https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/pdfs/Insomnia.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272735817303306
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022395619309872
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24845114/
https://www.insider.com/natural-remedies-for-insomnia
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/home-remedies-for-insomnia#mindful-meditation
