To some people, insomnia is a very familiar problem that rears its ugly head come nighttime, with a recent survey by Harvard deducing that one out of every four adults has reported suffering from it. Insomnia can result from a temporary issue or poor sleep habits that have developed over time. It can also be long-term or short-term but there are many natural sleep solutions which can relieve insomnia without meditation. First of all, lets talk about the causes of insomnia, which can be caused by things like:

Medication
Such as corticosteroids, allergy medication, blood pressure medication, or antidepressants. These can all have a negative impact on sleep.

Changes in your routine
Changes to working hours or new surroundings could play a part in poor sleep

Stress
This seems to be the number one cause, and is something that everyone can work towards changing.

In cases where the insomnia is long-term, it can result from serious health conditions such as sleep apnea, anxiety, or depression. Sometimes it can be caused by bad sleep habits such as looking at your tablet or phone for long periods at bedtime, uncomfortable sleeping environments or eating heavy snacks right before going to bed.

Regardless of how it comes about and how long it lasts, insomnia can cause you to function poorly throughout the day and it can leave you feeling irritable and exhausted. It can also increase your risk for certain health conditions including diabetes, heart disease, or depression.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is very effective for insomnia and oils such as lavender have been used as a remedy for the longest time. It is considered the most soothing of all the essential oils and it is mostly used to help people attain a state of relaxation. According to research, inhaling lavender essential oils can positively influence your mood and sleep quality. You can use lavender essential oils and other aromatherapy to help you sleep. There are various ways to use to help your insomnia including using a diffuser, a pillow mist, or massaging your body with lavender oil. You can also use other aromatherapy oils such as ylang-ylang, vetiver, patchouli, and chamomile to help with insomnia.

Diet

Some of the things you drink and eat before bed can also affect your sleep with some foods actually containing certain chemical properties which can make you drowsy or relaxed. Foods to avoid before bed that can affect your sleep include greasy or fatty foods, spicy foods, white carbohydrates, sugary foods, alcohol, and caffeinated drinks. If you want to have an easier time falling asleep consider taking the following foods at night to fight your insomnia.

Bananas: they have plenty of magnesium and potassium to encourage muscle relaxation as well as tryptophan and sleep-promoting carbohydrates. You can also make a banana tea by gently boiling a chopped up banana with the skin on and then straining into a mug. Organic is best for this.

Cherries are high in melatonin, which is the hormone responsible for inducing sleep in the body. A few cherries after dinner or if you are partial to a late snack, these are pretty much guilt free!

Whole grains: this is a good source of carbohydrates which can increase the body’s blood-sugar levels, thus, seemingly regulating your internal sleep-wake cycle. 

Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as tuna, sardines, mackerel, and salmon has been shown to make you sleep better as they increase omega-3 levels in the body

Almonds contain the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan which is necessary for the body to produce serotonin in order to feel happy and relaxed. They also have magnesium and calcium which are both essential for good quality sleep. Almonds are also considered a superfood, so a few of these in the evening ticks a few boxes!

Remember to leave at least an hour or so between eating and bed. It will be detrimental to eat last thing at night.

 

Stress Management - Meditation and Breathing Techniques

Stress and anxiety can also be a significant cause of your insomnia If you are frequently lying awake in bed thinking about other things or your mind is on overdrive. Stress has been found to be one of the biggest causes of insomnia in adults. It is a never-ending cycle because when you are not getting enough sleep at night you will feel tired during the day and even more irritable, anxious, and stressed. For this reason, you should consider looking for ways to reduce stress and anxiety, in particular meditation. Meditation helps with calming your mind, refocusing your energy and promoting overall health. Just 10 minutes is all you need and there are plenty of guided meditations on Youtube, so no need to be a pro!  You can be a total novice and still gain so much from this. 

Combining aromatherapy with meditation is a key tool for deep relaxation and healing insomnia, especially if your meditation practice isn't quite there yet. One of the best essential oils for this is frankincense. Frankincense is a sedative and It gives grounding and balancing since it can help you connect with your spiritual self. Frankincense also offers stabilisation of your chakras for quick energy flow. It is one of our favourite oils for its calming effects which is why we use it in some of our calming products such as Sleepy Head pillow mist. 

If this blog helped you, head over to 7 Tips On How To Sleep Better. There are 7 easy ways to naturally deal with insomnia which you can start implementing today!