5 Home Remedies for a Good Night’s Sleep

Quick tip: Take chamomile tea or tart cherry juice before going to bed or you could try our gentle sleep aid - LUNA Melatonin-Free. Set your bedroom temperature to between 65 and 72 degrees. Switch off the lights, turn off all digital devices and use a flashlight instead of turning on the light when using the bathroom at night. Engage in relaxation exercises before bed.

It’s easy to toss and turn all night long when you’re dealing with insomnia [a sleep disorder in which you have trouble falling and/or staying asleep].

If you ever find yourself in a ‘no-sleep’ situation, you’re not alone. According to a recent Harvard survey, as many as 1 in 4 adults report suffering from mild insomnia every once in a while.

Thing is your inability to fall asleep or stay asleep could stem from a short-term issue based on your day to day lifestyle, or it could signal the existence of a more serious, underlying illness. Either way, it’s no fun! 

Luckily, there are simple home remedies to help you get some Zzzs instead of counting sheep at night. But, before we go into remedies, you might want to know…

What Causes Insomnia

Often, insomnia is the result of stress or change in routine. So, if you’ve had a particularly busy day or your work shift changes…these things have a way of messing up your body clock and by extension, your sleep time. Other times, it’s the result of something more serious like depression, sleep apnea, or anxiety.

Whatever the case, here are 5 home remedies to help you ‘win the war’ against sleepless nights:

#1: Make time for regular exercise

Yeah, let’s start with this. Exercising regularly during the day goes a long way in helping you wind down at night.

One study showed that people who added in 60 minutes of exercise into their daily routine [5 days a week] had more REM sleep than those who didn’t. 

And in case you’re wondering, REM [rapid eye movement] sleep is a super important phase in your sleep cycle that has been known to activate dreams, improve brain function, and promote learning.

#2: Eat sleep-promoting foods

Watch what you eat or drink as it can be the difference between falling into a deep slumber or tossing and turning all through the night.

So, there are foods that keep you wide awake [avoid those] and those with chemical properties that can send you to Zzz world.

Examples of these foods are; cheese, almonds, whole-grain crackers, bananas, etc. Some of these foods contain -- Tryptophan [the amino acid needed to produce the sleep hormone, serotonin]; Melatonin, and heavy carbs that send you to sleep.

#3: Take Chamomile tea

This simple-to-make, tasty and super effective tea has been around for centuries and earned its reputation as a natural sleep aid.

One study found that chamomile tea acts as a mild sedative, helping to calm the nerves, reduce anxiety, and ease insomnia.

For best results, experts recommend using 2 to 3 bags to get the full sleep-promoting effect.

#4: Go Valerian

Valerian is an herbal home remedy that can either be brewed as a tea or taken as a supplement. It is most commonly used to reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, or as a sedative.

For best results, take valerian tea or supplement 1 hour before bedtime. It’s usually taken in 2 - 3 300mg doses with meals.

#5: Let cool music lull you to sleep

Yes, playing slow music in the background can set the stage for a good night’s sleep. Music therapy has been known to promote sleep quality and increase sleep time.

Have a playlist of songs or sounds to help you calm down at night? Press ‘PLAY.’

Alright people, this is it - but before you go...

You can try our gentle sleep aid - LUNA Melatonin-Free to help you drift into peaceful, restful sleep so you can wake up feeling fully refreshed. Ready? Get it, right here.

Dive into the fascinating world of falling dreams and unravel their meanings with Nested Naturals' blog post, "Why Do You Dream of Falling? What Does it all Mean?"