Folk remedies for insomnia, simple and effective methods for women and men

A person cannot sleep for a long time, wakes up several times during the night every 30-40 minutes, and gets up too early in the morning. Sometimes waking up comes late, but sleep is not very deep. There are many ways in which you can influence sleep disturbance and make it normal. These include: sleeping pills, some antidepressants, as well as a folk remedy for insomnia (it has been used at home for a long time).

This article will tell you how to make your sleep sound, how to treat insomnia and what to do in case of sleep disturbances.

Causes of insomnia

There are too many reasons for poor sleep, since the ability to fall asleep normally is influenced by internal and external factors.

One of the external reasons is the bad environment around the person who went to bed. An uncomfortable place and bed, noisy conversations, and changes in the air temperature in the bedroom have an adverse effect on a person’s ability to fall asleep.

If a person constantly faces stressful situations at home and at work, or is tormented by fear, anxiety and depression, this can also affect sleep. The disease, accompanied by sharp pain, frequent urination, severe itching of the skin, is another cause of insomnia. What are the folk remedies for insomnia, and how to effectively cure insomnia with their help? Let's talk about this further.

Home Remedies for Insomnia

A person has every opportunity to solve the problem of poor sleep on his own. There are different folk remedies for insomnia, but if you try, it’s not difficult to find the option you need. First, make sure whether you are leading the right lifestyle; if not, then it will take more than one day or more than one week to get back on track.

Treatment of insomnia with folk remedies (tips):

Drinking a glass of alcohol before bed is already bad. At first glance, it seems that drinking it will help you calm down, and you will be able to sleep soundly the whole night. In fact, it's quite the opposite. At first, a sedative effect takes effect, the person falls asleep, as they say, on the move. But after a while there comes an awakening, and it is not possible to fall asleep until the morning. Alcohol has a bad effect on the depth of sleep, you need to remember this. You will also have to give up cigarettes; tobacco has a stimulating effect.

There are suggestions that coffee interferes with restful sleep, since the caffeine it contains is the best invigorating agent, and it remains in the human body all day long. For the sake of sound sleep, it is better to avoid coffee and caffeine-containing products. If you buy cold medications without a prescription, be sure to ask about the effect they have on your sleep. Some medications have the same properties as coffee in relation to the body.

Early in the morning and during the day you need to do physical exercise, but it is better to avoid it before bed, as it stimulates the nervous system, which leads to sleep disturbances.

It is undesirable to sleep after noon, then in the evening you will hardly be able to fall asleep on time. Reading a book before bed will help you relax and induce sleep. A good remedy for insomnia at home is to dream about something pleasant, imagine beautiful landscapes: let it be a forest, sea, beach and, of course, you in that place. Then you will definitely fall asleep. Your sleep will be peaceful and your morning will be good.

Insomnia and its varieties

To cope with insomnia and get rid of it forever, you need to know what caused it. It may be a consequence of some pathology or may appear spontaneously. Alcohol, birth control pills or tobacco can disturb sleep; some of them destroy vitamin B in the human body. Therefore, in this case, it will be impossible to get rid of insomnia until the person stops using all this.

In medicine, there are 2 types of insomnia:

• Primary. It is rare in patients. Its appearance is provoked by various psychophysiological abnormalities.
• Secondary. It is observed in people much more often than the primary one. Such insomnia is caused by various diseases (mental, neurological, somatic) or by taking certain medications.

Depending on the causes, insomnia can be:

Other etiological factors for insomnia may include:

1. Problems with the cardiovascular system. These include heart rhythm disturbances, chronic heart failure, and atherosclerosis of the lower extremity vessels (severe form).
2. Diseases of the respiratory system (bronchial asthma).
3. Sleeping during the daytime.
4. Parkinson's disease.
5. Psychiatric disorders (depression, dementia).
6. Joint diseases (arthritis).
7. Frequent flights (change of time and climate zones).

People are always at risk:

• Old age.
• Those who lead an unhealthy lifestyle and do not follow their daily routine.
• Those who spend less than 5 hours a day sleeping.
• Constantly under stress.

Insomnia is also common among pregnant women.

Interestingly, insomnia in older women manifests itself in the form of problems falling asleep, and in older men in the form of awakenings in the middle of the night or in the morning with the inability to fall asleep again.

Honey is the best remedy for insomnia

Traditional medicine, with the support of traditional medicine, believes that honey should be used to normalize sleep. There are different ways to take it. You can make a tasty and healthy syrup by taking a tablespoon of honey and Borjomi mineral water and adding half a spoon of finely chopped lemon. You need to take this folk remedy in the morning.

A folk recipe that contains honey and apple cider vinegar has proven itself well. Every day, when going to bed, you need to eat two teaspoons of a mixture of three teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and 200 grams. honey In less than half an hour, sleep will set in.

In order to prevent a rush of blood to the brain and calm the nervous system, it is useful to make a compress on the calves of the legs with grated horseradish mixed with honey. As an addition, drink a glass of cucumber pickle, adding a little sage honey to it.

Honey is considered a strong allergen and can cause unwanted reactions. People who are allergic to this bee product should not use it to treat sleep disorders.

Insomnia: effective treatment with folk remedies, herbal remedies

People have suffered from insomnia at different times. They knew how to fight it with the help of traditional medicine and many medicinal plants. The effectiveness of such treatment is assessed positively.

• If you consult a doctor, then anyone can treat insomnia with such means. There are no side effects observed. • Preparations from medicinal plants are not toxic, and their effect on the body is positive. • A folk remedy for insomnia at home does not produce side effects.

Not every person has a stable financial situation, especially in our difficult times. To save your family's budget, you can prepare some medicinal plants yourself.

There are various folk remedies for insomnia. Herbal treatment is one of them. There are a lot of recipes in which the main component is medicinal herbs, all of them deserve attention. Here are some of them:

Collection 1. The decoction, which has a calming effect on the nervous system and helps to relax, includes the following medicinal herbs: peppermint, motherwort herb, hop cones, valerian root and rhizomes in a ratio of 3:3:2:2. Recommended 10 g. Brew the mixture in 250 ml. water and boil in a water bath for 10 minutes. Then strain, if the original volume is not there, add boiled water. Three times a day, the last one just before bed, drink 0.5 cups of this decoction. It will eliminate insomnia.

Collection 2. Three times a day, drink a medicine from the herb trifoliate, hop cones, valerian, peppermint leaves, taken equally, one tablespoon is brewed with a glass of boiling water. Dose – 100 ml. for one appointment.

Collection 3. Traditional healers use this method. Take mint leaves and chamomile flowers in equal quantities, mix everything together with fennel fruits and valerian roots, add cumin. For 200 ml. You will need 10 grams of boiling water. collection, after which you will have to evaporate for half an hour in a water bath. After cooling, the broth is filtered and cold boiled water is added to the original volume. Drink a whole glass in the morning and evening before bed. The medicine helps overcome neurosis and insomnia.

Aromatherapy for a relaxing holiday

Using aromatherapy for anxiety and insomnia is not only useful, but also pleasant. Certain smells have a relaxing effect on the nervous system and the entire body. By filling your bedroom with them, you will quickly and easily fall asleep and fully restore your strength in the morning.

You can use special oil for aroma lamps:

• lavender;
• fir;
• anise;
• pink;
• orange;
• clove;
• oil of lily of the valley, cypress or lemon balm.

You can also make an aromatic bag for yourself that is placed next to your bed or under your pillow. You can use one or more herbs, which need to be placed in a fabric bag and sewn up.

Phytoncides (volatile components of essential oils) will have a beneficial effect on your entire body, they will help you fall asleep quickly, and make your sleep sound and restful.

What baths to take for insomnia

There is no doubt that folk remedies for insomnia are considered the best help in restoring sound sleep. How to effectively cure insomnia? Considering this issue, one cannot fail to note the effectiveness of water procedures. The main thing is not to overdo it with the water temperature; it should not be higher than 40 degrees. Bathing should occur two hours after eating and a couple of hours before going to bed. The water should not cover the heart area.

If you add medicinal herbs to the bath, it will be much more effective. Herbalists advise adding pre-brewed medicinal mixtures. For example, fragrant hay, fir cones and pine needles. Moreover, the cones and needles are boiled, then left to infuse for 15 hours. The liquid should turn brown. The length of stay in the bath should not exceed 15 minutes.

Sleep problems can go away if you take a bath with valerian infusion for ten days in a row. Why boil 200 grams in one liter of water? its rhizomes.

Clay treatment

At first glance, such a remedy for insomnia at home as clay seems unusual. But it is very effective and interesting. It’s worth trying for at least twelve days to use it two hours before bedtime - and you can firmly say that your condition has improved. What is this clay treatment? Everything is very simple. This is a sculpture of various figures with rounded edges, which has a calming effect on the human brain, setting the mood for sleep.

Another great method is clay wrapping. Only 7 procedures are required. For them you need to prepare a little more than half a glass of white clay, a third of a glass of hot water and 10 ml. infusion of yarrow. Place all components in an enamel bowl and mix thoroughly. Place the paste on a napkin and apply it to your forehead and temples, hold for 20 minutes.

Ways to relax

The first way to relax is to consciously reduce the speed of all body processes.

No later than an hour before bedtime, you need to concentrate on slowing down your movement and “dispersing the swarm” of thoughts.

It is worth making it a rule to think about what you are doing at this moment. At work, it is better to think about your professional responsibilities. And at home, it is appropriate to resolve everyday issues and have pleasant communication with loved ones.

The desire to be Alexander the Great, who could do several things at once, can lead to exhaustion of the nervous system and negatively affect the entire body.

It must be remembered that the speed of life processes is different for each person. It cannot be good or bad, it is individual. Therefore, it is important to learn how to plan your day.

To avoid becoming a “squirrel in a wheel,” plan 60% of your time and leave 40% for unforeseen situations.

Also use the method of prioritizing tasks. Complete the important and urgent ones first, and then the non-urgent ones.

For example, the need to pick up a child from kindergarten is considered the first, since you cannot postpone it to another day. And choosing a new lipstick for a woman is important, but can wait.

Self-organization helps you avoid stress and relax at the end of the day.

Many relaxation remedies are most effective with a healthy lifestyle. A walk in the fresh air at night will quickly lull the vigilance of the active little person inside each of us.

Breathing exercises will help you calm down. Exercises to improve blood circulation will help warm up the limbs and speed up the process of falling asleep.

With any physical activity, substances that improve mood are produced. The brain relaxes during this period, so regular physical exercise eliminates the problem of insomnia. Physical activity before bed should be light and not overload the body.

Yoga practices will help cultivate intelligence and strength, as well as the ability not to react to situations that throw you out of balance.

Any manifestations of feelings relate to the human soul. Only with a balanced internal state is a restful sleep possible. The soul is able to harmonize thanks to pleasant, calm music. Classical works are especially soothing.

Proper nutrition for insomnia

Following a diet is also a folk remedy for insomnia (home method). The mode cannot be changed, it must be set once and for all. Its violation will lead to a malfunction of the systems and the body as a whole. The result is insomnia and aging.

The entire human body, including the digestive system, requires night rest. It will be disrupted if you eat a hearty meal before bed. The last meal should be at least 3 hours before bedtime. For dinner, the menu must include easily digestible foods such as vegetables and fruits. Fatty meat foods should not be on the table in the evening. It is worth giving up tea and coffee.

It is best to drink a cup of warm milk before going to bed, adding a spoonful of honey. This folk remedy is especially effective for children who have trouble falling asleep.

People must pay attention to the intake of vitamins, especially vitamin B, which, by strengthening the nervous system, helps improve sleep and fall asleep. Rich in this vitamin: bread, nuts, oatmeal. The main source is brewer's yeast.

A great effect in the treatment of insomnia is observed from taking tea made from anise seeds. You can prepare it this way: put half a teaspoon of anise seeds in a preheated teapot, add boiling water and leave. Strain and drink half a glass before bed. Added honey won't hurt either. Sugar is not recommended before bed; it is a nervous system stimulant. Drinking liquid will also not do anything good, since frequent visits to the toilet interfere with normal sleep.

How to deal with sleep disorders yourself

It's not difficult at all, you just need to pull yourself together.

Don't think about bad things

Probably, every person has encountered such a phenomenon when, despite all the desire, one cannot fall asleep for a long time. Having changed more than a dozen positions on the bed, counted more than one flock of sheep, sleep is still beyond your control.

The reason for this may be increased brain activity, which does not allow a person to go to the kingdom of Morpheus. Simply put, we may be visited by various thoughts that we repeat over and over again in our heads. These thoughts may concern some important matter, unresolved issues, family problems, etc.

Of course, with such turmoil in your head, it’s no wonder you can’t fall asleep.

What should be done in this case?

You need to try to drive away these thoughts and think about something more peaceful. For example, these could be memories of your carefree childhood or a vacation somewhere on the seaside. That is, you need to think about what will make your brain go into a calmer state.

Skip the pick-me-ups

If the cause of insomnia is not at all disturbing thoughts, then you need to pay attention to what you drink before bed. After all, healthy sleep is negatively affected by drinks such as strong tea (although there are varieties that, on the contrary, help you sleep), coffee or various energy cocktails.

If you can't do without drinking fluids before bed, replace the drinks listed above with various fruit juices, lemonade or plain water. It definitely won't give you insomnia.

Don't overeat before bed

You should also not eat too much before bed, even if dinner turned out to be very tasty. Fatty foods, for example, take a very long time to digest and will not allow you to fall asleep for some time. The most correct option is to eat 3 – 4 hours before bedtime.

Getting ready for bed is also very important

Perhaps the very atmosphere in the room is having a negative impact on your sleep. This, for example, could be extraneous noise inside or outside the window, high temperature in the room or too bright light.

Try to minimize these manifestations as much as possible: turn off the TV, close the curtains tightly, turn on the air conditioner or open the window.

There are times when you just need to replace an old mattress and pillow that have served their purpose. After all, a comfortable bed has a big impact on your sleep.

Some more tips to get rid of insomnia

Methods of getting rid of insomnia for different people, of course, also differ. The most universal method, undoubtedly, is taking sleeping pills. But it causes unpleasant side effects (addiction, dependence, etc.), so this method is best postponed as a last resort.

As many people know, a glass of warm milk (preferably with honey) is very good for insomnia. Instead of milk, you can drink a cup of green tea or just warm water.

You can also read a book before bed that doesn’t burden your thinking.

People whose work involves mostly mental activity need to take more walks. And if possible, you can go in for sports. Mild fatigue is good for sound sleep.

To relieve muscle tension, it is a good idea to take a hot bath before bed.

A good option is a relaxing massage.

It happens that aching pain in a certain part of the body, be it a toothache or a headache, prevents you from falling asleep. In this case, the most appropriate solution is to take a pain reliever before bed and visit your doctor the next day.

As you can see, there are many reasons for poor sleep. Sometimes people experience stress and depression, from which even pleasant memories of old times cannot save them. Some people have health problems.

In such situations, of course, you need to contact qualified specialists.

Sleep hygiene

The main reason for lack of sleep and poor sleep is poor hygiene. It has a number of very simple rules that must be followed. This will help make your sleep pleasant.

1. You need to go to bed and wake up at the same time.
2. If you have insomnia, sleeping during the day is not recommended. Sporadic sleep will aggravate the problem.
3. A good night's sleep is possible if the sleeping room has a cozy atmosphere.
4. When you go to bed, throw away thoughts about TV and the Internet. Avoid reading books and newspapers. There is one rule to remember: a bed is only for sleeping.

If you follow all the recommendations, you can make your sleep quality and enjoyable.

How to treat sleep disorders

There are different ways to combat insomnia. Here are some of them:

Hypnosis

Chronic insomnia can be treated with hypnosis. But before using this option, you should consult with a qualified specialist.

Massage

A regular course of massage can lead to relaxation of the mind and body through deep relaxation of the muscles of the entire body.

Prophylactically, it will boost the immune system and prevent the occurrence of painful conditions as a result of overexertion.

Meditation

One of the ancient but popular techniques in the modern world is meditation. It not only relaxes, but also cleanses the spirit that pushes us to action.

The Internet provides access to a huge selection of different types of meditation. Tai chi helps to find balance between body and mind through coordination of movements and breathing.

Visualization promotes calm and sleep through control of the imagination. This is possible thanks to pleasant fantasies and the creation of happy images.

Aromatherapy

To enhance the effect of meditation or visualization, you should use not only pleasant sounds, but also the relaxing natural smells of essential oils.

Aromatherapy helps solve many problems through the influence of aromas on a person’s psychophysical state. Fragrance oils improve mood through their use in scented candles, baths and massage balms.

Diet

When fighting insomnia, there is no need to underestimate the importance of your diet. Dinner involves the absence of fatty and spicy dishes. It is better to replace caffeinated drinks with soothing valerian or chamomile tea.

Bananas, dates, apples or a glass of milk are acceptable before bed. Eating turkey, tuna and dairy throughout the day will help prevent anxiety, thanks to the amino acid tryptophan.

Melatonin directly regulates sleep-wake cycles. The cause of sleep disturbance may be insufficient production of this hormone in the body. In such a situation, it is permissible to use dietary supplements containing it.

Herbal preparations

Herbal remedies help solve the problem of insomnia. They have a multifunctional effect on the body.

To avoid unwanted results, it is better to consult a doctor before using them.

Doctor says

Anastasia Mertsalova

The combined opinion of doctors on this issue

Ingestion of passionflower, hops, chamomile, lavender, St. John's wort and valerian root will calm and relieve anxiety.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is also used as a way to bring the body into a calm state.

Before bed, a warm bath with a few drops of essential oils will help you relax.

An additional mood for a pleasant sleep will be created by a calm atmosphere illuminated by soft light in the bedroom. A comfortable mattress and loose sleepwear made from natural fabrics will make it easy to immerse yourself in colorful dreams and start a new day in a great mood.

To get rid of insomnia, follow a daily routine that is optimal for you. Wake up and go to bed at the same time. Eat right and exercise.

Medications for insomnia

Sleeping pills are not as harmless as they seem. Many of them can be addictive and make it impossible to sleep without pills. This means that you don’t need to conduct experiments on your own for insomnia, but rather consult a somnologist who will help you decide on treatment.

The list of pills for sleep disorders is long. Safe and effective products that are sold without a doctor's prescription are the following: valerian (tablets), motherwort (tincture), Persen, Novo-Passit and Melaxen. But this does not mean that they can be taken without a doctor’s prescription.

In many cases, you cannot do without medications, but if you know how to treat insomnia with folk remedies, why not try a harmless method, and only then move on to using medications?