Posts Tagged ‘Over-the-counter drug’

Natural Insomnia Remedies That Work

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

With the fast pace of today’s living, insomnia is very common. The hectic pace of our modern culture makes it tough to get a good night’s sleep, but many health conscious people understandably want to avoid taking drugs to solve the problem.

That’s smart; we should avoid taking prescription and over the counter drugs as much as we possibly can. Here are some hints to help you fall asleep naturally. You should be aware that natural insomnia remedies are not one size fits all; if one method below doesn’t work for you, try another one.

Avoid caffeine. This is a big one. Try to get out of the habit of drinking coffee or tea a couple of hours before going to bed. For those with severe insomnia, it is wise to cut out caffeine entirely. And it’s not just coffee and tea that have caffeine. When you buy soda, chocolates or any over the counter medicine, look for its presence on labels.

Don’t lie in bed and worry about your insomnia. If you’re not able to drop off, it is not wise to lie in bed tossing and turning for hours. It is much more useful to get up, do something enjoyable but relaxing, and stop thinking about sleep. Paradoxically, that is just when sleepiness often comes. For many people, this is one of the toughest natural insomnia cures to follow, but it’s very effective. It trains your mind and body to associate the bed with going to sleep. If you are feeling really anxious we would suggest dealing with that before anything else.

Get more exercise. One big reason many of us have so much trouble falling asleep is that we’re simply not tired. It’s important to have a good exercise session every day, however, exercising immediately before going to bed is a bad idea. This acts as a stimulant for the nerves and your heart beat speeds up which is not conducive to get sleep. The earlier in the day you work out, the more effective it will be in curing your insomnia.


Get in the habit of going to bed the same time every night.
The same thing goes for getting up. Our bodies need regular routines to function at their best, and staying up way past your usual bedtime, and/or sleeping later will throw this routine off. It’s tempting to sleep in on the weekend, but if you have trouble falling asleep, you should avoid it.

These are the most common insomnia cures that don’t involve taking pills, but there are others. What’s important is to find the one that works for you, and stick with it. Insomnia is tough to deal with, and can have all kinds of negative effects on your life. Don’t put off finding a natural insomnia remedy that works for you.