Nothing feels as lonely as being wide awake in the middle of the night, while others are recharging their batteries. If this happens to you, the truth is you are not alone. According to the Sleep Health Foundation, more than 50% of Australian adults are suffering from at least one chronic sleep symptom that is affecting the quality of their life.
If you’re struggling to fall or stay asleep, you could benefit from trying a few natural sleep remedies that have helped others in the past.
Here’s how to fight insomnia the natural way!
A little goes a long way: sleep hygiene
People who have trouble sleeping are often advised to try different sleep hygiene remedies. Before you scoff at the notion of never using your phone while in bed (what a concept!), you should know that these are proven methods that work if you stick to them.
Here are the golden rules of sleep hygiene that can help you reclaim a much-needed night’s rest.
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Go to bed and get up at the same time each day. Yes, it might not be too exciting, but this is how we teach our bodies that it’s time to unwind and get some rest.
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Get up if you’ve been awake for more than 20 minutes. This may sound counterintuitive, but sitting in bed for long periods can turn into the very reason you’re not sleeping. Try reading or doing something boring until you get sleepy again.
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Avoid caffeine, nicotine & alcohol before bed. All of these can interfere with restful sleep. If you find yourself reaching for these, try substituting them for a herbal sleep tea, like our Native Relaxation Tea or Native Sleep Tea.
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Only use the bed for sleeping. Avoid watching TV, scrolling through Facebook, eating, paying the bills or working on your laptop whilst in bed. This can create stressful associations in the brain.
- Take a hot bath 1-2 hours before bedtime. Sleepiness is associated with a drop in body temperature, so you might start feeling drowsy when your body cools down after the bath.
A proven way to relax: meditation
One of the most common objections to meditation is this: “I can’t calm down my mind, how am I supposed to meditate?”.
The whole point of meditation is to gently focus it on an object of meditation (usually the breath). This is what simmers it down after a while. So having racing thoughts is not a problem - many of us are pestered by them most of the time anyway.
Next time you struggle with insomnia, why not use that time to meditate a bit instead of wallowing in frustration?
Here’s the easiest meditation to start with:
- Lay on your back or adopt a comfortable sitting position, keeping your spine straight.
- Take a deep breath: count to 4 when you breathe in, hold your breath for a count of 7, then exhale for a count of 8. Repeat 3 times
- Let yourself breathe naturally and start noticing the sensations you get when you inhale and exhale. You can focus on your belly, the chest or the tip of the nose.
- If your mind wanders (and it will), gently return the attention to the breathing when you notice your thoughts racing.
That’s it! Ease into the practise by starting small (5-10 minutes) and increasing time as you get used to the experience.
Sip your way to sweet dreams: calming teas
Do you believe in the healing power of plants? We sure do. And the good news is that there are many plants out there that can help you overcome your sleeping problems.
Take Jilungin, for example. We learned about it years ago from the Nyul Nyul community, which has been using it for ages to aid with sleep or overall wellbeing.
There are many calming teas out there, but none like our Native Relaxation Tea or Native Sleep Tea teas, both designed with this soothing Native Australian plant. They’ve received hundreds of 5-star reviews from satisfied (and well-rested!) customers that have reported a calming of the mind before bed.
We wholeheartedly recommend you try them for a minimum of two weeks to start noticing a difference.
Brew a cup of Roogenic sleep tea 1-2 hours before bed and allow yourself to unwind. As with all natural remedies, the benefits aren’t instant, so be patient. Remember that plants offer a long-term, healthy solution.
Insomnia is as unpleasant as it is hard to treat. Don’t give up though! With a bit of patience and the right natural remedies, you can turn it into a thing of the past and finally get some shut-eye!
