On our quest for the magical cure that will give us a perfect night’s sleep – a renewing, bliss-out experience that will leave us refreshed, energized and eager to start the day – we often search through a minefield of remedies. If you’re anything like me, you’ve counted sheep – and found they led you more toward frustration than the land of nod. So, what’s a sleepless soul to do? Don’t fret; like many who struggle to sleep, I’ve entered the natural sleep aid market and I want to share my finds.
Table of Contents
1. Melatonin: The Sleep Hormone
We begin with melatonin, the enigmatic serotonin derivative which coaxes the brain to put up its feet. Our bodies produce our own melatonin from an internal master clock, but our love-affair with screens can often interfere with its release. Second, supplementing with melatonin functions like a neon sign to the brain: TIME TO SLEEP NOW! Note, however, that ‘less is more’ and that good sleep hygiene more often includes melatonin as a signal to shift your circadian rhythm than as a nightly nightcap.
My trick: I’ll take a small dose about an hour before bedtime to help me drift off, but not so much that I end up feeling groggy the next morning.
2. Lavender: The Scent of Sleep
Lavender. Nothing fancy, no special spa day, just lavender. Inhaling lavender oil before bedtime improved sleep quality in both insomniacs and those with anxiety, and I’ve made a ritual out of diffusing the soothing scent into the air before bed: I can feel the lavender hug me.
3. Valerian Root: The Ancient Herb
Valerian root has been used as a sleep aid and sedative for years. This plant is renowned for its long use as a sedative. It’s effective but smells like wet soil. I’ve taken valerian root tea to bed, and it knocked me out, but I woke up with a headache. To each, their own, but perhaps tread carefully.
4. Magnesium: The Mineral Miracle
Magnesium, sometimes referred to as ‘the forgotten mineral’, is involved in more than 300 biochemical functions, including the mechanisms that calm us and make us drowsy. In my own experience, a magnesium deficiency results in restless nights and poor sleep because the mineral supports the production of the neurotransmitter GABA, which slows your brain down and helps you fall and stay asleep. To increase intake, I began eating more foods rich in magnesium, such as almonds, spinach, and bananas. When the days are especially stressful, I take a magnesium supplement.
5. CBN (Cannabinol): The Newcomer
We haven’t heard so much about a third cannabinoid – CBN – that’s gaining attention as a sleep aid. Scientific research is preliminary, but the evidence points to CBN having a sedative effect. I tried CBN-infused indica gummies from Simple Leaf, and they were the real-MVP of sleep aids. I start feeling relaxed and slowly drift into a fantastic night of sleep with an increase in sleep depth and quality.
6. Chamomile: The Sleepy Tea
Chamomile tea is like a warm blanket for your nervous system. It’s full of apigenin, an antioxidant that might reduce anxiety and promote sleep by binding to certain receptors in the brain. It’s become a part of my bedtime routine. It is much like the ‘switch off’ that you get at the end of the day.
7. Passionflower: The Anxiety Alleviator
Last but not least, Passiflora. That’s the Latin name for the Passiflora plant, the gorgeous-looking but not-so-gorgeous herb – it does have its advantages, promoting a sense of peace, and it has a history of use in treating anxiety. A cup of passionflower tea helps me drift off to sleep at night.
Personal Experiences
What I have outlined here – blending natural sleep aids and relaxation techniques into my regimen – has revolutionized my sleep from fitful to rewarding. But the body chemistry of each of us is unique. Try minuscule doses and see how your body reacts, and always ask your healthcare practitioner, if you are on other medications.
Whether it’s lavender’s soothing fragrance or the sedate effects of CBN, utilizing these natural sleep aids can be a gentle, effective way to upgrade the quality of your rest so you, too, can drift away.
Keep in mind that good sleep habits, such as getting in some daylight and exercise, having a restful bedroom environment, and limiting night-time screen exposure, are important, too. But as we sometimes need some extra help in falling asleep, these nature-based sleep aids might offer the right ticket.
Beyond the seven effective sleep aids I’ve already covered, let’s take a further look at more practices, substances and lifestyle approaches that can also contribute to better sleep. Our journey now goes beyond what we put in our bodies to daily habits and the environment we create around sleep.
Exercise: The Natural Sleep Promoter
Probably the most powerful intervention you can introduce regularly to improve the quality of your sleep is physical exercise. Ideally, you do it regularly: for example, three or four times a week. The effects of exercise on sleep quality tell us something very important about the correlation between physical activity and sleep.
Dietary Considerations: Foods That Foster Sleep
Eating food good for sleep begins with the ability of tryptophan to get converted to serotonin (and eventually melatonin, which regulates our internal body clock and helps to keep us asleep). Foods low in fat and high in tryptophan include turkey, eggs and cheese. Nuts, seeds and whole grains are high in magnesium, and the same vitamin also aids sleep. A balanced diet should be good for promoting sleep.
Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: Quieting the Mind
Rather, certain practices, such as meditation, deep breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation, can be very useful in improving sleep quality and battle insomnia. These techniques allow us to calm our minds and still our bodies in preparation for sleep. I have personally found that the occasional 10-minute meditation before hitting the hay has helped to tame my racing mind, allowing me to get much-needed rest.
The Role of Light: Mimicking Natural Rhythms
Our exposure to light also drives our sleep-wake cycle. Increasing exposure to circadian rhythms (i.e., the rising and setting of the sun) throughout the day while decreasing night-time exposure to blue light is linked to better health. I use blue light blocking glasses and have dimmer switches at home, so my exposure to blue light decreases as the evening goes on.
The Power of Routine: Establishing a Sleep Schedule
Consistency is the best policy when it comes to sleep: going to bed and getting up at the same time, even on weekends, will likely help improve the quality of sleep that you do get. It can be helpful to establish a bedtime ritual, which will signal to the body that it’s time to settle down. A possible bedtime ritual might include a quiet pastime such as reading, perhaps accompanied by soft music, or a warm bath.
Temperature and Environment: Creating a Sleep Sanctuary
Sleep environment matters a lot. Your bedroom should be dark, quiet and cold. Buy a good mattress and high-quality pillows. If you’re able to sleep in a cooler room with blackout curtains, then your sleep will drastically improve.
Supplements and Herbal Teas: Additional Natural Aids
Although I’ve covered just a few categories of supplements and teas here, there’s also a range of other sleep-promoting suggestions, including lemon balm, Ginkgo biloba, and tart cherry juice, each with potentially helpful – but, again, differently actioned – properties. I want to be clear that these should be addressed with caution, generally speaking, and always under the guidance of your healthcare provider, as they can interact with medications and are not appropriate for everyone.
Personal Experiences and Continual Adjustment
My quest for healthier sleep has taught me that I have to be willing to shape-shift and let myself be influenced by what my body needs; what works for you one month might not work so well the next, so be ready to make some tweaks to your routine and your tools.
Sleep is ultimately a whole-body process, so enhancing it can involve more than taking a supplement before bed. It may involve changing how we structure our days, what we do before bed to prepare our bodies and our interactions with the physical and social environment. Coupled with the science-backed tactics you’ve already learned, these differently-hued and seasoned practices and adjustments can take your sleeping – and, therefore, your health, mood, and reset button – to the next level.
In short, sleep is key to our health. Devoting time and energy to building a better sleep life is worth it, efficacious, and will ripple across all aspects of your wellness and life. With naturally sourced supplements, simple lifestyle changes, or building a sleep sanctuary, you have paths available to you wherever you are on life’s journey. So go out there and try, sweet dreams on the other side.