Don’t Lose Sleep over Insomnia: Dangers and Natural Remedies

Top 5 Natural Remedies for Insomnia and Dangers of being Sleep Deprived

We all know what that’s about, don’t we? The traffic in your life is jamming up. Everything is fast-paced, high-pressured, loaded with responsibility. It’s all stress, all the time.

Stress

Work out your troubles. Aerobic exercise can do a lot for your body and mind. It can induce a sense of well-being and tone down the stress response. And you don’t need to run a marathon, either; three 20-minute periods of exercise each week is enough. So take a break and get out there and walk, swim, bike, jog, dance, or aerobicize. Check with your doctor before starting any program if you’re not a regular exerciser or if you have any significant health problems.
Opt for an unstimulating diet. Cut back on caffeine, a dietary stimulant that can make you feel anxious even when you aren’t under stress. Who needs the extra jitters? Nicotine can do the same, so reduce or give up the cigarette habit.

Insomnia

Insomnia can have a significant impact on your health. People with insomnia are
Four times more likely to be diagnosed with depression.
More likely to have a serious illness, including heart disease.
More likely to have an accident on the job, at home, or on the road.
More likely to miss work and accomplish less on the job than well-rested coworkers.
Insomnia is also one of the least-understood sleep disorders. However, sleep experts have come up with many tried-and-true ways to relieve insomnia. The results of their work appear in the remedies on the next pages. Try them out, and see what works for you.

L-theanine (or green tea)
They say Japanese Buddhist monks could meditate for hours, both alert and relaxed. One reason may have been an amino acid in their green tea called L-theanine, says Mark Blumenthal, of the American Botanical Council.

Research shows that L-theanine helps curb a rising heart rate and blood pressure, and a few small human studies have found that it reduces anxiety. In one study, anxiety-prone subjects were calmer and more focused during a test if they took 200 milligrams of L-theanine beforehand.

You can get that much L-theanine from green tea, but you’ll have to drink many cups—as few as five, as many as 20.

Sleep may elude you if your bed is too hard or too soft, or if your pillows aren’t just right. Sometimes, insomnia is can also be caused by being awakened repeatedly by loud noises. Often, the sleeper is not aware of what awakened them.
Try sleeping in a quieter room, or wear earplugs. The best sleep environment is one that is dark, quiet, comfortable, and cool, according to the National Sleep Foundation. You should also use your bedroom only for sleep and sex. No work, no eating, no television, and no arguing with your bed partner.

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