Are you one of the millions of Americans who has been diagnosed with insomnia? While doctors and scientists work on medicines that can help you sleep at night, many Americans are looking for natural remedies for insomnia and anxiety. If you’re losing sleep over the fact that you’re losing sleep, you are in good company: every year, American businesses lose more than $60 billion on worker absences due to insomnia. There are natural remedies available, and more insomniacs are working on their fitness and on their overall diet in order to rid themselves of insomnia.
There are several herbal supplements available to people who suffer from insomnia, but before taking them you should consult with your doctor. Valerian root has been used for centuries to induce sleep, but it could work to block the effectiveness of other medications. It is also contraindicated for use by pregnant women and young children, but could be effective for older adults who have trouble sleeping at night. A cup of chamomile tea can also produce a calmative effect if you have insomnia, and of course the old adage about drinking a cup of warm milk still holds true.
If you have insomnia, you may want to limit your caffeine intake after 4 pm. Studies show that you should also cut down on using your cell phone or tablet after 8 pm: you may be keeping yourself awake by watching TV or by using electronic devices. You might have to experiment with diet and exercise before you find a surefire way to go to bed at night, but you could be interfering with your sleep by worrying about it while you use your tablet or home computer. You need to be relaxed and in a comfortable environment before you can go to sleep, and watching the news at night could be adding to your anxiety.
In addition to limiting your amount of caffeine, you may want to consult with a doctor about medicines that could help you get six to eight hours of sleep every night. Melatonin is a popular medication that could be the key to getting enough rest: it is a hormone that is produced by both animals and plants and has been studied as a way to regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Before you start an herbal regimen or begin to use melatonin, it is best to consult with a doctor. It’s important to stay healthy, and you should make sure that you’re taking the proper dose of melatonin. If your insomnia won’t respond to medication, you could be dealing with a deeper anxiety or even a neurological issue.
Anxiety is much more common than we realize: there are more than 40 million people in the United States who are seeking help for their anxiety. The causes of anxiety may vary, and if you are experiencing a racing heartbeat and feelings of panic or suffocation, you should talk to your doctor about medicines and possible diet changes. Often, people with anxiety worry that they are abnormal or somehow defective, but anxiety is a natural response to stress and fear. Your job might be making you tense during the day, and when you come home at night you could be decompressing without realizing the cause of your tension and anxiety.
Sleeping for six to eight hours is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, and if your sleep hygiene is disrupted then you may be causing yourself health problems. If your diet is free of caffeine, you’ve turned off all electronic devices, you’ve taken a cup of tea and you’re still unable to sleep at night, talk to a doctor about your options. There are natural remedies for insomnia and anxiety, but taking the first step can be a difficult one: there are millions of Americans who struggle to sleep at night, but with the proper medical intervention you should be able to return to a normal sleep schedule.
