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Insomnia, a common sleep disorder, is considered as a nightmare with many people because they often wake up and struggle to sleep for several hours in the middle of every night. Insomnia is generally classified into 2 types: chronic and acute. While chronic insomnia lasts for few months or even longer, acute insomnia lasts for few days or weeks and is more common. This leads to poor performance, irritability, daytime fatigue, depression, tension headaches, and various other health problems. Therefore, in this writing, you will discover 12 most effective home remedies for insomnia in adults & children that work naturally to treat your terrible insomnia. If you want to stop insomnia and have sweet dreams, keep reading!
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12 Most Effective Natural Home Remedies For Insomnia In Adults & Children
1. Nutmeg & Gooseberry Juice
Nutmeg is known as a natural sleep aid due to its sedative properties.
- You add a dash or 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg powder to a cup of lukewarm milk. You should drink it before bedtime.
- Alternatively, you can combine a little of nutmeg powder with 1 tsp of Indian gooseberry juice. You should have this three times per day. It is very good for your insomnia, depression, and indigestion.
- Another way is to add ¼ tsp of fresh nutmeg to one cup of any fruit juice or warm water.
2. Cumin Seeds
“In addition to digestive aid, cumin that is a popular spice has been used to treat insomnia.”
Cumin oil also has a tranquilizing effect too.
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- You can have a cumin tea in order to remove fatigue, insomnia, and tiredness. Firstly, you heat 1 tsp of cumin seeds with low temperature for about 5 seconds. Then you add 1 cup of water and boil the mixture. After turning off the heat, you add the mixture to an empty bottle and leave it for 5 minutes. Finally, you strain this mixture. You should drink the fresh cumin tea before bedtime.
- More simply, you mix a mashed banana with 1 tsp of cumin powder and eat it before bedtime. You can try to make the cumin powder. You grind cumin seeds into powder after dry roasting them.
3. Warm Milk, Saffron & Cinnamon Powder
Milk helps to relax your body and mind. Moreover, the tryptophan found in the milk promotes your sleep [1].
Recipe 1:
- You can mix ¼ tsp of cinnamon powder with a cup of warm milk. You should drink it roughly one hour before bedtime.
- Or you can add 1 tsp of honey in a glass of milk. Then you mix this mixture well and drink it before bedtime. This mixture works as a natural tranquilizer and tonic to prevent you from insomnia.
- You should try to add one tsp of aniseed in a half liter of milk. Next, you mix this mixture and heat it for about fifteen minutes. Then you strain this into a cup. Now you drink the aniseed-milk mixture when it is still hot to get a nice sleep.
Recipe 2:
The moderate sedative properties found in the saffron can help you to reduce insomnia.
- Firstly, you steep 2 strands of fresh saffron in a glass of warm milk.
- Before going to bad, you should drink it daily.
4. Bananas
Like the milk, bananas contain the tryptophan, an amino acid, which is very useful in reducing insomnia and raising serotonin levels. This regulates your sleep patterns. In addition, bananas contain some minerals like calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium that are muscle relaxants. Moreover, bananas contain a great level of hormones such as serotonin and melatonin, thus relaxing your brain and inducing a good sound sleep [2]. You should eat one banana roughly 30 minutes before going to bed in order to increase your magnesium level and relax your muscles.
5. Honey And Apple Cider Vinegar
Honey promotes your sleep by raising your insulin and releasing serotonin which is known as a brain chemical regulating sleep/wake cycles, and apple cider vinegar includes amino acid that rejects the fatigue. Moreover, honey is loaded with antioxidants that help to reduce the oxidative stress in the body [3]. You should know that the low level of the serotonin cause sleep disruption while its high level, on the other hand, is associated with wakefulness. So this remedy can help you to reach the optimum mid-level of the serotonin.
- Mix 2 tsp of honey and 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar in a glass of lukewarm water. You should drink it before bedtime.
- You can make a tonic by mixing a cup of honey with 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar. This tonic is very good for your sleep, so you should drink a tablespoon of this mixture with or without water daily.
- If you have a lot of time, you may dilute 2 tsp of honey in a glass of water to drink daily.
6. Tart Cherry Juice
If you want to have a deep sleep every night, try to drink a half or one cup of fresh tart cherry juice which contains full of tryptophan. It is an important amino acid converting to serotonin that converts to melatonin. As you know, the melatonin helps you maintain your sleep/wake cycle by leading to drowsiness and lower your body temperature by working effectively with your central nervous system in order to sync the biological clock.
Besides, tart cherry juice has anti-inflammatory substances and anthocyanins (antioxidants). Scientists showed that patients with sleep disorders slept almost 1 hour and 30 minutes more when they consumed tart cherry juice [4].
According to a study in the Indian Journal of Palliative Care in 2016, melatonin significantly improves sleep patterns in people who suffered from cancer and insomnia. The quality of sleep was improved more from 7 to 14 days [5].
7. Valerian
Valerian is considered as a good medicinal herb with muscle relaxing and sedative properties. It helps increase the amount of gamma-aminobutyric acid that has a calming effect and can adjust the action process of nerve cells. The valerian is often brewed up a cup of tea. However, if you feel the smell too strong, you should change it to capsule form. Now, I give you the way to consume the valerian.
Gather ingredients:
- One-half tsp of nutmeg and valerian root
- 2 cups of hot water
Do this:
- Firstly, you mix the nutmeg and valerian root in 2 cups of hot water. Next, you steep the mixture for fifteen minutes. Then you strain and drink this tea. Remember that you should not use the method on a regular basis for a long time because it may cause heart problems.
- Simply, you should drink the valerian tea to get rid of insomnia.
- Another way you should try is to dilute a half tsp of valerian tincture in fresh water and drink it. You had better have 3 times daily.
8. Chamomile
Chamomile is not only the beautiful flower but also a reliable remedy for improving your sleep. It helps relax your muscles, and it also is a substance named apigenin which can bind to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors[6]. They affect your sleepiness and central nervous system.
Recipe 1:
Gather ingredients:
- One-fourth cup of chamomile flowers
- Honey (if you would like to add)
- Squeezed lemon juice (if you want to add)
- Milk (optional)
How to make:
- Drinking a cup of fresh chamomile on a chilly night before bedtime is the most delightful. You had better use fresh flowers to have the best effect. However, you can use dried flowers if you do not have the fresh flowers.
- If you use the fresh flowers, you use only the stems and flower heads. Firstly, you add the flowers to your teapot. Next, you pour about 4 cups of water in the teapot and boil it. After a few minutes, you gently stir the chamomile tea and strain it. You also can add a little honey or a pinch of cinnamon or squeezed lemon juice.
Recipe 2:
Another remedy is the lemon balm relaxing tea that can promote relaxation, calmness and lift the mood. As you know, the depression is related to your insomnia because you lack the serotonin. The lemon balm can prevent you from this and promote your physical and mental health, and your sleep.
Gather ingredients:
- Honey
- 2 tsp of dried chamomile
- 8-10 tbsp of fresh lemon balm or 2 tbsp of dried lemon balm
- 8 ounces of fresh water
How to make:
- Firstly, you mix the chamomile with the lemon balm into a cup of boiling water.
- Then you steep it for 5 minutes and strain it.
- You should drink it about 30 to 45 minutes before going to bed.
9. Lavender Aromatherapy
Lavender has mild sedative properties which help you sleep faster and more soundly. According to a study published in the Journal of the Complementary Therapies in Medicine in 2014, lavender oil capsules, when taken with a type of an antidepressant, are beneficial in improving the sleep patterns in those who suffer from depression. People also reported lower levels of anxiety, which seems to allow for better sleep [8].
- Firstly, you take lotions to bath salts containing lavender and anything like essential oil (coconut oil, or olive oil and so on).
- Then you apply this to your body and gently massage.
- If you want to get better sleep, you should do this regularly.
- You can use other essential oils you like to make you sleep better.
10. Saint John’s Wort
Like the other home remedies for insomnia, many people use Saint John’s Wort frequently to reduce the depression. The hypericin presenting in it helps lift the level of serotonin in your brain.
“You have more serotonin, you have more melatonin. It means that you have better sleep.”
You can make it into useful tea as a sleep aid.
Gather ingredients:
- Lemon or honey (optional)
- 2 tsp of dried flower Saint John’s Wort
- 8 oz of boiled water
How to make:
- Add this herb to a cup of boiling water. Next, steep for 5-10 minutes and strain it.
- You should drink this tea once daily in the morning or 30-45 minutes before bedtime.
11. Catnip
As you may know, catnip – a member of the large mint family is considered as one of the home remedies for insomnia. The catnip has nepetalactone properties which help you be drowsy, relax, and ready for bed. You can enjoy a warm tea of catnip with a little of honey before you go to bed.
Gather ingredients:
- Honey (optional)
- 8 oz of boiling water
- 3-4 tsp of fresh catnip or 1-2 tsp of dried catnip
How to make:
Firstly, you add catnip to a cup of boiling water. Then, you steep it for about 10 minutes and strain it. You can add a little of honey to taste well. You should drink this 30 minutes before going to bed.
Additional Tips:
To get rid of the terrible sleep disorder, you need to “say goodbye” your bad habits immediately.
Here are some small but effective tips:
- Limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine (no coffee in the afternoon) because they may lead to sleeplessness when they occupy more quantity.
- If your bed is too soft or hard, your sleep may be disrupted. Therefore, the best environment for your sleep is quiet, comfortable, dark, and cool room. Make sure that you use your bedroom for sleep or sex, not for other things such as eating foods or working with your laptop.
- You should switch off your mobile phone, laptop, or tablet when you go to bed because they will release the blue wavelength suppressing the productions of melatonin, which leads to your insomnia.
- You should do exercises like yoga, aerobics, or even meditation before four or five hours of bedtime. This makes your body relax and your mind calm to get a perfect sleep.
- You should eat the foods containing calcium and magnesium that are effective sleep aids to fall asleep quickly.
- If you drink a lot of water for few hours before bedtime, you may wake up because of urine, so you should avoid drinking too much liquid 3-4 hours before you go to bed.
- It is very good to write a sleep journal to follow what makes you sleep difficultly or what makes you fall asleep easily. Therefore, you can check the activities or foods that disrupt your sleep.
- Finally, note that taking naps during daytime causes the sleeplessness at the night.
If you would like to learn more about simple but effective home remedies for other common health issues, please go to our main Home Remedies page. I have given you 12 most effective home remedies for insomnia in adults & children that work naturally to treat your terrible insomnia; I hope that they have the best effects on your sleep at night. If you want to share your experiences or any other ideas, please leave your comments below. They are very valuable to us.
Sources:
- Natural Sleep Solutions https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/natural-solutions#1
- Plus Tips to Get a Better Night's Rest https://www.verywellhealth.com/natural-ways-to-help-you-sleep-88230
- Why use home remedies for insomnia? https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/insomnia-home-remedies
