Sleep is the time each night when the body repairs, heals and restores. If you’re not getting enough, and struggling with insomnia, it can put you at risk for all sorts of various health issues including: heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid issues, depression, adrenal fatigue, etc.
We’ve all heard the usual tips like, limit caffeine and alcohol, exercise regularly, etc., so today we’re going to avoid the common tips and look at some of the root causes as to why you aren’t sleeping well.
Here are my 10 Holistic Tips to Cure Insomnia Naturally:
1. If you tend to get a second wind at the end of the day, or when you lie down you can’t sleep, eat a small snack such as a piece of raw cheese or spoonful of almond butter right before bed. A second wind, or not being able to go to sleep, is usually due to high cortisol levels, so if you eat something, this can help drive those cortisol levels back down.
2. If you wake up in the middle of the night and you can’t fall back asleep, again, eat a small snack such as a piece of raw cheese or spoonful of almond butter. Why are you waking up? This tends to happen when blood sugar levels get too low when you’re sleeping which triggers the adrenals to send out cortisol into the bloodstream. When you eat a small snack, this will help drive the cortisol levels back down so you can sleep. Click here to read more about adrenal health.
3. Before you go to bed, rub 1 drop of cedarwood and 1 drop of lavender on the bottoms of your feet and then diffuse the same oils in your bedroom. I’ve shared this blend with thousands of people and I can’t tell you how many people come back telling me how well they slept using these two essential oils!
4. Turn off your Wi-Fi and put your phone in another room, or at least put it in airplane mode to reduce electromagnetic fields (EMFs). If you have a computer in your room, it’s also a good idea to completely power it down and unplug it. Man-made electromagnetic radiation can cause sleep issues so it’s a good idea to take simple steps to reduce your exposure.
You can put an automatic timer on your Wi-Fi, so that it turns off when you’re sleeping. If you absolutely have to sleep with your phone in your room, make sure it’s on airplane mode.
5. Do you wake up in the middle of the night because you need to go to the restroom? This is a sign of blood sugar imbalance, so take steps to reduce your sugar intake. Make these buttermints to curb cravings and your sleep should become much more restful and void of any midnight bathroom trips.
And, here are my top tips for balancing your blood sugar naturally which can have a profound effect on your quality of sleep.
6. Do you wake up sweating or nervous? Sweating is usually linked to liver congestion and waking up anxious in the middle of the night is usually rooted in adrenal fatigue. Click here to read about how to support the liver to reduce night sweats naturally or click here to read about steps you can start taking today to calm your adrenals.
7. Make sure you’re getting enough magnesium. Magnesium is calming for the central nervous system and helps us rest, but many of us are deficient. This deficiency is most often caused by too much stress or being in a fight-or-flight mode too often. When we are stressed, the first mineral the body burns through is magnesium, so this explains why so many of us need more of this important mineral! A super easy way to increase magnesium stores in the body is to take an Epsom salt bath for 20 minutes. Or, if you need supplements, I prefer this magnesium supplement.
8. Vitamin A plays an analogous role in setting our circadian rhythm. “When blue light from sunshine enters our eyes, Vitamin A translates it into a signal that tells our brain it is daytime. When this signal wanes, our brain knows that it is nighttime. This means that Vitamin A plays an essential role in helping us fall asleep on time, get high quality sleep, sleep long enough, wake up feeling rested, and stay alert and energetic throughout the day.” So, make sure you’re getting plenty of Vitamin A from animal foods such as eggs, grass-fed meats, organ meats, cultured dairy, etc.
A great supplement alongside animal foods is cod liver oil.
9. In the morning, go outside and get some sunlight in your eyes for 2-3 minutes (do not look directly at the sun). There are certain rays of light coming from the sun in the morning that tells the brain to set the circadian rhythm and it also tells your brain that in 12 hours, the body needs to make melatonin. As a bonus, if you can get outside when the sun is setting for a few minutes, this also helps signal to the body that night is coming soon.
This is a free and simple step that can help regulate your sleep and wake cycles!
10. Lastly, evaluate your bedroom conditions. Are you sleeping on a supportive mattress? If not, consider finding a new non-toxic and supportive mattress. Is the room dark? If not, consider blackout shades for your windows, or unplugging electronics in the room. Is the room too hot or too cold? A small fan or hot water bottle can make all the difference!
Have you found any tried-and-true tips for insomnia? Please share in the comments below!
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