Home Remedies for Insomnia:

A large majority of people experience insomnia at some point or the other. Insomnia is actually a symptom and not a disease by itself. It refers to the difficulty in the individual’s ability to fall asleep or stay asleep. Individuals differ in the amount of sleep they require and hence insomnia cannot be determined in terms the number of hours of sleep an individual gets. The symptoms of insomnia include trouble in falling asleep or repeatedly waking up during the night. This lack or poor quality of sleep may cause many problems for the individual during the day such as inability to concentrate, memory problems, irritability, fatigue and improper motor coordination.

Insomnia may be caused due to changes in work routine (shifts), constipation, digestion problems, stress, anxiety and depression. Watching television or reading addictively and intake of excessive tea, coffee and alcohol can also bring about disruptions in sleep. Room temperatures, if very hot or very cold, can also cause difficulties in sleeping. Withdrawal from stimulants, alcohol or other drugs causes many side effects, and one of them is insomnia. Illness or disease may also make it difficult for an individual to sleep properly. Certain medications for cold, asthma, high blood pressure and mental conditions such as depression can also cause insomnia.

Taking warm baths or foot baths prove quite effective in dealing with insomnia. Most people suffer from insomnia due to mental stress. As such a few minutes of meditation just before going to bed will relax the mind and help one sleep better. It has been suggested that one should sleep by 10 pm, as this way the quality of sleep is far better and falling asleep is also easier at this time. Dinner must be a smaller meal so that there is no excessive pressure on the digestive system during the night. Listening to soft music helps greatly in stimulating sleep. Oil massages just before hitting the bed are a good way to alleviate stress. You can use sesame or coconut oil to massage the body, and then after thirty minutes take a warm bath and then go to bed. Regular exercise, especially four hours before bedtime, lowers the temperature of the body and facilitates sleep. Taking a mixture of celery juice and honey at night is known to bring about good sleep. A glass of warm milk mixed with a teaspoon of honey is another popular remedy for insomnia. An herbal tea made with aniseed, honey and milk can also be taken for relief from insomnia. Chamomile tea is a well known remedy for calming the mind, thereby making it easier to fall asleep.