How To Cure Insomnia

Insomnia is the inability to sleep for the adequate amount of time necessary for the mind and the body to function properly. Normally, 6 to 8 hours of sleep is enough for a grown up person, but when s/he is unable to sleep continuously for even a couple of hours at a stretch, the condition is termed as insomnia. The primary causes behind this are stress and anxiety, other serious chronic ailments and excessive consumption of caffeine-based foods and drinks. Insomnia makes the patient inattentive and irritable during his/her waking hours. When the problem persists for months, it can cause frequent headaches, physical and mental exhaustion, as well as lapses in memory and emotional disturbances.

One of the easiest natural remedies for insomnia is regular physical exercise. Make sure that you walk, jog or swim every day for at least an hour. Other forms of physical activity like aerobics can also be practiced. This ensures that the level of lactic acid in the body remains within healthy limits, which is essential to adequate and undisturbed sleep. You may also try breathing exercises for sometime before going to bed. An erratic lifestyle is often responsible for sleeplessness. Make sure that you go to bed every night and wake up every morning at a fixed time. This is essential for the body to get adjusted to and function according to a regular routine of work and rest. Also avoid going to bed directly after a hectic day’s work. This often causes unresolved worries to disturb sleep. Instead, take some time off before going to bed and try to sort out your anxieties during that period. Follow this up with some light mental activity like reading or listening to soft music and then go to bed. Avoid drinking carbonated, alcoholic or caffeine-based drinks in the evening, as well as smoking after dinner, as all of these are stimulants that make the body hyperactive and prevent the mental and physical relaxation that is necessary for sleep. A popular remedy for insomnia is to drink a cup of milk mixed with a tablespoon of honey every night before going to bed. However, make sure that you do not eat bedtime snacks that have high sugar content, as these tend to make the system hyperactive and hamper deep sleep. For another remedy, grind four nutmegs into a fine powder and eat this at bedtime every night.