The most important asset in personal growth is none other than the sleep of 8 hours for a human, which in today’s culture has seemed to vanish becoming obsolete. The initiative to improvise our sleeping routine starts off with looking for the best natural sleep aid to supplement our irregular sleep.
Sleeplessness has become a common problem around the world due to fast-phased life and ever-changing lifestyle in adaptation to changing environment.
There are a wide variety of sleep aids available, both natural well as artificial aids. A few of the natural aids include sleep-inducing essential oils, sleep-inducing music, pillow mists etc. Artificial aids often come with consuming pills in the form of tablets or powder.
Depending on medication for sleeplessness may cause fear among people for its unintended health complications and fear of permanent dependence on such medicines in the long run. So, natural sleep aid supplements are a better alternative for short-term sleeplessness.
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Best Natural Sleep Aid
The safe way to fall asleep is to prefer natural sleep aids over artificial ones as they rarely create any side effects on the human body. The purpose of natural aids is just to make you feel comfortable with falling asleep without any intention of making profits or causing any harm to the body whereas, the artificial ones aim to maximize their profits irrespective of the harsh consequences, thereby emerging victorious on their commercial edge.
Natural supplements are natural nutrients that are cent per cent plant or animal-based. To put it in a nutshell, they are naturally available food sources that contain multi-vitamin and minerals. Normally people intake these supplements for various health-related issues and also as part of their diet.
Just like you need the best natural supplements for your pre-workout you also need some best natural sleep aid supplements to overcome this problem.
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Kiwi Fruit
Kiwi fruit or Chinese gooseberry is rich in nutrients and low in calories. It contains antioxidants and serotonin. Serotonin is an essential hormone for sleep. The high Vitamin C content of Kiwi helps in reducing blood pressure and also maintains bowel health.
Thus, reduces stress and solves indigestion problem, which is one of the reasons for sleeplessness. A study demonstrates Kiwi fruit efficiency in improving the sleep time of adults.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg is a spice with a strong smell. They are proven for anti-depressant quality. Consumption of Nutmeg has been one of the natural sleep remedies for centuries in India and Indonesia. Nutmeg can be consumed in the form of powder. It’s a proven remedy for smoothing indigestion and reducing insomnia.
Mace is the nutmeg’s seed covering. It’s more delicate than nutmeg and used in dried form. They are good for intestinal gas difficulty and kidney-related complications. Good intestinal health may boost a good sleeping pattern.
However, the quantity of intake should be cautiously administered. A low quantity of consumption is advisable.
Banana
Banana is available all-weather fruit and economical too. It is one of the prime supplementary aid for sleep. Banana is rich in potassium and magnesium. Magnesium is a muscle relaxant that enhances the quality of sleeping time.
It also contains a high level of tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid present in all protein sources. This tryptophan is the forerunner for sleep-inducing hormones and helps in the secretion of 5-HTP in the human brain. Thereby boost serotonin and melatonin secretion.
Diary Products
Dairy products like cheese, milk, yoghurt, etc., contain carbohydrate in the form of lactose. It’s a known fact that carbohydrates stimulate insulin hormone production. This insulin hormone is important for a good metabolic process.
Insulin hormone also amplifies tryptophan production and further secretion of serotonin and melatonin. This helps in the proper regulation of the cycle of sleep and wakefulness, making it one of the most reliable and best natural sleep aid remedies.
But, people with lactose intolerance need not worry. They could opt for plant-based milk, i.e., Almond milk, soya milk, rice milk, etc. These products stimulate similar benefits and improve sleep.
Nuts
All nuts are known to increase the secretion of melatonin and serotonin.
Almonds are the richest sources of melatonin and highly efficient in regularizing the internal clocks and signals the body in a timely manner to prepare to sleep. It is also plentiful in magnesium and tryptophan content. Similarly, Cashew nuts also a source of melatonin.
Pistachios carry specific phenolics. Also these phenolics helps in the breakdown of tryptophan into melatonin and avoids them converting into a toxic compound. Pistachios also chip in delayed sleep onset and increase sleep duration, people also know nuts to be natural sedatives.
Pine nuts and walnuts increase good cholesterol and help in DHA production. Macadamia nut contains oleic acid. Also it’s a parent compound for the production of oleamide, a sleep-inducing compound.
Some More Tips and Natural Aids
More traditional and basic natural remedies for sleep are :
Take a Hot Water Shower Before Hitting the Sack
The hot water shower is proved to be one of the prominent stress- busters.
It relaxes each muscle of the body, assuaging one as that of a feel of the massage, thus inducing sleep much faster than normal. One can also call it natural sleeping pills.
Pillow Veils of Mist
Studies have shown that sleep is signaled through scent. There are various aromas in nature that aid to capture sleep. Also the pillow mists come with a combination of many essential oils like chamomile and lavender, rose and jasmine etc.
These mists when sprayed gently on pillows, bed sheets or even the curtains provide an environment suitable to induce sleep in humans. Studies have shown that the scent has the power to reduce blood pressure, triggering the production of ‘melatonin’ – a hormone that promotes restful sleep, making it one of the best natural sleep aid.
Drop A Few Drops Of Essential Oils
The power of essential oils extracted from the tea tree, flowers, roots holds an immanent nature to induce sleep by alleviating anxiety.
Many insomniacs these days, tend to drop a few drops of essential oils on their backside of the neck, hot water bath and feet to get tuned with their natural sleep-inducing powers. This has proven to be magical and safe for many.
Unleash The Musical Magic
The studies have shown that music holds a magical power to soothe the sensory glands and nerves thereby oozing stress and anxiety.
Listening to soft, calm and slow rhymed tunes put one to sleep. Often many people choose to listen to the instrumental tunes of their favourite songs.
Consume A Healthy Diet And Have A Physical Workout
The studies show that those who invest their time in active physical workout tend to get better and faster sleep as to those who just tend to work on the mental part. The exhaustion in muscles induces sleep naturally. Nowadays even beverages such as chamomile tea have been introduced to promote sleep. One can anyhow adjust their diet and emphasize their workout to get the best out of these natural aids to enhance sleep. Tiring yourself out by having a physical workout has got to be the best natural sleep aid one can find, which will also benefit their health.
At times even giving gentle massage on feet, face and hands induces sleep in a natural way. The aim to release stress and anxiety thereby producing sleep-inducing hormone is the key to fall asleep better and faster.
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Conclusion
For ages, these natural remedies have been winning to induce sleep naturally. Though it depends on a person to choose the one that best works for him/her.
These supplements must be carefully administered, and people who are under medications are advised to take these after consultation with a medical practitioner. Prolonged sleeplessness and sleeplessness due to emotional traumas should be immediately consulted.
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Dr. Karen Gill is an ABMS board certified pediatrician whose expertise includes breastfeeding, nutrition, obesity prevention, and childhood sleep and behavior issues. She currently lives and practices in Portland, Oregon, where she also volunteers for CASA for Children and the Red Cross.