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Natural Ways to a Good Night’s Sleep

Take a nice, deep yawn before you start reading this. For years, scientists around the world have been trying to figure out if yawning has an actual purpose, and the closest thing to concrete evidence they’ve come up with is that the action of stretching our jaws, inhaling deeply, then exhaling may regulate the temperature of our brain, bringing on a moment of refreshment. We will explore some sleep statistics and some Natural Ways to a Good Nights Sleep.

Some Statistics

Felt good, didn’t it? That’s because if you’re like most Americans, you’re definitely not getting enough sleep. That could be because you either have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, both of which are common complaints for the 20% of Americans who are diagnosed with a sleep disorder. But for the rest of us, there are still many reasons why you have yet to regard sleep as a friend. First of all, today’s world isn’t making it any easier. In 1910, the average person slept for 9 hours, whereas today the average hovers around 6.8 hours. What’s more, since 1985, the percentage of adults getting less than 6 hours a night has gone up by 31%. That doesn’t leave much hope for the future!

However, we’re taking hope by the horns with a few highly effective natural remedies—some obvious, some not—that may help you get better quality Zzzs no matter what your lifestyle entails.

Natural Sleep Supplements

For years, it was easy enough to pop an over-the-counter sleep aid like Nytol and doze off within half an hour, but once your alarm went off, getting out of bed feeling rested and refreshed was anything but easy! That’s because the active ingredient in most OTC sleep aids—diphenhydramine—can leave you feeling groggy and cloudy-headed. Fortunately, mother nature offers a buffet of options that, rather than knock you out cold, can assist your body in drifting off naturally.

Melatonin is a natural hormone that’s found in your body which helps to regulate the night and day cycles into sleep cycles. When it gets dark, your body typically produces melatonin that makes you feel sleepy and prepares your body for bed. When it’s light out, melatonin production decreases, thus letting you gain awareness. Low melatonin levels can cause trouble sleeping, but synthetically-produced melatonin supplements are known for helping bring about a natural, more restful sleep, and is especially beneficial at staving off jet lag.

Herbal supplements are gaining more and more popularity due to their availability and the growing cultural trend toward natural remedies. One of the most popular is valerian root, an herb native to Asia and Europe. Also known for its soothing effect on anxiety, depression and menopause symptoms, there are many supplements and teas available on the market containing valerian root. Other commonly used herbs include hops, lavender (which can be both taken internally as a tea or used to scent your room, thanks to its calming fragrance), passion flower, and ginkgo biloba.

Natural compounds as tryptophan, magnesium and L-Theanine are becoming known for their sleep-inducing benefits. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that may help improve sleep quality, and probably most famous for being the mystery ingredient in turkey that makes you tired after an indulgent Thanksgiving dinner. Already an essential mineral, magnesium’s ability to quiet the mind and body, lowering overall anxiety, may also help ease you into a quality sleep. Finally, L-Theanine is another amino acid believed to encourage the body into a more restful sleeping pattern.

Yoga and Meditation

yoga for sleep

Regardless of whether a daily practice of yoga or meditation is part of your regimen, doing a few yoga poses and/or dedicating 10 or so minutes to a simple meditation can help quiet the mind and gently lull you to sleep.

If you opt for the yoga route, there are a few poses that, rather than get your blood pumping, can help quell the mind and gently relax the muscles throughout your entire body, so when you finally hit the sheets, you’ll find it easier to fall into sleep. Just before you get into bed, find a quiet place where you can stretch out. If you’ve got a yoga mat, great! If not, no worries. Anywhere that is comfortable will do.

If you’d rather try your hand at meditation, there are many different approaches you can take, ranging from simple mindfulness (vipassana) to transcendental meditation techniques. The goal is to find one that works for your schedule and skill level, because the last thing you need to think about while meditating is whether you’re doing it right! The key to meditation before bed is to acknowledge all the thoughts that would otherwise keep you awake, so you can free your mind and enjoy the sleep that naturally comes with it.

Massage Therapy

massage therapy for sleep

For as many times a day we sigh and say to ourselves, “I could really go for a massage,” how many of us think the same when settling in for the night? No matter what’s keeping you up, whether it’s mental, physical or emotional, massage therapy can help by providing both psychological and physiological benefits:

Psychological: almost immediately, the right massage technique can slow down an overactive nervous system, bringing instant relief. However, massage therapy is also proven to boost serotonin levels. Also called the “happiness hormone,” serotonin brings about feelings of calmness and peace, and is a precursor for melatonin, the hormone that helps your body achieve a deep, natural sleep pattern.

Physiological: the pressure exerted on your muscles by massage therapy increases blood flow to each targeted area, bringing about warmth and relaxation, as well as loosening up any tension or tightness you might be experiencing. Serotonin also plays a role here, as this type of muscle activity further stimulates its production, flooding your body with natural tranquility.

There are many different types of massage therapy you could employ before sleep. If you’re lucky enough to have a partner willing to help out, you could try Swedish-style massaging, perhaps the most common and easy to learn, but also deep tissue massage has been found to be particularly helpful around joints, bones and muscles of concern, as well as sports massage and trigger point massage.

No partner? No worries—you can also practice equally as effective self-massage methods to ease your tension. There are many different approaches to self-massage out there, and one of the most effective is as close—and as easy—as your own foot! Foot reflexology focuses on activating the 15,000 nerves that are found in our feet through various “zones” that actually can affect larger parts of our body. For example, the top of each toe corresponds to the head and brain, while the center of the big toe correlates with the pituitary gland. Targeted stimulation of these and many other areas may help to bring about an overall sense of peace and wellness that is essential before sleep, plus it creates an occasion for some well-deserved one-on-one time with yourself.

Avoid smartphones and tablets

sleeping with phone

For many people, one of the last things we do before bed involves a smartphone or tablet, where—moments before we close our eyes—we’ll check email, social media, or even read an e-book. But more and more research is finding plenty of wrongs with this frequent practice. The blue light emitted by phone screens can manipulate our minds into perceiving it as daylight, thus interrupting sleep patterns just before we settle in. The end result includes suppressing melatonin production, keeping your brain alert so, even though you want to sleep, your brain is up and ready to keep going, and even making your brain think it’s time to get up! Even though many devices come with a “night mode” that puts a yellow tinge to the screen, it’s best to avoid this unnatural display of light altogether.

As an alternative, why not turn to an old-fashioned book—the kind made of paper, that gives you that satisfying sound as you turn the pages—and read by the warm light of a bedside lamp, rather than the blue-tinged light that can cause so many potential problems. Or, if you’re not one for reading, bring a pen and pad of paper into bed with you and write down each thought that’s on your mind and see what you’re left with. Maybe it’ll turn into a to-do list for the following day, or a few concerns you need to bring up with your boss or a loved one. The point is to transfer each bothersome thought from your mind onto a sheet of paper, leaving a clear head that’s ready for sleep.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, remember sleep is not, and never has been, a luxury. It’s an essential part of your health and wellbeing, and the more importance you give to getting a good night of quality sleep, the happier and healthier you’ll be. We’re always happy to dish out helpful tips like the ones you’ve just read, but be sure never to construe any advice like this as actual medical advice. If you’re having trouble sleeping for an extended period of time, or think you might have a sleep disorder, check with your doctor to get the appropriate diagnosis. Good night, and sleep tight!

Disclaimer: All information published on this site is for educational purposes only.

Do not attempt without your physician’s clearance. If you are in pain or injured, see your physician.

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