I think it’s safe to say that there is no shortage of people having trouble sleeping these days.
Fair statement?
As a matter of fact, according to the National Center for Sleep Disorders Research at the National Institutes of Health, between 30-40 percent of adults say they occasionally suffer from insomnia, and about 10-15 percent report chronic insomnia.
Unfortunately, the popular go-to remedies end up causing more harm than good.
Here’s what I mean:
Sleep drugs—worse than lacking sleep!
When people report suffering from insomnia, the typical mainstream medical answer is a sleep drug like Lunesta or Ambien.
But these drugs are arguably worse than lacking sleep!
In addition to the possibility of addiction and serious withdrawal when trying to stop the medication, the side effects of Lunesta and Ambien can include:
- Dizziness
- Difficulty with coordination
- Daytime sleepiness
- Memory loss
- New/worsening depression
- Abnormal thoughts
- Suicidal ideation
- Hallucinations
- Confusion
- Agitation
- Aggressive behavior
- Anxiety
And get this--when taking these drugs people can also do things in a "semi-awake" state and not remember what they did afterward!
People have gotten out of bed and driven vehicles while not fully awake (called "sleep-driving"). They've also sleepwalked, prepared and eaten food, made phone calls, or even had sex while not fully awake...and have positively no recollection of it later.
If that doesn't scare you, I don't know what will.
Get your Zzzz’s—safely and naturally!
The good news is you can turn the tables and start sleeping better at night—safely and naturally!
You just need to look at all the possible factors behind your poor sleep and do something about them.
Here are 7 very effective ideas to consider:
1- Reduce stress
If stress, anxiety and/or tension are playing a part in your insomnia, it’s time to get a handle on it.
A skilled counselor can be a tremendous help—but make sure they are actually “helping” and not just pushing sleep drugs at you.
Exercise is a great stress and tension reliever. Just be sure to get your doctor’s OK first--I bet he or she will be thrilled.
Avoid late night TV watching, especially news channels or suspenseful, sad or violent movies.
And try some lavender essential oil on your pillow or in a diffuser at night. Our Ocean Lavender essential oil is outstanding!
2- Avoid sugar, alcohol and stimulants
Most people are aware that drinking caffeinated beverages (including soda, coffee and tea) in the evening can lead to a night filled with tossing and turning, but sugar and alcohol can disrupt your sleep too.
It’s important to remember this because many people turn to alcohol to help them sleep, but it can backfire on you.
3- Try Ashwagandha
Long used as a staple of Indian Ayurvedic medicine for over 2,500 years, ashwagandha is an example of an adaptogenic herb, or adaptogen.
Adaptogens are a unique class of healing plants that naturally help balance, restore and protect your body. As such, adaptogens like ashwagandha “tailor” their actions to your body's specific needs, helping it to respond to various stressors, and supporting its healthy functioning.
And one area where ashwagandha is shining is in improving sleep!
Recent studies have demonstrated ashwagandha’s ability to not only help you fall asleep and stay asleep longer, but also to improve your quality of sleep!
With none of the dangerous side effects of drugs!
If you’d like to put ashwagandha to the test, look no farther than our very own Ashwa Blend Gummies.
Ashwa Blend Gummies is a vegan, non-GMO supplement that combines the incredible power of ashwagandha with vitamin D and zinc—two of the best immune-enhancing nutrients in existence—to create an effective formula that supports optimal health, better sleep and prevention of disease.
4- Darken your room
Darkness is essential to proper, restful sleep, but many of us have night lights, alarm clocks, cell phones and TVs in or near our bedrooms, and these devices are most assuredly compromising your sleep to some degree.
Strive to make your room as dark as possible by eliminating as many sources of light as you can. Also, try to get room-darkening shades to block out light from your neighbor’s outdoor lights or street lights.
5- Explore alternatives to medications
Here are several popular types of medications that can cause insomnia:
- ACE inhibitors, Alpha-blockers and Beta-blockers for high blood pressure
- Steroids
- SSRI antidepressants
- Cholinesterase inhibitors used to treat Alzheimer’s
- H1 antagonists for allergies
- Statins
- Angiotensin II-receptor blockers (ARBs) used to treat coronary artery disease or heart failure
If you are on any kind of medication, check the package insert to see if insomnia is a side effect and if so, talk to your doctor about alternatives.
If he or she is unwilling to discuss other options, find another doctor who will.
6- Support your body’s levels of sleep-enhancing nutrients
Tryptophan is an amino acid and is the precursor to the neurotransmitters melatonin (which regulates your sleep/wake cycle) and serotonin (which is your natural feel-good chemical).
Tryptophan is found in chicken, cheese, tuna, eggs, nuts, seeds and milk.
Melatonin is found naturally in bananas, Morello cherries, porridge oats, sweet corn, rice, ginger, barley, tomatoes, radishes and red wine.
In addition, the following nutrients are needed for your body to make melatonin:
- Vitamin B-6
- Zinc
- Magnesium
- Folic acid
Having a nutritious diet of wholesome real foods is the crucial step one here, but if your diet is dicey or you want to make sure all your nutrient needs are met 24/7, then supplementing with a complete multi-vitamin and mineral formula like Super Core is the way to go!
Super Core contains health-supporting levels of a wide array of vital nutrients (including the 4 nutrients required to make melatonin above), plus disease-fighting antioxidants and anti-inflammatories too!
7- Consider bio-identical HRT if you’re menopausal
In addition to the well-known hot flashes, the hormonal changes associated with menopause can cause insomnia too.
But bio-identical hormone replacement therapy has been a godsend for many perimenopausal and fully menopausal women.
In health reports from the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Harvard Medical and Stanford University, it’s been stated that bio-identical hormone replacement therapy can have long-term health benefits--including relief from menopausal-related sleep problems!
And unlike potentially dangerous synthetic hormones, your body has an easier time assimilating bio-identical hormones because they are identical in molecular structure to the hormones made by your body.
Fight back at what may be causing your insomnia and start sleeping better in 2022!
To your health,
Sherry Brescia
