Sleep Well BlogSleep Advice From Sleep Experts

If you have trouble sleeping at night, you aren’t alone. There are hundreds of people around the world who toss and turn every night of their lives struggling to fall asleep. If you have full-fledged insomnia, you may need a prescription medication to help you fall asleep at night. If you’re just struggling to get to sleep for a couple of hours, though, you can try some natural remedies before you pull out the big guns. Here are three to try:

Valerian and chamomile tea. Of these two herbs, valerian is the strongest sleep-inducer. Chamomile is simply calming to the nerves and can be helpful if your falling asleep problem has to do with stress and too many thoughts in your head. You can purchase good versions of these teas from just about any grocery store. Brew a bag in near-boiling water for three to four minutes to get the benefit of all the oils. If you don’t like the taste, sweeten with a very little bit off honey.

Sound machines. White noise isn’t exactly natural in these technological days, but people have always known that background noises – rain on the roof, gentle wind in the trees, ocean waves – are calming. Many people find they sleep better when these noises are present naturally, so why not bring them into your room every night? Even a basic white noise machine probably will give you several sound options, some of which will seem natural.

Lavender essential oil. This essential oil is taken from the flowers of the lavender plant. It has long been used for its calming and sleep inducing properties. Unlike other essential oils, lavender doesn’t burn the skin if used directly. Put a little on your pillow at night, or even rub some behind your ears and on your hands a few minutes before bed.

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