Have you been having trouble sleeping lately? If you haven’t found relief with over-the-counter sleep aids, you may not take the right supplements. Many natural sleep supplements can help you get to sleep more quickly and stay asleep throughout the night without making you feel dizzy or tired during the day. Try one of these before taking medication and find the right sleep supplement for your body!
The Importance of Sleep
Each of us needs different amounts of sleep. So for one person, seven hours a night may be ideal, while another can get by on four or five hours. The quantity and quality of sleep each person needs also change over time. For example, when we’re younger and healthier, we need less rest than our elderly counterparts.
So if you’re under 25 years old—and healthy—you can generally get away with less than seven hours of sleep per night. But if you’re over 45 years old or older and feeling tired during the day after less than eight hours of sleep each night, it may be worth speaking with your doctor about whether something is wrong and how to fix it.
How Sleep Supplements Work
Melatonin is often described as a natural supplement that can aid in improving sleep. Melatonin supplements are available over-the-counter, but a doctor can also prescribe them. Low melatonin levels have been associated with difficulties falling asleep and remaining asleep throughout the night.
According to Mayo Clinic: Melatonin plays a vital role in regulating your body’s internal clock — a cluster of cells in your brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The SCN controls how you sleep at night and when you feel sleepy during the day. Therefore, a low level of melatonin may indicate something wrong with our internal clocks or SCN.
Best Practices for Falling Asleep and Staying Asleep
If you have trouble sleeping, one of your first steps should be to identify what’s keeping you up at night. If you can’t figure out why you can’t sleep, consider seeing a doctor specializing in sleep disorders or a mental health professional like a therapist or psychologist.
Then, to fall asleep more easily, keep a consistent bedtime and stick to an exercise regimen that helps manage stress. Next, banish electronics from your bedroom: If there’s one thing keeping us awake these days, it might be our phones and computers.
What to Look for in a Sound Sleep Supplement
Before taking a supplement to help you sleep, it’s essential to figure out if your sleeplessness is due to stress or insomnia. If you’re stressed out and not getting enough sleep, try a supplement that contains some combination of GABA (for relaxation), 5-HTP (to help you get more restful REM sleep), and melatonin (to induce sleepiness).
Valerian root can also be helpful for relaxation. For example, if insomnia keeps you up at night, most people will benefit from taking an herbal tincture of California poppy leaf before bedtime.
Best Supplements for Falling Asleep Naturally
If you have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep all night, you may need to try some supplements. Vitamins and minerals such as melatonin and L-theanine are great for insomnia. Much research supports their use; however, talk to your doctor before taking any vitamin or mineral supplements because they may interact with other medications and cause unwanted side effects.
For example, if taken in high doses, melatonin might alter your natural sleep cycles and make it hard for you to wake up in the morning. Try a supplement if you can’t sleep well at night but don’t want to take prescription sleeping pills.
Alternative Sleeping Position
If you don’t feel comfortable in a standard sleeping position, that might be preventing you from getting good sleep. Try different sleeping positions to see if one feels more comfortable, which helps improve your ability to fall asleep quickly. Sleeping on your back can increase snoring and sleep apnea because it limits breathing options. It’s also not ideal for those who suffer from acid reflux or GERD.
If you sleep on your back already and are having trouble sleeping, try switching positions at night so that your body is less likely to get used to sleeping in one place all night. That way, it won’t be more challenging for you to change once you decide what works best for you.
Herbal Supplement Alternatives
Many supplements promise to aid in restful sleep, but have you tried herbal alternatives? Herbs like passionflower and valerian root have been used for centuries to treat anxiety and insomnia.
Valerian root is explicitly one of the most popular alternative treatments for sleeplessness. Add a teaspoon of dried valerian root to an ounce of hot water, allow it to steep overnight and drink it before bed. When paired with other proven sleep aids like Passion Flower and Melatonin supplements, your ability to get a restful night’s sleep will be markedly improved.
Nutritional Changes
Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. It can affect our energy levels and overall health. So if you cannot stay awake during your day, try some simple changes to your diet that might help you catch up on lost zzzs. First, add more essential vitamins and minerals – Zinc and magnesium are great supplements for improving sleep quality.
Researchers believe these two nutrients are necessary for helping people fall asleep quicker and get more restful sleep. Vitamin D is also thought to boost melatonin production – another critical ingredient in regulating how long we stay asleep each night.
Conclusion
If you have insomnia, it might be because you’re not using sleep supplements. When your body is low on certain chemicals—like melatonin or serotonin—you can feel stressed out and unable to sleep well. Sleep supplements are specifically designed to provide these chemicals so that you can start sleeping like a baby again! So if you’re looking for a quick fix to sleepless nights, try them out today!
