What You Can Do to Improve Your Sleep Quality

byDerya •15 April

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Sometimes a physical or mental illness is the cause of sleep disturbance. In such cases, of course, treatment should be done by a doctor first. But you can also do something to help with sleep disorders.

This is even more true for sleep disorders that are not based on an illness, for example when stress, inner restlessness, or adverse sleep conditions are the cause of difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up early in the morning (insomnia).

Rules for a good night's sleep

Two-thirds of all sleep disorders are curable with non-drug measures. Above all, this includes good sleep hygiene. It includes the following rules:

Avoid sleeping longer than necessary for your body.
Get into the habit of sleeping regularly.
Don’t take naps during the daytime.
Make sure that the sleeping conditions are comfortable. The ideal room temperature should be around 18° C.
In addition, what kind of mattress foundation and bed mattress you use is extremely important for a comfortable sleep. In this regard, you should give priority to mattresses prepared according to quality and anatomical features. When it comes to your health, it will cost you more to buy a cheap and poor-quality mattress.

For example, you can read detailed information about old beds and new bed systems in the research here.

Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages or beverages containing caffeine in the evening – like cola or energy drinks. These beverages have a stimulating effect on your brain which forces you to stay awake.
Make sure you live a healthy diet and exercise often. If all you do is eat fast food and sit on the couch all day, you really must expect to get insomnia.
Make sure you are not too active in the evening and try to relax more so the day can end slowly. For example, reading an exciting thriller in the evening or doing fitness training in the evening can promote sleep disturbances (for example, having difficulty falling asleep).

Tips against insomnia

In addition to having good sleep hygiene, these tips can also help against sleeping disorders:

Try using your bedroom only to sleep, not for watching TV or other such activities. Then, if you go to bed, your body automatically sets to go to sleep.
Sleep restriction: It may sound contradictory, but it helps: Healthy people with sleep problems who have reduced their nightly sleeping times for at least a week fall asleep much quicker the next night, sleep much more deeply, and rarely wake up at night.
A professional therapist can calculate how much bedtime should be shortened in many individual cases. To achieve this, first, you must keep a sleep diary, in which you record the time spent in bed each night for around two weeks and estimate the time you usually fall asleep, the frequency of waking up, and finally the total sleep time.
Don’t force yourself to fall asleep: Instead of tossing and turning endlessly for hours every night, you should do something active or relaxing to fall asleep much easier.
If you’re having a hard time falling asleep, bring yourself to stay awake while you are lying down. This usually makes you fall asleep faster and easier than forcing yourself to fall asleep.
Focus on calming thoughts and images in bed.
Avoid anxious thoughts before sleeping. You can try some meditation or breathing exercises. If constant thoughts and brooding keep you from falling asleep, you should get such thoughts out of your head!

Relaxation methods: Various methods like progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training, biofeedback, yoga, and meditation can also alleviate sleep disorders.

Natural solutions for sleep disorders

If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, various home remedies for insomnia can help you.

Herbal teas for insomnia

There are several herbs that can help with insomnia. They are mainly used as tea:

Valerian: Valerian is a medicinal plant that is the first choice for those who have trouble falling asleep. It does not have a sedative but numbing (narcotic) effect like chemical sleeping pills. A tea made from valerian root can help with nervousness, restlessness, or sleep disturbances caused by too much coffee. If you have chronic insomnia, you should drink several glasses throughout the day. If you do not like the slightly unpleasant taste of valerian, you can use tasteless valerian dragees, capsules, or tablets.

Hops: Valerian can enhance its calming effect, as a strong sedative substance is formed in the hop cones during storage. You can use hops in tea form (for example, as a hop-valerian tea mixture) or make yourself a sleeping pillow: Put hop cones on a cotton pillow and lay your head on them to sleep. Replace the hop cones after a week.

Balm: Balm is a well-known medicinal herb. Melissa leaves and lemon balm oil have a calming effect (and strengthen the digestive system). Balm oil is quite expensive, so you can use lemon balm leaves as a substitute. If you have trouble sleeping, you should drink a few cups of lemon balm leaf tea throughout the day.

Lavender: With its purple flowers, its calming and sleep-inducing properties have long been appreciated. If you have trouble sleeping, drink two cups of lavender flower tea before bed.

Passiflora: May help with mild forms of nervous restlessness, difficulty falling asleep, and nervous heart problems. It has a strengthening, calming, and antispasmodic effect. Passionflower is found in tea blends with other soothing and relaxing herbs such as lavender and valerian.

St. John's Wort: The plant is primarily known as an herbal antidepressant. John's wort can also contribute to a restful night's sleep, as depression is often associated with insomnia. The medicinal plant is taken as a tea or as a ready-made preparation (such as capsules, and coated tablets).

Soothing and sleep-inducing baths

Baths containing herbs can also help with various sleep disorders. You can buy a ready-made calming bath at the pharmacy, or you could even prepare a bath mix yourself, here’s how to make a lavender bath yourself:

For a full bath, mix two egg yolks, one cup of cream (or milk), two tablespoons of honey, three to four tablespoons of salt, and one teaspoon of lavender oil, and pour it all into a warm 37 to 38°C bath. This. Egg yolk, cream or milk, and honey not only allow the essential oil to float on the water surface but also disperse it well in the water. You should take a bath in the mix for at least 20 minutes.

You can also use lavender flowers instead of lavender oil: pour 100 g of lavender flowers into two liters of hot water, let it steep for 5 minutes and add it to the bathwater. Bath time should be, again, at least 20 minutes.

Massage with lavender oil

Lavender essential oils (alternatively, oregano oil) can also be used for lotions. To do this, warm a few drops of the oil in your hands and rub it on the person's back for a few minutes. Do not apply too much pressure during the massage and avoid the spine.

If you suffer from insomnia, you can apply lavender oil to your feet. Work from ankle to toe.

Massage has a relaxing effect and promotes sleep. Therefore, the person should already be in bed and then rest.

Cold against insomnia

Cold water: Evening shots can have a sleep-inducing effect. To do this, use water that is about 18 degrees Celsius, you can use an empty spray bottle for spraying. Start from the foot and then slowly spray the water from the outside of the leg towards the knee. You can then spray it on the inside of the leg and arms as well.

Then gently wipe the water off with a towel - do not dry it! You should repeat the cold leg kiss every evening.

Moist and cold ice compresses: It has a calming and relaxing effect. But cold may not be suitable for everyone.

Warmth can promote sleep

Also, many people find warmth in bed pleasant before bedtime. As a simple home remedy for sleep disorders, you can put a hot water bottle or a warm cereal pillow (cherry seed pillow) on the bed. These things have a relaxing effect and they promote blood circulation.

Chamomile tummy pad: A warm stomach pad containing chamomile can have a sleep-promoting effect. For this, pour half a liter of boiling water over one or two tablespoons of chamomile flowers and leave it closed for a maximum of five minutes. Then strain the flowers.

Put a gauze or cheesecloth over the brewed tea and let it steep for a few minutes. Place the soaked cloth close to your stomach and let it work for 20 to 30 minutes. It is best to use abdominal support against insomnia in the evening before going to bed.

Warm milk with honey to help you fall asleep

Warm milk with honey can help you fall asleep. Not only does it soothe the irritated lining of the throat, but milk also contains the amino acid tryptophan. Once it reaches the brain, it can stimulate the secretion of the sleep hormone melatonin in the brain.