If you go to your doctor complaining of sleeping problems , chances are you’ll be given a prescription for sleeping pills. Unfortunately there are a lot of side effects with sleeping pills, so you’d be better off in the long run treating yourself using natural insomnia cures.
Our trust in sleeping pills is symptomatic of the way we automatically look for the “quick fix”. Granted there may be at times good reasons to go for the fast and easy solution at times, sleep and sleeping difficulties are not effectively treated that way.
Most people need about 6 – 8 hours per night, on average, and numerous studies have shown that the odd night with less sleep does not harm us . The main reason most of us cope badly with a nights disrupted sleep may strangely enough be because we take it too seriously !
Try to consider at your disrupted sleep in a philosophical way – the occasional night with bad sleep is part of life. Unless your sleep disorder is frequent and actually affects your life, try to to regard episodes of less than perfect sleep as a gift of extra hours!
Of course we we all know the feeling that “I really need to go to sleep tonight!” If that occurs occasionally consider natural insomnia cures instead of sleeping pills – your body will thank you !
A very gentle way of falling asleep is to take a warm bath, and adding some drops of essential oils makes it even more beneficial .
Here are four proven oils you can try – singly or in combination. Each is different so you might find that combining two or more works really well for you.
# Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia). Has a distinctive and pleasing, calming smell, and has been used for centuries.
# Sandalwood (Santalum Album). Has a soft fragrance and appeals probably more to men than the other oils mentioned here. It is often used in after -shaves and body lotions for men.
# Sweet Marjoram (Origanum Majorana). This herb creates a relaxed, warm feeling and will make you quite drowsy. Do not mistake it for “Spanish Marjoram”, which has different properties and is a thyme species .
# Neroli (Citrus Aurantium). It is part of the citrus family, it has a distinctive fragrance and is often said to be specifically effective for treating for insomnia and sleep difficulties.
When you use essential oils be aware they are very potent ! Check they are not falsified and mixed with other ingredients ( look at the latin names !)and use only 6-8 drops. Use less for children and older people, especially if they are not well
Used correctly essential oils will not have any bad effects but instead enhance the beneficial effect of a warm bath.
Finally – the reason a warm bath works wonders and helps you drop off to sleep is paradoxically because your body body needs to cool down slightly before you can fall asleep . When you take a bath you will obviously be warmer , but but then your body over compensates, and that’s why you cool down. When searching for natural insomnia cures do not overlook these simple methods !