If you suffer from sleeping disorders chances are you’ll be given a prescription for sleeping pills. There are however a lot of side effects with sleeping pills, so you’d be better off in the long run treating yourself using natural insomnia cures.
This reliance on sleeping pills is typical of the way we automatically look for the “quick fix”. Whilst there are valid reasons to go for the fast and easy solution at times, sleep and insomnia are not effectively treated that way.
Most people need between six and eight hours per night, on average, and many studies have shown that sleeping less at times does not harm us . The main reason many of us struggle the day after a nights bad sleep is paradoxically because we take it too seriously !
Try to look at your occasional insomnia in a philosophical way – the odd night with bad sleep is part of life. Unless your sleep disorder is frequent and actually disrupts 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 falla sleep tonight!” If that happens occasionally try natural insomnia cures before reaching for sleeping pills – your body will thank you !
An age old method of falling asleep is to take a warm bath, and adding some drops of essential oils will increase its effectiveness .
Here are some useful oils you can try – singly or in combination. Everyone is different so you might find that combining two or more works really well for you.
# Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia). Has a distinctive and pleasing, relaxing 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 balms and body lotions aimed at men.
# Sweet Marjoram (Origanum Majorana). This herb gives you a relaxed, warm feeling and will leave you feeling quite drowsy. It is not the same as “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 particularly effective for treating for insomnia and sleep difficulties.
When using essential oils know they are very strong ! Check they are not diluted and mixed with other ingredients ( look at the latin names !)and use only 6-8 drops. Fewer drops for children and older people, particularly if they are poorly
Used as described essential oils will not have any side effects but rather 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 has to be cooler before you can sleep . When you are in a bath you will naturally warm up , but but then your body over compensates, and thus you cool down. Looking for natural insomnia cures do not overlook these essential oils !