Insomnia: Causes and Natural Remedies

Insomnia is difficulty in going to sleep or getting restorative rest.  Not being able to sleep will over time cause the body to feel worn down, fatigued, and even depressed during the day.  This illness manifests itself in many ways: you are considered to have insomnia if it takes you a long to to fall asleep, or you wake up several times during the night, or when you wake up and feel you haven’t rested well. 

There are many causes for not being able to sleep well

1. Poor dietary choices

2. Excessive mental activity during the day

3. Worries and tension

4. A noisy or unpleasant environment

5. Repressed emotions

To fight insomnia naturally, you must consider several factors.

Diet

Eating well is necessary for optimal sleep.  If the body is nutritionally deficit, especially in calcium, it is very likely that you won’t be able to get optimum sleep.  Consuming enough calcium is necessary.  Broccoli, almonds, fresh fruits and vegetables, etc., are foods rich in this mineral.  It is important not to eat a lot before bed.  Have dinner at least an hour before, eating an apple or a lettuce salad just before sleeping.  These foods are sedatives and natural relaxants.

At bedtime

Going to bed at a set time helps to body get used to having to completely relax at a certain time.  It is necessary  to have the room as comfortable as possible.  

Exercise

Doing moderate, continued exercise if beneficial, although it is not advisable to do this just before bed.

Coffee and stimulants

Avoid drinking coffee, tea, soda, or having nicotine or any other stimulant or sweet product at night.

Emotional pain and worries

Thoughts, worries, and repressed emotions are, for some, the fundamental factors for insomnia.  What happens is, throughout the day, we live situations and experiences that frequently make us feel in some ways angry, sad, or some other type of emotional pain.  If this is not dealt with and is thrown aside in the rush of the day, at night when we are less attentive to the outside world, these emotions come back to haunt us.  Emotional pain is one of the deepest causes of insomnia.  That is why it is absolutely necessary to take a moment during the day when we can sit down and reflect on these things that make us feel bad, worn down, angry, etc.  Dedicating time to resolve or at least pay attention leaves us feeling peaceful.  Not trusting in life frequently causes us to have some sort of fear of dealing with daily situations.  Reading a kind sermon at night, something that nurtures confidence in us rather than watching TV or the news, is undoubtedly a great way to nourish ourselves emotionally.

Revised by: Dra. Loredana Lunadei on 01/26/2019

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