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Natural Treatments for Insomnia - A Closer Look

April 30th, 2008 · No Comments · Medicines and Remedies

by Davion Wong

Natural treatments for insomnia are great alternatives for expensive conventional treatments for sleep disturbance. The ingredients of these natural treatments are so ordinary that you didn’t even know they were used for treating insomnia. Some of your de-stressing techniques can even be used to help you with insomnia.

Valerian is perhaps one of the most popular and safe natural treatments for insomnia. Used long ago, it has been thoroughly studied and research shows Valerian works by altering your GABA neurotransmitters. This will help calm you and help lull you to sleep. This is available over-the-counter in countries like Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland. It is proclaimed to be effective but it has a lag period of up to two to three weeks.

Another option for natural treatments for insomnia is to alter your body melatonin level. Melatonin occurs naturally in the body. It is produced by the body’s pineal gland and is released initially as serotonin. At night, it is converted to melatonin when the body senses that it is no longer exposed to light. Taken as a supplement, it is taken best thirty minutes before going to bed.

You can also use an anti-anxiety herb such as Kava to treat insomnia naturally. Kava was studied to be effective in treating anxiety-related insomnia but its use for the public is still controlled because of rising reports of adverse effects to the body.

Relaxation techniques, one of the natural treatments for insomnia, are relatively effective in treating insomnia whatever the cause. Such techniques include visualization, relaxation response, mindfulness, Yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation. All these techniques are done to help relax your tense muscle and soothe your stressed brain to lull you into a peaceful sleep.

You also need to alter your lifestyle as well as your diet to enhance the effects of the mentioned natural treatments. The natural treatments can only go so far unless you do the necessary work to make it work to its fullest potential. You need to be careful of the substances you ingest just before bedtime. As much as possible, avoid caffeine and indulge in milk which has Tryptophan and vegetables which has magnesium. These two all work as natural sedatives in the body.

You might also consider some more natural treatments for insomnia such as light therapy, music therapy, and aromatherapy. These are mood and sense-altering therapies that can help in lulling you to sleep. Chinese traditional medicines and acupuncture have also been known to treat insomnia.

My health blog will give you insights on the natural treatments for insomnia. So if you still haven’t found the right natural treatment, visiting my health blog could be one of the answers.

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