Natural Remedies for Insomnia: A Comprehensive Guide

Total darkness allows the iris of the eye to completely relax. Eyes are the only place your nervous system is exposed to the world directly. If you are resting in a partially darkened room, cup your palms over your eyes for a while until it seems totally black. Remove your palms and keep your eyes closed. You will perceive some light or lessening of the black through your eyelids. Closing your eyes to sleep, in any illumination, does not allow complete relaxation. Always use a sleep mask or soft cap pulled over your eyes, doubled if needed, and test with palms over mask to be absolutely sure of total darkness.

Sleeping with your head pointing North can improve the quality of your sleep. Also sleeping in absolute total darkness(no alarm clock lights, no light from the door jam) can have a huge impact on your over all health. It will allow more melatonin release by your body and for a longer period of time during the night, which is vital to living longer and healthier. This kind of sleep quality lifts your levels of attention, energy and motivation, awareness and helps keeping aging down to a minimum.

Consuming any types of sugar will greatly impact your quality of sleep, regardless if its organic cane sugar or processed sugar. If you crave sweets try keto snacks like (stevia/malitol/xylitol, etc.) sweetened chocolate or make your own. Honey and pure maple syrup are considered sugars, as well, keep it to a minimum.

You're right!!! Quite by accident, I discovered papaya helps me get back to sleep when I wake up in the middle of the night. My grocery store had a sale on papayas and I decided to buy a couple. I had first tasted papaya when I went to Vietnam a few years ago and I liked them. I ate a small papaya before going to bed and slept through the night. That was incredible. I didn't have a papaya the next night and when I woke up in the middle of the night I had trouble getting back to sleep like I usually do. The next night I had a papaya before bed and once again slept through the night. These things are like a magic sleeping potion.

St Johns Wort is good for anxiety and depression, also a calmative. I found it helps with restless sleep when taken on an empty stomach. However be cautious when taking it because, similar to grapefruit, it will interact with other medications and supplements.

Cannabis tea seems to work for getting back to sleep. I heard indica strain is better for relaxing than sativa. Put like 1/2 grams of dried herb into 8oz boiling water let steep and cover to infuse for as long as you can. Keep in mind this can have side effects such as racing thoughts, anxiety, dry mouth and increased heart rate, keep this in mind as everybody is different, so use caution if you're on any medications.

I agree, when melatonin works, it works great. It just doesn't work consistently. I recently bought some gummies w/ melatonin (total 3 mg/ dose) and have started using apigenin as well. The first few days of these 2 items, I slept like a log. Then it stopped working and I was up and down all night again. So I added another apigenin and slept again. After the 2nd night of this higher dose, I see my face is breaking out. Not whitehead pimples, but red bumps that soon scab over. It looks like I have rosacea. So, what to do? I'd rather sleep than worry about my skin, so hope it gets better over time. This insomnia is terrible and NOTHING I have ever used works very long.

For Insomnia and waking up at 2-3AM in the morning thats the liver and kidneys trying to detox.

Agree on Calcium as top sleep aid. I believe I've tried it all, including medications, but especially nutrition.

It seems obvious now, but I'd always tried calcium with other supplements.

I've gone so long with this deficiency, that I need calcium chelate without co-factors. It's something genetic because family members had other signs, such as heart arrhythmias, anxiety, so on. I'm taking a lot so I think it's an individualized thing.

lucy,

Some people find this specific magnesium combo useful for both sleep and RLS. Read some of the reviews on those specific topics.

Art

A spoonful of Honey before bedtime. If you waken though the night a spoonful will usually get yo back to sleep,

I have a question about vitamin D. I was reading 'Right Sleep' and the doc there says get B12 and Vit D blood tests. It's a pricy program, so I just did the blood test. My b12 was great, right in the middle of the range. My D3 was also right in the middle of the range, but my D2 was at the bottom, not even reading an exact number, simply <4. Does this matter at all? I've always read that D3 is what you want, but I'm thinking everything matters and should be in a good range. Should I do anything? and, if so, what?

I must say, since I started supplementing with D and B complex, I've been sleeping much better. How do I get all my numbers in the good range?

I never would have thought of taking a calcium supplement to assist with sleep. I have never taken calcium supplements. I also never have trouble falling asleep.

Also, I never get more than 5 or 6 hours of sleep. Can't seem to force myself to sleep more than that at a time. Perhaps some folks don't need as much as others. And some need more. I think the 7 - 8 hours a night thing is an average, and most people fit in with the average, and a few don't.

Hi Art, I've been following all your post regarding melatonin's effectiveness as far as anti-aging and sleep issues, which works best for my insomnia, glycine before bed melatonin 5mg. Is it safe to take it long term?

Also I've read, can't remember where, but there's a warning, do not take melatonin with b6 is detrimental to your health! Scared what may happen? Taking the brand that was recommended here in earth clinic. Your opinion what I value most. Thanks for your contributions to this site.

There are different forms of magnesium to take. Look up and try this form of it: Magnesium glycinate

Most magnesium supplements that you will find at drugstore are with the oxide form because it's cheap.

Are you able to find a pool? Water is an excellent therapy, it de-stresses and soothes.

Gertjr, I see you are a beautiful soul, applying knowledge and energy to your life. I read a lot trying to find solutions to my questions three and I'm a weirdo . I use to resent my weird but now it is what makes me me. I read Dr.Batmanghelidj when I ruptured L-5 and spend a lot of time in the tub praying . In his books he talks about how healthy exercise can create more cortisol issues and affect digestion further. I realize you are going through a lot and my heart is with you in prayer most days. Faith and love surround you. My gut health was a mess since birth . Dr. Eric Berg, free information on you tube, has really shed light on my gut health. I don't do the fasting or keto stuff. I have to take ox bile most days to eat food. I use the mag threonate in the now brand most days too for my brain. Mag does not bother me at all but I got c diff once from a dental treatment and had a horrible time trying to get my life back from that. I know what these things are like to walk out day in day out. I only pipe in here as led. I have my own dragons to slay and frequent Mark Hemans on zoom for miracles. I am still learning how to be who I was created to be. A spirit being in a body full of all the power to override any natural facts with spiritual truths. I still use a lot of supplements but hope to enter the day when the truth that I know overrides all facts. Bless you Gertjr as you journey, you sound like an amazing woman. Charity

Hi, Deirdre,

I'm very happy that melatonin is useful for improving your sleep! The addition of Mag-T is also additive at helping you to get to sleep and sleeping well. Mag-T, like magnesium taurate are both noted for targeting the brain. Another form of magnesium that is quite helpful for sleep is magnesium glycinate and I always find that adding the magnesium to the melatonin is very helpful for getting the best quality of rest!

Thank you for the feedback as it is helpful in confirming what is useful and what is not useful for everyone on EC!

Art

Thank you for this post! My husband snores too...that's why we have to sleep in different rooms!

I'd be interested in getting this tracker watch because he feels he NEVER gets enough sleep. I think he underestimates how much he gets.

I have an internal alarm that gets me up after six hours, sometimes less. I think if you go to bed exhausted you can sleep hard for four hours and have enough. It has been reported that a 20 minute mid-day "power nap" can revive as much as sleeping eight hours. I did that when I was pregnant and worked full time. Little did I know that what I was eating (hidden sources of MSG) made me that tired.

BTW, I worked almost all day on my feet, went for monthly check-up, drove home thinking I was just having Braxston Hicks after exam, had my husband's labor inducing spaghetti sauce for dinner and had my first baby that night!

I have struggled with insomnia. will try this. Thank you.

The one area you did not mentioned in your post was EMF (electromagnetic frequencies). Your sleep could be disrupted by consistent frequencies going through your body. This has become a huge problem with all the electrical devices in our lives. Go onto YouTube and look up Dr. Nicholas Gonzales and sleep disorders. He discusses this problem in detail. Also, our pineal gland is not able to make enough melatonin when exposed to the “blue light” emitted from our tablets, phones, computers, floresent lights, etc a. So, many people are staring at these devices before they go to bed - then they can't sleep. Dr. Mercola suggests turning off the electrical breaker and router to your bedroom at night - and leave the devices in another room ( I put my iPhone on airplane mode). Also, when you go outside, ditch the sunglasses - your pineal gland needs the sunshine exposure. Do your research on all this - it surely has helped me in the past!

Note: try to find out if there is a cell phone tower near your residence. If so, there is an indoor paint used to prevent the frequencies from getting into your bedroom. Look this up.

Good Luck!

Hi Waltz of Bangalore,

A friend of mine almost had to quit his job because he suffered from persistent, severe insomnia for weeks and weeks and ended up like a zombie! The quality of their work (and life) was suffering to an alarming extent. It was a long time before we hit on a solution / remedy but from desperation sometimes brings forth a solution / sharpens the mind prodigiously!

I managed to persuade him to undergo a course of approximately six treatments (however long it took! ) by a Chinese lady acupuncturist I had been visiting for a pain related matter I.e. I was impressed with her treatment, so felt comfortable referring him to her after she mentioned she thought she could help him.

He has never looked back - just looses the odd night now and again like many others I suppose. Sleep becomes more elusive as we age unfortunately, so one must begin to acquire strategies to cope with that such as the many other recommendations on this Site.

You should verify if a reputable, licenced acupuncturist has had past success with treating sleep disorders before parting with your cash.

My feeling is that whatever treatment regime you undertake, you should commit to it and have faith in it if at all possible, stay the full course and attend all appointments on time.

Power of positive thinking etc!!

This worked a treat and he went back to work as a refreshed human being.

Not all people respond to all or any treatment of course but I would love to learn of your success if it happens.

Cheers, Michael

I also found scullcap to be helpful. But it didn't seem enough on it's own. Need more. Maybe a combo. Trying magnesium (& potassium) which began working but the magnesium dose was too high and started causing loose stools. Will try another type and a lower dose. Glycine is another addition that seems to help many. I heard taurine also helps. I seem to need a stack. Continue to biohack myself.

Hi Denise/PCL,

Wow, that's a lot of magnesium citrate at 800 mg/day! Most people would be spending a lot of time in the bathroom at that dose of mag citrate.

I didn't know that was possible to see all of anyone's posts. I must have hundreds. I hadn't noticed that feature.

I will click over to your post link in a moment.

Art

Dear Namaw,

Yes, you could dry the leaves and then use them to make tea. I think it is not recommended to use older leaves but to use young leaves.

I have not dried nettles myself before. I have mostly just dried plantain and burdock leaves. In fact, just today a friend showed me some nettle at her house; previously I couldn't even identify it. I can't wait to find some where I live.

I assume you know to use gloves when harvesting the nettles. Here is a great article about using nettles and drying them, with pictures!

~Mama to Many~

I am going to give that one a whirl, Mama. I haven't had a decent night's sleep since early menopause 12 yrs. ago. I don't have insomnia, per se, but I sleep only 2-3 hours before waking, regardless of how exhausted I am. I then toss and turn the remainder of the night. Sometimes, I'll doze off for another hour, but generally speaking, if I get even 4 consecutive hours of sleep, I feel like I had a good night. :

As I said here a week or so ago, sometimes we don't know 'why' something works; it just does! It sounds like Nettle tea for insomnia is one of them. :) I'm looking forward to trying it. Thanks so much for your never ending wisdom!

Hello All,

I'm reporting back again on the use of Dead Sea Salts to help with improved sleep and reduced tension.

I also enlisted one other to try the DS Salts bath and he reports a dramatic improvement in a chronic condition he has suffered with for years. It is a neuropathy that goes down the side of his head then into his shoulder and down his side. It centers in extreme sensitivity to cold; even a breeze on his head can produce this painful condition. He'd suffered with an ear infection that predated the condition and now is very sensitive to loud sounds.

He uses colloidal silver with DMSO compress to his neck on the painful side and takes the Dead Sea Salts baths.

He reports much less pain and improved energy.From my perspective, I found the DS Salts baths have dramatically improved my sleep.

I now sleep through the night five out of seven nights. Over the years as I was a caretaker for years for my wife, I never slept throughout the night. So this "sleeping through the night" is a happy thing!

I take this Salts bath once every ten days. I use about 2/3d of a cup of Dead Sea Salts and 2/3d Epsom Salts; 3 tablespoons of MSM and a tablespoon of Borax. If I only had the DS Salts, it would be fine. But the combo covers a lot more issues.

I dissolve the combo in a big pot of hot purified water while running the bath water ... then I add the solution and just soak for 20 minutes or so.

That's it.

I started using valerian root capsules when I couldn't fall asleep several years back. A 500mg capsule worked ok for me. Usually takes me about half an hour after ingestion. Recently, I've found that drinking 1 teaspoon valerian root powder an hour or 2 before I asleep works really well. I'm able to fall asleep quick and sleep through the night.

In general, I've found that ingesting powdered herbs works faster and better than taking capsules. Not sure exactly why. Maybe it's being slowly absorbed by my body as I sip drinks instead of all the dosage at once. Make sure you mix it with some kind of fruit or sweetener. It smells like feet but doesn't taste bad.

Hollyhock,

That post was from 2015, so a reply from the original poster is not likely.

Inositol helps with sleep by increasing GABA levels. GABA is a known sleep aid and like most sleep aids, it does not work for everyone. There are multiple forms of inositol available and the original poster did not mention what version they used or the dose they used.

Various articles around the web suggest dosing as low as 1000 mg up to 60 gm.

The following 2020 study used 2000 mg of the Myo-inositol form of inositol with 200 ug of folic acid, both in powder form to achieve improved sleep parameters :

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32933356/

Here is a relevant study quote :

' The research confirmed that myo-inositol supplementation can improve global sleep quality, subjective sleep quality, and sleep duration during pregnancy. Therefore, these findings applied to minimize the rate of poor sleep quality in pregnant women. '

Here is a typical myoinositol product in powder form :

https://www.amazon.com/Zazzee-Myo-Inositol-Servings-Serving-Non-GMO/dp/B01JZNBP92/ref=sr_1_6?crid=DUPUU72H5CBV&keywords=myoinositol+and+folic+acid+powder&qid=1691701482&rdc=1&sprefix=,aps,124&sr=8-6

It should be mentioned that if you are not deficient in GABA, Inositol may not be as effective for improving sleep as it would be if you have a low GABA level.

Art

Niacinamide, which is vitamin B3, will make you very sleepy. I have trouble getting to sleep due to menopause. I take 1000 mg of nicacinamide 1 hour before bed with about two small bites of food. Don't take regular niacin as it produces a flush to your skin and has other side effects. Niacinamide does NOT have these side effects or make you flush. It might be better to start at 1 pill which is 500 mg. One side effect is it may lower your cholesterol.

Since giving up wheat my insomnia has completely subsided. I'm not fully gluten free, just giving up wheat has made an incredible difference in my quality of sleep and life!