Natural Remedies for Insomnia: A Comprehensive Guide

Skullcap tea for Hyperthyroid, insomnia, nervous tension

Skullcap tea will immediately calm you down, slow down your nervous system. I have to be careful with how much of this tea I drink because of how fast it works and how effective. I want to go to sleep right after I drink it, so be sure to pace yourselves. Works like nothing else for this - a true miracle! A miracle for insomnia, hyperthyroid, and anxiety problems!

Insomniacs need to try moving the head of their bed 1-2 ft. from the wall since electrical wiring in the walls emanate electrical fields that affect our brains/body. google: Electromagnetic Sensitivity for increasingly more info. The increase of cell phones, cell towers, computers, cordless phones, smart meters, etc. etc. is making our world population sick and sicker with time and most people aren't aware of the cause. a great site: ElectricSense (Lloyd Burrell in France) is loaded with knowledgeable blogs. This is nothing to ignore as I almost died from it 3 years ago before becoming aware. Let me know any questions out there. (Sweden so far is the only country that's determined ES (electric sensitivity) a disability , but all other countries are being controlled by the high tech and utility company big boys - it's all about money.)

I was having a heck of a time getting sleep! I would toss and turn most of the night and I was very tired by morning. I have heard so many people that are now senior citizens claim that they can't sleep? So I know that I am not alone with this frustrating problem.

I learned this from my husband as he loves to read about health issues.

He told me to try this for insomnia:

1. Fill a pitcher or container full of clean water.

2. Take a fresh lemon and slice it across in a few slices.

3. Place the slices of lemon in the water and allow this to sit for awhile.

4. Throughout the day drink a few glasses for this lemon/water. I try to drink at least 5 or 6 glasses of the lemon water.

This helps me sleep like a baby! Don't give up if it doesn't work for a few days. Keep drinking this solution.

What the lemons do is Alkaline the water! My husband read that our drinking water is too acidity. He read that this solution is similar to using baking soda. This has helped me so much in getting sleep.

I hope it works for those with insomnia. It works for my husband, my sister in law, and it works for me!

Once more thing if you use sugar in this water the sugar will only make the water acid again. Please do not use sugar in it.

That's an easy one. He sleeps well when he is in your home because he feels safe and content there... 'at home', so to speak.

Your father is anxious because he KNOWS a stranger is in his home. The fact he can sleep in your prsence and not another even though he is at his own home tells you it is anxiety at the presence of a stranger.

Is he willing to drink "valerian" tea? That is a wonderful relaxing herb and also helps certain psychological conditions. There are all kinds of such sleep aids that you could test if he's willing.

Poor old fella... He just is conscious something is wrong in his own home and his mind won't let him rest because of it. So good herbs could do the trick. And remember too that melatonan diminishes with age. A few tablets of that under the tongue can do wonders for sleep. Your local health food store will have lots of different combos of sleep aids, but if this were my dad and assuming the idea that he is anxious over a visitor in his home is correct, then valerian tea is so nice and gentle. Smells bad when steeping but tastes great.

I read recently about the dangers of WIFI and we put a timer to turn it off automatically at night. In one night, I went from extremely poor sleep to very good sleep.

I was on all sorts of pharmaceuticals to control chronic migraine for years, finally got off everything. Melatonin is a definite trigger for me--0.5mg and I'm vomiting, need drugs for migraine, can't see--if you have migraines, be careful.

5htp and GABA supplements were sooo helpful for my insomnia. Taken in the late afternoon and right before bed. The GABA especially just knocks you out feels like a xanax and 5htp really helps quiet the worrisome thoughts.

After three years of crippling insomina and trying every remedy under the sun (supplements and drugs) I finally found relief with a combination of taurine and theanine. I'm still not a champion sleeper with actual energy, but I don't feel like I'm dying everyday. I am able to fall asleep fairly promptly, and now when I wake up in the middle of the night I actually return to solid sleep and not fragmented. I still could use more sleep in the morning if if it weren't for having to go to work, but I can actually catch successful naps at lunchtime now too, just from the one dose at night time. The one catch is after about a month I was having insomnia again for a week and I had to increase the theanine dose from 100mg at night to 200mg, and it did work. Which is the recommended dose anyway, but I hope I don't have to keep increasing. But at least I know for a fact the theanine is helping. I've never taken the taurine on its own (500mg), so I'm not being a good scientist, can't say for certainty that helps, but other have recommeded this combo, and it's working for me.

UPDATE: I found the last ingredient that is allowing me to sleep solidly throught the night with no awakenings - L-glutamine (1/4 tsp[1 gm] in the morning)! It has been working for two weeks now. The only catch is I guess I'm sleeping so soundly I have no recall of dreams anymore. Taurine and Theanine seemed to increase dream recall for awhile. I reduced my dose of b-12 also which I believe was contributing to an increase of dream recall, so that is something to play around with, but for now I'm happy with solid sleep so I can live during the day instead of dreams.

l have taken melatonin for years for insomnia that came on during menopause. The first time l took it l took a large dose (5 tabs of 5 mg each). It took 3 days before l got a full nights sleep but it worked mostly. I was able to cut back to 10 mg a night after 3 days. The only times it didn't work were because l had drunk some kind of caffeinated beverage after 6 pm at night.

Be careful giving melatonin to children as my research indicates it can cause seizures in children. I researched it for an article for my blog which is how I came across this. Plus, taking it can cause your body to stop producing it.

My husband has suffered with insomnia his entire life. As anyone who has or has lived with someone who has insomnia, it is life impacting. Through some research I found that Chrysanthemums can reduce anxiety and help you to relax. I initially got the idea to help his anxiety, however, it has proven to be a huge aid in helping him sleep. Put 2 or more flower heads from a living Chrysanthemum (Mum)plant per large coffee cup of boiling/steaming water. Cover and steep for 5-8 mins. I also have been adding 1-2 bruised Mum plant leaves. He is yawning by the time he finishes the tea. This in place of the WIDE variety of medications he has taken is such a relief. He had been taking chemical medications like: seroquel, lunesta, ambient, restoril along with many others to work in conjunction. This has been heaven sent with NO SIDE EFFECTS.

For two years now, I've been taking 400mg of Magnesium Citrate every night before bed and I sleep like a baby! My boyfriend takes it too, completely relaxes you and makes it easier to fall and stay asleep. I read somewhere it is the most 'relaxing mineral' and people need higher amounts of it as we age as it becomes depleted with stress. Major side benefit--it also just happens to eliminate PMS symptoms, fyi. Oh, and migraines! Also, make sure you are drinking at least 4-6 glasses of water per day if you suffer from any ailments whatsoever as most people are chronically dehydrated and have no idea why their body is deteriorating with age. Aging is a process of dehydration!

Hello Judy from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - Please google Rutavala Essential Oil. Rub it liberally on your back neck, temples, wrists (and bottom of feet) about 1/2 hr before bedtime, and you will find that it miraculously lulls you into sleep.

I generally do a sea salt bath with lavender oil for about 20 mins. Then rinse off with soap/water, and do the rutavala oil routine before turning off the lights.

I also know folks who put 2-3 drops of rutavala oil in empty 00 size capsules and drink with water (however I have not needed to try this) since liberally applying oil takes care of my 20 yrs of insomnia.

Good luck, T

I live in the UK but get my melatonin from the USA from Iherb. It's very cheap and if you choose the slower shipping, very cheap to ship or even free depending on the spend.

Kay, I just use a q-tip and dip in the Castor oil bottle and have just a drop fall on the tip of my finger and quickly apply to my eyelid. Do the same for the other eye. Rub it in very well and get in bed. It works very fast. I am more excited about my pterygium diminishing and maybe possibly going away for good. Keeping my fingers crossed. So, for me it has helped in two ways and I hope that it helps someone else with insomnia and a pterygium.

I am confused about the properties of ACV. It states that for a boost of energy in the day to drink acv. Then you guys state that to sleep better, drink acv. It sounds like an oxy moron to me. I have been using acv for a long time and it does have great benefits. I take it for my stomach, great for gas pains. I just don't believe in the help you sleep and help you energize. It can only do one of the 2. It does not help me sleep nor does it energize me. I have noticed that if I take it to late before I go to bed that I don't sleep as well.

I have discovered that elderberry extract is great for insomnia-2 tablespoons. Plus it really does get rid of flu or cold fast.

I read about using 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon of borax in water for various health issues, although not insomnia specifically. I decided to try it, and right away noticed that I was able to fall asleep easily and sleep through the night better. I've had insomnia & nightmares for years & have tried many natural supplements & remedies. I'm often tired but don't feel sleepy...after so many years of insomnia, I LOVE that delicious sleepy feeling! Magnesium has worked ok for me but gets expensive & sometimes I'd be awake for an hour or more after sleeping for just a few minutes. Perhaps the borax is detoxifying flouride or something from my body, or killing off a fungus that was affecting my health. However, I've skipped the borax twice in the last few weeks and had a horrible time that same night. I've read that boron helps you absorb calcium better, and calcium helps you relax and sleep, so maybe that's why it's helping me. In the morning I prepare a liter bottle with 1/4 teaspoon borax and sip it throughout the day. Even if I finish it in the early afternoon or drink the whole bottle an hour before bed, it seems to work.

maybe you need some vitamin B-1-it helps with nightmares but you should also take a balanced Vitamin B complex so you dont cause an imbalance-usually about 20 miligrams handles it for me.

Re: Nightmares, sleeplessness. In the book, FOOD AND THE GUT REACTION, page 11 tells us that milk/dairy products can cause terrible nightmares or night terrors. This was the case with our son, as a teenager. A chance conversation alerted us to this information, and his nightmares stopped immediately. Good luck.

Ugh, I feel like such a dummy for forgetting why I was taking borax! I go through phases of trying new supplements & remedies, and eventually either run out or can't remember why I was taking them, and stop... Good thing I tend to share my experiences on the internet, because every now and then I look up remedies and end up stumbling across MY OWN advice that I posted a few years ago!!! Lol!!!

I actually came to EC to post about a new remedy I've discovered for nightmares (**below if you just want to skip to that), but I'm still having trouble falling asleep. My commute + workday is often 10-13 hours, and it's very stressful when I can only get about 4 hours of sleep! I will start taking borax again TODAY!

I have diabetes (possibly for years before I found out 2 years ago, because my labs were mis-filed at my doctor's office), and have been doing quite a bit of reading on nutrition & hormones. One day various bits of information just sort of clicked together and I came up with an idea that maybe you don't wake up just because you've had a nightmare, but that your brain manufactures the nightmare IN ORDER to wake you up--when your blood sugar gets low, or if you're having muscle cramps, or maybe even just to go to the bathroom!

When you haven't eaten for several hours and your blood sugar starts to get low, your liver will "dump" stored glycogen. In order to do that, cortisol must be released. Cortisol is supposed to be low at night and rise slowly around dawn until it wakes you up. Cortisol is also released when you feel threatened or frightened, and nightmares usually make you feel that way. So my hypothesis was: your body needs cortisol in order to wake you up (so you can eat) and/or to force the liver to release glycogen. The best way to do that is to make you have a nightmare.

I started looking up information and was led to some forums that discuss childhood diabetes and glycogen storage disease. Some of these children will fall into a coma or die if their blood sugar gets too low, and their parents have to wake them several times a night to test their blood sugar and feed them. Corn starch is widely used to help these children make it through the night because it is digested very, very slowly and releases glucose steadily for 5-8 hours. Many parents also reported that their children had nightmares caused by low blood sugar, and that the nightmares ceased when blood sugar was stabilized.

So that same night I started taking:

**Raw cornstarch.
I take 2-3tbsp mixed into cold water right before bed, and don't have nightmares at all!

But it won't work if you cook it; the starch molecules change, and it will cause a blood sugar spike. You can tell if it has "changed" because it will thicken. So don't mix it into warm drinks (such as cocoa) or anything with lemon--lemon also makes it thicken.

If you don't like the cornstarch in water, you could try mixing it into something else cold, like milk, yogurt, or a protein shake. There is also a product that you can find if you do an internet search for "blood sugar crisps" if you need something more convenient, or easier for a kid to eat.

Timh--In my post yesterday, I mentioned diabetes only because that's how I came across some of this information, but I hope I didn't imply that this remedy could only be used by diabetics. Even non-diabetics can experience low blood sugar at some point during the sleep cycle, and may have nightmares as a result.

I have Type 2 diabetes, but I learned the "raw cornstarch trick" from people with Type 1.

Also, I double-checked my internet search suggestion and it doesn't bring up what I intended; "blood sugar nutrition crisps" works better!

For those searching for insomnia helps I like to try tinctures. Catnip has helped along with skullcap. If I wake middle of night tincture of catnip and the 4-7-8 breathing has helped. I got a Saliva hormone level test that verified my need for help.

I developed severe insomnia last winter (nov 07) and went through quite a trial for months, with none of the many things I tried helping much except some tips on how to improve sleep habits through cognitive behavioral therapy. I was doing better May-Oct 08 then all of a sudden the same severe insomnia symptom was back in full force. Last month I decided to try vitamin D3 2000 IU/day, after reading so many recent articles about the importance of this sunshine vitamin. I chose tablets with D3 source from lanolin, since I am allergic to fish. Within a week I was sleeping soundly at night, and I am continuing to sleep well. In retrospect, it is likely that I became more susceptible to vit. D deficiency after I became lactose intolerant and stopped drinking milk.

I just started taking Valerian Capsules (500 mg) right before going to bed for my insomnia, and it works GREAT!! I used to not be able to fall asleep until 4 am, and was always sleepy and groggy when I woke up no matter how many hours of sleep I got. The first night I took one capsule at 11:30, and although I did fall asleep, I woke up around 2:30, and was unable to fall back asleep until I took another capsule an hour later. However, last night I took two capsules before going to sleep, at around midnight, and I fell asleep, slept through the night, and woke up at 7:30 (my alarm was set for 8:30!!) feeling awake and refreshed. I wasn't groggy and when I woke up I was ready to get out of bed- which is usually never the case!

So from now on I will be taking 1000 mg of Valerian Root every night for about a month, and then I'll see if I can sleep on a regular schedule without it. Now I'm not sleepy in my morning classes anymore! I highly recommend it- and I'm so happy I found a natural remedy for insomnia, I love this website! (I found Vegetarian Valerian Root capsules in the GNC section of my RiteAid, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find for anyone else) Good luck!

I would like to know at what time did you take the 5HTP and how many mg?

Insomnia: My kids have a hard time sleeping at night. I've struggled for about 10 years trying to put my ADHD girl to bed at night. The older she became, the worse it was, telling me to "get lost" when I came in the room at 11:00 p.m. She would just continue on the computer and ignore me. It was very depressing. I had to sleep so I would just go and leave her alone. Her dad didn't help much. Rescue remedy! melatonin! I bought the chewable kind and used to give it to her when I was totally exasperated at 10 or 11 p.m. Now I give it to her at 8 or 8:30 p.m. and now she jumps into bed by 9 or 9:30 p.m. What a miracle! Why did it take me so long to figure that one out? She was sleep deprived for many years!