7 Natural Supplements for Sleep and Their Uses

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How you sleep at night has a significant impact on your health, both mentally and physically. A great night’s sleep makes the brain work effectively, and a suitable sleeping pattern helps us to maintain a healthy weight, keep a right balance of hormones, and control sugar levels.

Many of us have had restless nights where we find it harder than usual to fall asleep but are reluctant to take a sleeping pill that may cause drowsiness the next morning or even create a dependency.

Sleeping habits, lifestyle choices, and medical conditions can all contribute to sleeplessness. Some causes are minor and can be remedied with self-care, while others may need to be treated with medical attention. If you are searching for a little extra help to nod off or sleep through the night, you can try these natural supplements:

1. Valerian Root

Valerian is a herb - more specifically, a tall, flowering grassland plant - and medicine is made from the root. It is one of the leading natural supplements for treating insomnia and anxiety that has shown to act as a sedative on the brain and nervous system without leaving people with morning grogginess. Using valerian over a period of time may be more effective than taking it one night only. Still, when effective, the valerian root may improve sleep quality as well as reducing the amount of time it takes to fall asleep.

2. Magnesium Spray after showering before bed

Magnesium helps quieten the nervous system and prepares your body and mind for sleep by maintaining healthy levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter that promotes sleep. Applied topically through a spray, magnesium oil can soak in and help your muscles relax and assist you in drifting off to sleep. This can also aid in the relief of restless leg syndrome, which can occur due to a magnesium deficiency.

With magnesium oil sprays gaining popularity across the globe, scientists are studying the effectiveness of this natural aid and its many benefits.

3. Rescue Sleep Spray (Bach Flower)

Rescue Sleep Spray is a non-narcotic, non-habit forming natural sleep aid. It calms your mind providing natural relief of occasional sleeplessness caused by stress and repetitive thoughts. The 5 Bach Flower Remedies in Rescue Remedy and White Chestnut help eliminate stress and unwanted thoughts, so sleep comes naturally. 

 4. Passionflower Tea

Passionflower is a climbing vine, and the above-ground parts are used to make medicine. The chemicals in passionflowers have calming, sleep-inducing, and muscle spasm alleviating effects. Initial research shows that those who drink a passionflower tea an hour before bed for seven nights have seen an improvement in the quality of their sleep.

5. Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender oil is popular essential aromatherapy for relaxation and sleep. It is a herb, and both the flower and the oil of lavender are used to make medicine. The lavender contains an oil that has sedating effects and can relax specific muscles.

6. Melatonin

The hormone melatonin plays a role in our natural sleep-wake cycle, and using melatonin supplements is generally safe for short-term use. The key role of melatonin is to regulate day and night cycles or sleep-wake cycles. Darkness causes the body to produce more melatonin, which signals the body to prepare for sleep, whereas light decreases melatonin production and signals the body to prepare for being awake. People who have trouble sleeping could have lower levels of melatonin.

7. Breathwork

Slow, deep breathing helps the body override the sympathetic system, which controls our fight-or-flight response, and lets the parasympathetic system — which controls our ability to relax — take the wheel instead. Practicing deep breathing in bed gives your body permission to quit being on high alert and tells it to relax instead. 

Let us know in the comments below if you have more natural remedies to help bring on sleep.

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