Natural Sleep Remedy
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Try a natural sleep remedy - herbal treatments, supplements, even relaxing aromatherapy...- a good sleep routine
- an appropriate sleeping environment
- taking control of your worries and concerns
- physically and mentally preparing yourself for sleep
- relaxation techniques
These are all excellent natural remedies for insomnia, that usually work best over the course of a few weeks.
If you want a natural sleep remedy that works, to send you straight off to sleep right now, take a look at these herbal natural sleep remedies and supplements.
Surprisingly, these are just as effective as more conventional treatments – but don’t have the nasty side effects that traditional sleeping pills do. Click here to find out why I don’t take sleeping tablets.
I like to use a natural sleep remedy now, if I ever have a stressful day, or any disruption to my sleeping routine. I found these herbal natural sleep remedies totally invaluable for restoring a good sleep routine, and curing my insomnia.
Choose a natural sleep remedy from the following options:
I have tried to source good quality and affordable supplies for all the natural sleep remedies mentioned on the page.
Just click on any product to find out more information about it...and perhaps your perfect natural sleep remedy...!
(Do take care if you are driving or operating machinery. Remember these are herbs you are taking with the intention of falling asleep – so take care, and don’t be surprised if they do cause drowsiness – they should!)
Always remember to consult your healthcare provider before taking any decisions regarding your health.
Valerian
California Poppy
Lemon Balm
Passion Flower
Camomile
Skullcap
Catmint
Melatonin
St John’s Wort
5HTP
Magnesium
Aromatherapy
More Recommended Products
Valerian
- As a natural sleep remedy, this is the strongest of all the insomnia herbs – as good as prescription drugs!
- Valerian helps you fall asleep fast, and get a better quality of sleep.
- Unlike conventional sleeping pills, it doesn’t cause morning after ‘grogginess’ or interact with alcohol.
- Valerian doesn’t cause a physical addiction in the same way as conventional sleeping pills do, but if you take it regularly, you may experience a psychological addiction - and become convinced that you can’t sleep without it – so, do just be aware of this fact.
- Take a capsule or tincture ½ to ¾ of an hour before bedtime. Try these Valerian Root 300mg
capsules (International Shipping), or this Valerian Root Liquid Extract
tincture (International Shipping).
- Or, make a Valerian tea - with ½ to 1 teaspoon of Valerian tincture in water. You can also buy convenient Valerian Root Tea
- Caution: For around 10% of people, Valerian has a stimulating and not a sedative effect (I’m one of them!). If this happens to you, stop using it.
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California Poppy
- High doses of California Poppy as a natural sleep remedy are very effective.
- Lower doses are good for general relaxation, and reducing anxiety.
- Drink up to 4 cups of tea per day:
- Use 1 teaspoon of dried herb, in a cupful of hot water
- Steep for 10 minutes
- Strain and drink
- Caution: do not use if pregnant.
Dried herb for tea making: (click below for more info)...
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Lemon Balm
- This is my personal favorite natural sleep remedy. I have a plant outside my back door, and harvest and dry my own leaves.
- Tea bags are also available, though, as well as capsules. I like these Nature's Way Melissa-Lemon Balm - 100 caps
capsules.
- Lemon Balm also helps to relax you, ease anxiety and is good for:
- digestive problems
- headaches
- fever
- viruses
- This makes a very pleasant tasting tea:
- 2 teaspoons of dried leaf, in a cupful of hot water
- Steep for 10 minutes
- Strain and drink 1-2 cups of tea, just before bedtime
- You can use this Lemon Balm Leaf C/S Cert. Organic (Melissa officinalis) 1 lb: C
loose leaf herb for making your own tea.
- These Lemon Balm Herb Tea
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Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata)
- Passion Flower is especially good as a natural sleep remedy, for those times when anxiety, worry and an over-active mind are stopping you from falling asleep.
- Make a tea with:
- ½ a teaspoon of the dried herb, in a cupful of hot water
- Steep for 10 minutes
- Strain and drink 1 cup before bedtime
- You can use this Passion Flower Leaf C/S (Passiflora incarnata) 1 lb: C
loose leaf herb for making your teas.
- You can also take Passion Flower as capsules. I recommend these Passionflower Extract (Passiflora incarnata) 60 vegicaps: K
capsules.
- Caution: Do not take with monoamine oxidase-inhibiting antidepressants (MAOI’s)
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Camomile
- This is quite a gentle natural sleep remedy – to relax you, and send you into a peaceful sleep.
- This can be taken to calm and soothe during the day, and just before bedtime.
- Make a tea with:
- 1 teaspoon of dried flowers in a cupful of hot water
- Steep for 10 minutes
- Strain and drink 1-2 cups before bed
- You can make tea with these Chamomile, German Flowers Whole (Matricaria chamomilla) 1 lb: K
- Easy tea bags are a very good alternative. Try these Chamomile Tea
- The tincture is also very effective, and can be added to water and sipped through the evening, or before bed. I like this Chamomile Flower AF
fluid extract (International Shipping).
- Caution: If you are allergic to other members of the daisy family, you might also be allergic to camomile.
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Skullcap
- This is an effective natural remedy for insomnia caused by anxiety and nervous conditions.
- Drink a cup of Skullcap tea at bedtime:
- Use 1 – 2 teaspoons of the dried herb, in a cupful of hot water
- Steep for 10 minutes
- Strain and drink
- You can use this Scullcap Root - Loose (Scutellaria baicalensis; Skullcap; Huang Qin) Whole: 500 gm (1.17 lb): V
dried root to make your tea.
- You can also take Skullcap as Baikal Skullcap, 60 Vcaps: W
liquid extract (International Shipping).
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Catmint/Catnip
- This is a very gentle sedative, but is a very effective natural sleep remedy, especially in combination with other insomnia herbs.
- It is especially recommended if your insomnia also involves trapped wind or fever.
- Make a tea:
- 1 teaspoon of the dried herb in a cupful of hot water
- Steep for 10 minutes
- Strain and drink 1 cup of tea at bedtime
- You can use this Catnip Leaf C/S (Nepeta cataria) 1 lb: C
- Or try these more convenient Catnip Herb Tea
tea bags, (International Shipping) instead.
- Caution: Do not use if pregnant.
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Melatonin
- Melatonin is a substance produced naturally by the brain.
- It is to do with the onset of darkness bringing on sleepiness.
- Supplements of melatonin used as a natural sleep remedy, are very effective in some cases of insomnia – particularly:
- people who do shift work
- suffer jet lag
- are blind
- whose biological clocks seem out of kilter
- Capsules can be taken ½ an hour, to an hour, before bedtime. You can try these Melatonin
- Reports of its effectiveness are very encouraging – but this is still considered as ‘experimental’.
- Synthetically produced melatonin is thought to be a safer choice, than melatonin from animal sources.
- These Melatonin Herbal Peppermint Tea
- Caution:
- Do not take if pregnant, or if intending to be pregnant soon.
- Do not take if you have an autoimmune disease.
- Not recommended for children or teenagers
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St John’s Wort
- St John’s Wort is very effective at promoting a deep, restful sleep, and good sleep patterns.
- It is thought to affect the levels of serotonin in the body, which helps to regulate sleep.
- It is especially useful as a natural sleep remedy, if depression is a factor in your insomnia.
- Consider this as a long term treatment, to be taken everyday, for a number of weeks or months. Capsules are the usual treatment option - I like these St. John’s Wort
- Caution:
- May increase the side effects of any drugs or alcohol.
- May increase sun sensitivity
- Do not take with antidepressants, melatonin, L-dopa, or hormonal contraceptives, unless on the advice of your doctor.
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5HTP (5-Hydroxytrytophan)
- 5HTP is a chemical which occurs naturally in the body, and is used to make serotonin, which helps to regulate sleep.
- It can also help with depression.
- 5HTP can be taken in supplement form, such as these 5 HTP Xtra Strength 200mg (200mg, 60 medium capsules)
(International Shipping).
- Although reports claim that it is very effective, again this is very much considered ‘experimental’ still – so a level of caution should be exercised.
- Trytophan is present naturally in milk and bananas, so you may want to try these foods instead.
- Caution:
- Do not take long term.
- Do not take if pregnant
- Do not take if suffering from an autoimmune disease, cancer, heart or liver problems.
- Do not take with antidepressants, L-dopa, antibiotics, antihistamines, cold remedies, chemotherapy or alcohol
- Consult your doctor before taking this, if your take other drugs, or suffer from other illnesses.
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Magnesium
- Take Magnesium as a supplement, for a pretty effective natural sleep remedy.
- It is thought that lack of sufficient magnesium in the body can lead to irregular sleep patterns, as well as muscle aches and pains, and restlessness.
- This is something I tried in the initial stages of getting my insomnia problems under control. I used these Magnesium 200 mg
- green leafy veg
- nuts
- fish
- dairy
- You can also get the benefits of magnesium in the bath too, by using Epsom salts.
- Your Epsom salts bath helps relax your muscles, and helps your nervous system.
- Run a bath, close to body temperature, and add:
- 250g of Epsom salts
- 10 drops of lavender essential oil
- Try these Aaron Epsom Salts - 1 lbs
- Relax in your bath for at least 20 minutes, then go straight to bed.
- Caution:
- Do not exceed stated doses
- Do not take magnesium supplements long term.
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Aromatherapy
- Aromatherapy essential oils can be excellent natural remedies for insomnia, and can be used at the same time as other natural sleep remedies, or even sleeping tablets!
- Lavender is the best known essential oil for encouraging sleep, and really does work (especially in combination with other natural sleep remedies).
- Use:
- a lavender sleep pillow
- lavender essential oils in the bath
- add a few drops to a pillow or hanky
- massage into the head and neck
- (see instructions below)
- Use lavender or one/a combination of the following aromatherapy essential oils:
- neroli
- ylang ylang
- marjoram
- camomile
- sandalwood
- clary sage
- frankinsence
- Use 1-2 drops on a hanky or pillow (any more will be too strong, and may actually keep you awake).
- Use 10-15 drops (total) in the bath.
- Use 15 drops of essential oil in 2 tablespoons of almond oil or olive oil, to make a massage oil. Rub gently into temples, forehead and the back of the neck.
Get essential oil supplies here: Kalyx.com Complete Aromatherapy Oils & Supplies
Footbath
- A footbath can also be a very effective natural sleep remedy.
- Use it just before bed. It works by heating up your feet, so cooling down the main, central part of your body, and encouraging the onset of sleep.
- Use a bowl of hot water, and add one of the following essential oils into the water:
- lavender
- rosemary
- mustard
- ginger
- Leave your feet soaking for about 10 minutes, dry feet thoroughly, and go straight to bed.
Sleepy Pillow
- Lavender pillows are very effective natural remedies for insomnia, but can be pricy! So, if you are feeling creative and have the ‘ingredients’, why not try making your own, effective ‘sleepy pillow’ (I had one for ages, that my auntie made me, years ago).
- Mix together:
- dried hops
- lavender
- lemon balm
- rose petals
- Sew into a cotton square and use in bed, to relax and drop off to sleep (it also makes a thoughtful and creative gift!)
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More Recommended Products
These all natural sleep remedy products contain really safe and effective blends of the above herbs and supplements essential for good sleep patterns and routines:Get More Info on Serenite-LT for Long Term Solution to Chronic Insomnia
Get More Info on SerenitePlus for Insomnia and Sleeping Disorders
Get More Info on Triple Complex Sleep Tonic Tissue Salts
Don’t forget to also check out these lifestyle changes, bedtime routines and other natural remedies for insomnia, which will give you long term, effective relief from your sleep problems.
I hope one of these natural sleep remedies will work for you. I certainly found a number of these to be very effective, particularly as you begin to tackle your sleep problem, and get back into a balanced sleep routine.
What works for you?
Do you have any tips and experiences in finding a natural sleep remedy, to share? Tell us about your experiences...
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