Given the rate of sleepless nights most people tend to suffer from these days a run through our home remedies for insomnia doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all. Various factors culminating to sleep loss include stress, heartburn or perhaps a hectic urban lifestyle. It is a popular misconception that insomnia is merely the inability to fall asleep. This is not entirely correct. The condition of being unable to fall asleep naturally or waking up in the middle of night and staying awake is referred to as Insomnia. The inability to get quality sleep is also insomnia. In fact, people who sleep all night but still don’t get the quality of sleep may be said to be suffering from insomnia. Irregularity in breathing during sleep can also lead to insomnia.

Person with Insomnia

Insomnia can be very frustrating and can result in inability to concentrate for a long time and temper issues. Prolonged symptoms are referred to as Chronic Insomnia which is a graver issue and can disrupt normal life and lead to headaches, memory problems, mental tiredness, confusion, emotional instability etc. Insomnia cannot be referred to as a disease; however, apart from the above mentioned it can be instrumental in creating more serious disorders like arthritis, asthma, heart disease and many more. There are many drugs available in the market that promise to help you get through this disorder. I would not want you to go through the ordeal of putting your body through these medicines when healthy natural alternatives are known. Below I have listed a few home remedies for insomnia to help you have that good night’s sleep:

1. Make a fine powder by grinding four nutmegs and have it in the night before sleeping.

2. Consuming a glass of lukewarm milk mixed with honey is believed to be curative.

3. Having a bath or applying hot packs to the spine before going to bed also helps in getting a good night’s sleep.

4. Exercising on a regular basis or getting involved in physical activity like swimming, skipping or jogging helps to a great extent in curing sleeplessness.

5. Making a fine powder of Pippali and consuming it with a teaspoon of honey, jaggery and a glass of warm milk helps.

6. Make a mixture of celery leaf with stalks and honey and consume this every night after dinner.

7. Consuming raw onion salads is known to be very effective.

8. Getting a massage of bottle gourd juice and sesame oil is a good alternative to cure insomnia.

9. Add a pinch of turmeric to a glass of milk and boil it. Milk has amino acid tryptophan which gets converted to serotonin. Serotonin has soothing properties which induces sleep.

10. Apart from mental and physical relaxation that Yoga has, it also helps tone our respiratory and nervous systems.

11. Wholegrain cereals, Pulses and nuts contain Vitamin B, which is proven to be effective in curing insomnia.

12. Sticking to a fix schedule for going to bed everyday and waking up early morning automatically helps cure the problem of sleeplessness.

13. Adding some roasted cumin seeds into mashed ripe banana and consuming this after dinner is known to have sleep-inducing properties.

14. A balanced diet works wonders. Avoiding refined sugar, white flour, colas, chocolates, energy drinks, high fat foods etc is very essential. If the salt intake is on the higher side it worsens insomnia. Hence it’s very essential that you restrict the intake of salt in your diet to a maximum 5g/day.

15. Fresh juice of wallichi valerian taken before going to bed is known for its medicinal effects of inducing sleep.

16. One more effective home remedy would be to extract milk from poppy seeds and add some sugar to it. Consuming this mixture on a day to day basis before going to bed works wonders.

17. Chamomile an herb known for centuries now is one which acts as a natural aid in curing sleep deprivation. Besides this it also has anti- bacterial properties. Consumption of this herb is a very healthy alternative to curing insomnia.

18. Consumption of KAVA a few hours before going to bed helps in reducing tension, mental anxiety and acts as a sleep inducing agent. However one should keep in mind that consumption of KAVA should be limited since excess consumption can have side effects.

I have hereby listed all possible home recipes that one can have to get the beauty sleep. It is essential to remember that lack of sleep is a major cause of worry since work and performance get hampered. I have tried to make sure that all the suggested remedies are cheap so that you don’t have to go the extra mile of spending big bucks and resorting to harmful drugs. If none help, don’t wait too long before contacting a qualified doctor. Here’s wishing you all a healthy body, mind and soul with these home remedies for insomnia.

Dr. Rachita Narsaria