How to Improve Sleep Disorders with This Natural Substance

Most of us have experienced trouble sleeping at one time or another in our life. Sleep disorders can come in many forms, but they all disturb our sleep pattern. The lack of a good sleep can have a negative impact on our physical, mental and emotional functioning as well as our energy levels and health. Sleep disruption can be caused by a variety of factors, such as snoring, sleep apnea, teeth grinding and nightmares.

The Role of Melatonin in Sleep

Many people have probably heard about taking melatonin. The hormone melatonin helps control the natural sleep-wake cycle, and natural levels of melatonin in the blood are highest at night. Some research suggests that melatonin supplements might be helpful in reducing the time it takes to fall asleep, although the effect is typically mild¹.

But melatonin may cause several side effects, such as: daytime sleepiness, dizziness, headaches and other less common side effects such as abdominal discomfort, mild anxiety, irritability, confusion and short-lasting feelings of depression. In addition, melatonin supplements can interact with various medications^{1, 2}.

Inositol for Sleep Disorders

This time I would like to introduce you to another substance that is less known. Instead of taking sleeping pills or other drugs, you may want to try a natural substance called Inositol. Inositol is a vitamin-like substance (a member of the B vitamin family – B8) that is naturally present in human cells and in certain foods. The best source of inositol is the liver. Other sources include beans, peas, nuts, whole wheat, raisins, cantaloupe and brown rice.

Inositol is also sold in supplement form and is considered a natural remedy for various health conditions such as depression³. According to studies, one of the benefits of inositol is inducing sleep without the side effects of sleep medication, such as feeling drowsy and bleary in the morning. Inositol is considered a very safe supplement to ingest and is generally tolerated well. It has few side effects that are usually mild gastrointestinal distress from high doses⁴.

It has been found that if you take inositol before bedtime, it can improve your sleep quality significantly and makes you feel calm and relaxed. It should also be mentioned that alcohol and caffeine inhibit inositol ^{5, 6}, so do not take these substances with inositol.

How to Take Inositol for Better Sleep

You can take inositol in a capsule (about 1,500 to 2,000 mg) or in a powder form. The powder form is mixed easily in water and tastes relatively bland.

It is recommended to start with about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of powder (roughly 3/4 g to 1.5 g) and increase the dose until you feel it gives you the best sleep. Usually 2 g of powdered inositol will be enough. It must be mentioned that before taking any supplement, you need to consult with your doctor first to make sure it doesn’t interfere with medications you already take.

Other Methods to Improve Sleep

Herbs to Get Better Sleep

Mother nature can provide you with many herbs to improve your sleep. For example, one of the most common ways to use chamomile tea is as a sleep aid.

A study published by the Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin on 2005 found that chamomile has an effect similar to benzodiazepine drugs, which are commonly used to improve sleep and treat anxiety disorders, and can help you fall asleep faster.⁷ Other studies on humans have shown that chamomile extract can help some people get to sleep better. So, drinking a cup of chamomile tea about 30 minutes before going to bed can help you fall asleep quicker.

You can find many other herbs to get better sleep in my article about the best 12 herbs for insomnia.

Foods to Improve Your Sleep

Another simple way you can try to improve your sleep is by eating certain types of foods. For example, foods containing tryptophan, such as poultry, seafood, dairy products, nuts and seeds, eggs, bananas and legumes, can help you fall asleep. This is because tryptophan in an amino acid which is required fro the production of serotonin. Raising the level of tryptophan in the brain will increase production of serotonin which has general sedative effects.

To find other food sources to improve your sleep and research about them please read my article about the best foods for better sleep.

4-7-8 Breathing Exercise

This simple exercise is promoted by by Harvard educated Dr. Andrew Weil and can help you improve your sleep and manage stressful situations in a better way. This yogic breathing technique, known as 4-7-8, changes your body’s physiology and alters your state of mind. This method is an easy and cheap way to achieve deep relaxation which will enable you to go to sleep fast.

You can find detailed instructions on how to perform this method and how it works in my article : Here’s How to Go to Sleep Fast (in Under 1 Minute).

Tricks to Fall Asleep When Your Mind Is Busy

Our restless mind and hectic life with constant stimulation may cause us difficulties to fall asleep. But instead of tossing and turning in your bed, there are few simple tips and tricks that will help you to fall asleep even when your mind is racing. So to enter dreamland at the end of a long day please read my article about tricks to fall asleep when your mind is busy, where you can find how creating a relaxing pre-bed routine and other habits can help you get better sleep.

Essential oils for Better Sleep

In recent time, essential oils have become popular as sleep remedies in the natural health community and they can help you to treat insomnia and get better sleep. For example, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine has found that lavender oil has sleep inducing properties, especially in mild insomnia cases.⁸ Other studies found many more essential oils to improve sleep and you can find them in my article about the best essential oils for insomnia and better sleep.

Plants for Your Bedroom to Help You Sleep Better

People who have trouble sleeping will be glad to know that there are many plants that can detoxify the air in their bedroom and can actually help to lull them to sleep at night.

While there is an ongoing debate whether it’s a good idea to keep plants in your bedroom because at night the plants take in oxygen while emitting carbon dioxide, it’s important to know that plants in your bedroom use far less oxygen than is usually deemed by many who are against it. And some plants, like the snake plant, usually emit oxygen at night unlike other plants thus benefiting you even more. So to find out which plants to put in your bedroom please read my article about the 10 best plants to have in your bedroom.

Sleep Disorders Due to Bed Bugs

Your sleep might be disrupted if you notice that you have small itchy spots, red rashes or blisters when you wake up, which could be a sign that you have bed bugs in your bedroom. Bed bugs can infest the seams of your mattress, bed frames, box springs, and headboards.

While it can be a challenge to get rid of bed bugs because they are hard to detect and multiply rapidly, bed bugs can’t survive extreme hot or cold temperatures, so, methods like steam cleaning, hot washes, and drying on a high heat are natural home remedies to eliminate bed bugs from clothing and bedding. The good news is that you can completely eliminate bed bugs for good if you use several methods together, and you can find them in my article on how to get rid of bed bugs naturally.

Related articles:

• A Simple Recipe for a Great Sleep (2 Natural Ingredients)
• Drink a Cup of this Natural Drink to Get a Better Sleep
• The Best and Worst Sleeping Positions for Your Health
• Common Causes for Feeling Tired or Sleepy After Eating

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