Trouble sleeping? Exhausting, isn’t it!?
Our brains rely heavily on sleep, but you know that! Anyone lacking sleep has experienced fatigue, mental fog, and sluggish feelings—there isn’t anything more debilitating than insomnia! Or more rejuvenating than a good night’s sleep.
If you’re one of the unfortunate, you’ve repeatedly asked yourself, “Why can't I sleep at night?” An estimated 30% of the world’s population has that very thought. It's time to rectify this problem!
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Best Remedies to Achieve Restful Sleep
Why Is Sleep Important?
Benefits of Sleep Hygiene and Quality Sleep
I Can't Sleep! Effects of Insomnia and Poor Sleep
In-Depth Reviews of Top Sleep Solutions
Inexpensive Sleep Remedies for Your Health
How to Increase Deep Sleep Naturally
Buyer's Guide: How We Conducted Our Research
Conclusion
The average adult needs roughly 7-9 hours of sleep per night, preteens and teens need 8-10 hours, and younger children need 10 hours.
That may sound unattainable right now if you’re struggling with poor sleep and sleeplessness.
Wouldn't it be FABULOUS if you could say goodbye to your insomnia and irritability with all-natural treatment options?
Do you want to cut to the chase!?
Here are the best we've found to assist! Some are inexpensive, others require a bigger investment. (Don't miss the detailed write-ups further down in the article.)
Why Is Sleep Important?
To understand how to tackle your sleep problems, you must first understand the importance of sleep.
There are four stages of sleep, each doing something a little different and all important. Healthy sleep hygiene allows our bodies to regenerate so when we lack sleep, everything goes wacky.
Below are some of the processes going on when we're sleeping.
And look at these benefits that you're missing out on!
One in three people suffer from sleep deficiency, restlessness and insomnia worldwide. However, recent studies have shown that insomnia treatments are more available today. There are options for how to overcome insomnia naturally for integrative health that don’t cost a fortune or require intensive care!
Sleepless nights and inadequate sleep take their toll for sure. Take a look at this line-up:
Sleep deprivation disrupts functional and structural factors associated with cognition and emotions in healthy persons. Sleep restriction decreases gray matter volume in the brain.
As you can see, sleep is imperative to our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Fortunately, natural remedies for anxiety (common in sleep issues) and insomnia are available for even the most restless sleepers.
Related reading: Brain Basics – Understanding Sleep
Everything you'll need to make a smart decision: key benefits, pros and cons, and pricing. Natural sleep aids can assist in a better experience for you and your body.
Let’s start off with one you can wear, the Apollo Wearable—our favorite!
Could your sleep difficulties be linked to your body’s fight-or-flight response?
That’s what the team of physicians and neuroscientists at Apollo Neuro believes—and we’re convinced, too—so much so that I gave one as a gift to a loved one!
Stress suppresses your body’s ability to relax. It’s what causes us to be anxious, distracted and overwhelmed. No matter how tired you might feel, stress can keep you awake.
Clinical trials show that this natural solution reduces stress by 40%, increases focus by 25%, and induces up to 19% more deep sleep!
The app will then send gentle vibrations to your Apollo device, which subtly nudge your body to feel more at ease.
Research backs this option as a go-to for both active and sedentary people since it adjusts to your system.
Imagine a watch that is attentive to you and your rhythm and stress. Information is helpful but getting real-time assistance to calm yourself is crucial!
So, why should you consider using Apollo devices?
In contrast to options like acupuncture or electrotherapy, Apollo offers noninvasive touch therapy for stress management and to improve sleep quality. Its gentleness and ease make it a perfect companion.
Whether you pick between the Wrist or Ankle Band or Clip options, you can expect these benefits:
The Apollo wearable is the priciest option on this list, at $349. For best results, use Apollo for at least three hours five days per week, day and night.
Think of what it would feel like to regain your life and feel rested again.
Understanding the science of sleep could unlock a good night’s rest.
But, how do you go about it?
We recommend Amen University’s course, Overcoming Insomnia for its scientific backing and results.
You may not have considered taking a course on insomnia, but it’s a worthwhile remedy! The testimonials for this course speak for themselves!
As a board-certified psychiatrist and sleep medicine physician, Dr. Shane Creado’s experience makes him a trusted authority on all sleep problems and insomnia. Take a look at these benefits below!
Along with these perks, the modules are broken down into value-packed, yet bite-sized lessons:
Take advantage of the price drop from $795 to only $299! The original price for all the lessons featured above was substantially higher. Now, it's yours for four hundred dollars less!
If you have a growth mindset, this course is for you!
Scent and your nose are more powerful than you may credit it for! It's what makes certain meals a hit or a miss. Our sense of smell encourages us to reach for our favorite fragrances for a night out.
The sense of smell can also determine how long—and how comfortably—you sleep at night. That makes aromatherapy next on our list of natural remedies for sleep disorders and insomnia.
Time and time again, studies have highlighted how useful aromatherapy is in getting patients to fall asleep (and stay asleep). One study confirmed that sleep quality was higher and stress levels were lower in adults who tried aromatherapy.
Having your cupboard stocked with medicinal essential oils allows you to practice aromatherapy yourself.
Related reading: "8 Surprising Uses for Essential Oils."
Essential oils are made from plant extracts, which makes them a natural remedy for insomnia and sleep disorders. Inhaling the scent takes the oil from the nose and directly to the brain. These natural sleep aids not only work naturally with your body's system and mind-body connection but are also pleasant to use.
Chamomile and lavender are the best essential oils for sleep, and lavender is also the most studied essential oil.
Countless studies that show the soothing effects of using essential oils as a sleep aid and increasing sleep quality. Whenever I feel restless or stressed at night, I immediately pull out the lavender oil that I keep on my dresser. I can literally feel my body relax.
Homemade essential oils are free! You can create your own by steaming or pressing a plant's flower, bark, leaves, or fruit to get its oil.
The cost of bottled essential oils varies, but they tend to be low-priced. Popular brands include doTERRA, Plant Therapy and Young Living. Our favorite brand is doTERRA because of their strong research backing.
Where else can you find relief for as low as $5?
While you can apply essential oils directly to the skin, you can also inhale them by dabbing with a cotton ball or using a diffuser. Whichever your preference, you will reap the benefits.
Related reading: "25 Ways to Live Healthy with Ayurvedic Principles."
It can be annoying how elusive sleep is! Sometimes, a course or a machine can only do so much. You may want to explore internal imbalances.
Hormone and nutrition deficiencies are another leading cause of insomnia and sleep deprivation. A lack of vitamins and minerals, like Vitamin D and Iron, could stop you from getting some much-needed shut-eye.
Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) affects one-third of people worldwide. Is it impossible to think you might be one of them?
A study from 2015 even confirmed that sleep quality is significantly worse in iron deficiency anemia (IDA) patients than those with healthier iron counts. Just as severely, vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is linked to sleep problems. VDD has a hand in shorter sleep duration and an overall increased risk of developing sleep disorders.
Using supplements to correct IDA and VDD can improve how your body regulates sleep. Here’s to feeling rested and sleeping in! Natural sleep support can revolutionize your health.
Nearly 3 in 5 adults consume dietary supplements daily, making it a habit as ordinary as exercise and meditation. You can benefit from adding them to your diet, too.
Supplements ensure you are nourishing your body where it counts: With the nutrients it lacks! Whether it’s to counter an iron or Vitamin D deficiency, a supplement could:
Dietary supplements are on the lower end, starting from as little as $7. They can be ordered over the counter at your local pharmacy or online.
We recommend taking the required dose after a meal to get the most out of your supplements.
You can pick from capsules, gummies, tablets and powders. Nature Made is a leading iron supplement brand, while Nordic Naturals dominates the Vitamin D and fish oil market!
Your childhood bedtime drink of choice might have been a glass of warm milk. Now, there are a few more options—with even more evidence to back them up!
You may have already tried herbal teas, but if you haven’t, our go-to herbal teas for sleeping are chamomile and valerian root. They are delicious and have recently been the center of countless scientific studies.
Take this study, for example, which confirmed that valerian root effectively improved sleep quality in patients. As evidenced in a 2017 study, the same can be said for chamomile tea. However, we've found that teas that are specially formulated for sleep are more effective.
The jury’s in—herbal teas work.
However, if you're like me and you're not a tea drinker, try one of the other options.
If you ARE a tea drinker, you might have already tried brewing a cup before bed for better sleep! Need something stronger?
There are very few downsides to drinking tea, whether it soothes your nerves or calms your rampant thoughts. Consider adding drinking tea to your night-time routine. In conjunction with other supplements, it can provide your body with excellent support and may improve sleep quality.
A cup of tea does wonders for the human brain; the perks aren’t up for debate!
Like essential oils and supplements, the starting price for herbal teas is low, making them the most affordably priced sleep remedies.
Our recommended products are a starting point for sleep but treating insomnia is different for everyone since we are all unique. For effective tips on how to get more deep sleep, we have to examine the science behind getting shut-eye. What is essential to promote sleep?
Sleep isn’t instantaneous. It takes time to naturally drift off, from the minute you close your eyes to the seconds before you reopen them. Sleep can be split into two cycles: Non-REM and REM.
Non-REM happens when you first fall asleep. In this stage, your eyes are closed, and your body drifts between light to deep sleep.
REM is code for ‘rapid eye movement’. The REM stage of sleeping involves your eyes moving underneath your eyelids. So, why is REM sleep important?
When you are in deep sleep, the body takes this time to strengthen its immune system and make any necessary repairs.
About 90 minutes into deep sleep, you will slip into the REM cycle. From there, you’ll experience quickened breathing and increased heart rate, along with having dreams. REM sleep is also responsible for brain development, memory consolidation, emotion regulation and creativity.
Focus on increasing REM sleep, which the following can help achieve:
Block out distractions and eliminate sleep disturbances.
To transition from light to deep sleep, you must avoid any sounds or sights that may pull you out of non-REM. Try wearing sleep masks or earplugs and using black-out curtains.
Avoid caffeinated products.
We reach for a cup of coffee when we need a morning buzz or plan on pulling an all-nighter. That alone should convince you to avoid caffeine about 4-6 hours before bed.
Create a night-time routine.
Don’t just lie in bed awake! You need time to unwind before the tiredness sets in. Spend an hour or so before bed relaxing. Whatever your preference: reading, journaling, or a warm bath?
Keep your schedule consistent.
If you fall asleep at 1 a.m. tonight, you might have difficulty falling asleep at 10 p.m. tomorrow night. A regular bedtime each night can help you better regulate your sleep patterns.
Your mental health is on the line with insomnia. The power of routine and simple remedies can help.
We should aim for REM sleep every night. Some of us are closer to achieving it, but it’s in the cards for all of us! Using trusted devices, courses, and natural products could be exactly what your body needs.
There are countless remedies for insomnia and restlessness. The problem is figuring out what works best for your body, budget, and schedule.
We hand-selected different options for varying needs and price points. Here’s how we compared them to suit your needs.
Getting enough sleep at night should be priority #1: That’s why we saved you some time and compiled our top remedies for your sleep struggles!
You can always research these options further. Otherwise, it’s about time you tried something new.
How often do you hit snooze on your alarm or spend a few extra minutes groggily lying in bed?
With how hectic your day is, symptoms of a sleep disorder may be harder to shake at night. Waking up every few minutes and frequently tossing and turning will make getting a good night’s rest nearly impossible.
Fortunately, more research has been done on the sleepy and sleepless areas. From the best tea for sleep to a science-backed course, something out there will help you unlock more restful sleep.
Sometimes, the cause of your restlessness can be linked back to your rampant thoughts.
This is especially true if you’ve ever stayed up thinking back on the day’s events or creating a mental to-do list for tomorrow. Retraining an active Inner Critic to support your sleep could revolutionize your evenings.
Regardless of what option you pick from this list, your nights may be considerably easier to navigate.
Here’s to less groggy mornings and more deep sleep!
The Heartmanity Blog is a hub for mindfulness, brain fitness and emotional intelligence. Check out our newest section, Habits for Health! And if you'd like personal support, contact us directly!