Natural Insomnia Remedies when Sleep Evades

I don’t know about you, but I like to sleep around. I’ll sleep in beds, on couches, in the backseat of a car, or on a blanket in a park. I love long naps that last for hours and sleeping in until noon. Insomnia didn’t exist in my universe.  Before college, I was homeschooled, and I set my own schedule for my classwork. As long as I got it done, my mom didn’t care if I was doing an assignment at 3 in the morning. 

Even when I went to college, sleep was never a problem for me. I could have a cup of coffee or a soda in the evening and still go to bed at a reasonable hour.  When my head hit the pillow, my mind and body would shut down almost immediately.

Then, I turned 25, and insomnia became a thing, a horrible thing.

It doesn’t happen often, but when insomnia strikes, it usually lasts for about a week of very little, poor quality sleep. My body is weary, but my mind refuses to power down. Naps also prove to be elusive, and it drives me crazy.

I decided to write this post because I actually had a cycle of insomnia last week. I was formatting this blog (my very first) and was losing my mind in website design. Side note: anyone who tells you that you can start a blog in 5 minutes is a liar.

After having two months off for summer vacation, I decided to start Unseen Footprints one week before I was scheduled to go back to work, so I put myself under a time restriction. When my head hit the pillow, my mind wouldn’t stop- three days until you go back to work, why doesn’t it look that way on my phone?, did I pick the right color scheme?, what if this flops?, and so on.

Because this wasn’t my first case of insomnia, I used some tried and true remedies that have worked in the past. These remedies don’t work every time, but I usually find one that works each time insomnia strikes.

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Remedies for Insomnia

Twinings Nightly Calm Tea

This is probably one of the most popular suggestions, so I don’t mean to be redundant. However, it does work. I’ve tried several brands- Essentials Sleepy Time, Tazo’s calm chamomile, and Twinings Nightly Calm Tea. Twinings is my favorite with Tazo’s being a close second.  When I’m having trouble sleeping, I try to avoid any caffeinated drinks after 4 pm and enjoy a warm cup of herbal tea before bed.

Lavender Essential Oil

A co-worker suggested essential oils when I was suffering from insomnia last year. I rub a couple of drops on my wrist and temple and let the Lavender Essential Oildo the rest. I use lavender on a nightly basis now, because I love it so much. After a few months, I invested in a diffuser as well, which smells great. When I don’t feel well, I switch on lavender for eucalyptus or peppermint essential oils to help ease congestion. (check out my Limoncello Green Tea Recipe for easing a sore throat!)

Audiobooks

This may seem like a weird choice, but it does work for me- kind of. I was on a long flight to Dubai a few months ago, and I usually cannot sleep on airplanes. Around hour 20 of being awake, I decided to check out the audiobooks on the plane’s entertainment system. I chose “A Picture of Dorian Grey.” Ya’ll, I swear I was out in 5 minutes. Since then, I’ve downloaded an audiobooks app that has free books that are in the public domain.

Now, on the plane, I didn’t have insomnia. I was just uncomfortable and hate flying, but I have since found audiobooks to be helpful when I’m trying desperately to get some sleep. You’ve got to pick the right book. If I put on Little Women, I won’t be getting any rest. The Biography of Benjamin Franklin, however, is a great choice. (Also, for some reason, I fall asleep much faster if the narrator is male. I tend to pay attention to the female readers more.) Third, even when audiobooks provide sleep, it is not a deep sleep. I will wake up several times to the voices of the reader, but some sleep is better than no sleep.

White Noise/Nature Sounds

I know all my fellow book lovers are gasping in horror at my audiobooks suggestion, so the Take a Break app is another helpful tool in getting some ZZZ’s. This is a meditation app, so there is a guided meditation. You can turn the woman’s voice off though and just listen to the sounds of the ocean. Amazon also sells a an Essential Oil Diffuser that is also a white noise machine. 

Count- repeatedly

Not sheep. If I count sheep, my mind starts to notices different characteristics in the ewes. I’m dead serious. I started just counting, but then, my mind wants to know how high can I count before falling asleep. Instead, I just count to 10 over and over and over again until I eventually get bored and fall asleep. It may sound crazy, but this is my most successful trick to falling asleep. My aunt mentioned to me that she finds it helpful to count down from 100 by 3’s. I tried this a few times, but it took too much concentration for me. 

Get up and do something

Stretch, lay out your clothes for the next day, take a shower- just get out of the bed and do something else for 30 minutes. Sometimes, I’m too focused on falling asleep to actually get any sleep. Don’t check facebook, play a game, or start a movie that you won’t be able to turn off. Electronics can be over-stimulating for your eyes, so avoid anything that’s going to keep you awake.  

Avoid Caffeine

If you’ve experienced several nights of insomnia, try reducing or eliminating your caffeine intake. I’ve learned that I can’t drink coffee after 4 pm, or I will be up until midnight.

Do you have any Remedies for Insomnia? Let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to click on the picture below to re-pin!