Home remedies for insomnia are an excellent natural way to stimulate sleep, without the risk of developing common side effects of medications, such as long-term dependence or worsening of insomnia, for example.
Although its effect is not as immediate as pharmaceuticals, its action is more natural for the body and does not cause any dependence. In addition, when used regularly, home remedies help to regulate sleep cycles, allowing the effect to become faster and faster.
With the use of home remedies it is also advisable to take other measures that facilitate sleep, such as avoiding having blue lights in the room and avoiding stimulating activities in the 30 minutes before bedtime. See these and other tips to help you sleep better.
1. Melatonin
This is a type of hormone that is naturally produced by the body and, therefore, is not popularly included in the category of home remedies. However, melatonin is the main responsible for sleep, having markedly proven effects against insomnia, in several studies.
Under normal conditions, melatonin is produced by the body at the end of the day, preparing the body for sleep, however, with increased levels of stress in society, as well as the use of blue lights in the rooms and the intake of medications, such as diuretics or analgesics, their production tends to decrease, causing most cases of insomnia.
Thus, melatonin can be an important natural supplement to treat cases of insomnia, and can be found in health food stores and some pharmacies in the form of pills or dermal patches.
How to take it: the general recommended dose for adults is 0.3 to 0.5 mg daily, 30 minutes before bed. However, the advice of a doctor or herbalist is recommended to adjust the dosage to the specific needs of each person.
2. Valerian
Valerian root tea has shown in several studies a potent action against mild to moderate insomnia, as it has anxiolytic and sedative properties that help you fall asleep more easily.
Unlike pharmacy sedative remedies, valerian does not cause any dependence and, therefore, can be used safely. However, its effect can take up to 4 weeks to be noticed, as the plant's substances slowly shape the sleep cycle.
Ingredients
- 3 g of dry valerian root; 300 ml of water.
Method of preparation
Put the water and the valerian root to boil over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes and then remove from the heat and strain. Allow to warm and drink 1 cup about 30 minutes before bed.
In addition to tea, valerian can also be consumed as a supplement, and should be ingested at a dose of 300 to 900 mg of 0.8% extract. This dosage may need to be adapted by a herbalist or doctor, according to the severity of insomnia and other characteristics of the person.
Valerian should be used with caution in pregnant women and patients with some type of liver problem.
3. Hops
Hops are the same plant that is used in beer production, but in the form of tea it has shown a positive effect against insomnia. Its action has been related to its ability to prevent the degradation of GABA, a substance that helps in relaxing the nervous system, in addition to appearing to improve the action of melatonin receptors, potentiating the effect of the main hormone responsible for sleep.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of hops, 1 cup of boiling water.
Method of preparation
Add the hops to the boiling water and let stand for approximately 10 minutes. Then strain and then take 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.
This tea should not be used in pregnancy without the supervision of a doctor or herbalist.
4. Lemongrass
Lemon balm leaves have been used for several centuries to treat cases of insomnia and, in recent studies, their action has been justified by the ability to prevent the destruction of GABA, a type of neurotransmitter that helps to calm the nervous system and the facilitate sleep.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons of lemon balm leaves; 500 ml of boiling water.
Method of preparation
Put the lemon balm in a teapot and cover with boiling water. Cover, allow to warm, strain to drink next, preferably 30 to 60 minutes before going to sleep.
Lemon balm can also be consumed in the form of capsules, with dosages between 300 to 500 mg per day, or drops. In these cases, the dose should always be adjusted by a doctor or herbalist. Lemon balm should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding without the doctor's guidance.
5. Passiflora
Passionflower is the passion fruit plant and, like lemon balm, this medicinal plant has been used for many years to help treat insomnia. Although there are still few studies using this plant for insomnia, many of its substances have great potential to help with treatment.
For example, chrysin, which is the main flavonoid of passionflower, has shown a strong action on benzodiazepine receptors, which are the same receptors used by pharmacy anxiolytic drugs, which cause relaxation and help you sleep. In addition, in research done on rats, passionflower extract helped a lot to prolong sleep time.
Ingredients
- 6 g passionflower; 1 cup boiling water.
Method of preparation
Add the water with the passion flower and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Then let it cool, strain and drink about 30 minutes before bed. Passionflower can often be added to valerian tea, for example, for a stronger effect.
This tea should be avoided in pregnant women.
When to go to the doctor
While home remedies can help treat many cases of insomnia, there are also several cases where they are not enough, especially when there are other causes. Thus, it is advisable to go to the doctor when there is no improvement in insomnia after 4 weeks of treatment with a home remedy or when insomnia interferes with quality of life, as it may be necessary to identify the correct cause and start the most appropriate treatment.
Also watch the following video and see what tips you can adopt to sleep better:
