How to get rid of insomnia using folk remedies at home: treatment for adults

Common causes of insomnia

In men and women, the causes of insomnia may vary somewhat, but in each case the problem requires an individual approach to treatment. Therefore, the same drugs can have different effects on the body of a particular person.

The problem for men

Sleep disturbance in men can be caused by a number of the following factors:

Consumption of too fatty foods (including eating before bed).
Insufficient physical fatigue. This happens when a man is engaged in mental activity and at the same time leads a sedentary lifestyle.
Frequent consumption of coffee and energy drinks.
External irritants (noise, light, uncomfortable bedding, increased dryness of indoor air, etc.).
Internal anxiety about conducting serious negotiations, concluding important agreements, etc.
Hormonal disorders.
Diseases of the nervous system.
Bronchial asthma (because a man may choke while sleeping).

Therefore, for successful treatment it is important to identify the true cause of insomnia.

Disorder in women

Insomnia in women can be caused by the following factors:

Incorrect position of the bed.
Overeating or unbalanced diet.
Disturbance of daily biorhythms.
Long-term use of certain medications (Clonidine, Diphenhydramine, Fluoxetine, Prednisolone, etc.).
Anxiety and stress.
Physiological changes in the body (observed in women aged 50 years and older).
Various psychological phobias (fear of darkness, night, something otherworldly).
Mental disorders (for example, progressive depression).
Neurological diseases (Parkinson's disease, etc.).
Suffered traumatic brain injuries.

Rice.
1 – the main causes of sleep disorders However, the listed diseases can also occur in men.

Note! In older women, insomnia may occur during menopause.

What you need to know about insomnia

You can often hear the unusual term “insomnia” at a doctor’s appointment. Not many people realize that it means one of the types of sleep disorders, which, under the influence of various factors, often turns into a serious illness.

We can talk about pathological disorders (and not just temporary problems) if a person observes the following symptoms for a long time:

has difficulty falling asleep, even when very tired;
sleeps restlessly;
frequently awakens during the night;
wakes up early “with the roosters” and can no longer fall asleep.

A prolonged disorder not only deprives you of energy and good mood, but over time it seriously undermines your health. Due to constantly occurring drowsiness, performance deteriorates, its productivity decreases, and neurosis develops. In modern life, both adults and teenagers and children suffer from insomnia. An infant up to one year old, and even a newborn baby, can often show restlessness in their sleep.

Folk remedies for sleep

The following folk remedies will help improve the quality of sleep and speed up the process of falling asleep in the evening:

Chestnut for loss of sleep

Divide the horse chestnut fruits (45-60 pieces) into three fabric bags with laces and place them on the bed in different places: one near the head, the second in the middle, and the third in the foot area. This product will last for about a year, after which the old chestnuts will need to be replaced with fresh ones.

Chamomile decoction for adults

Dry chamomile flowers (1 tablespoon or 1 filter bag) pour a glass of boiling water, heat in a water bath for 10 minutes, cool and strain through cheesecloth or a fine sieve. Drink the resulting product in small sips 30-40 minutes before bedtime.

Pharmacy collection that normalizes sleep

To treat insomnia, it is recommended to brew the pharmacy sedative mixture “Phytosedan No. 2” every day before bed. It contains the following components: motherwort herb, mint, hops, licorice and valerian. These herbs will help relieve tension and stress, relax smooth muscles and eliminate existing spasms, which together have a mild calming effect. Mode of application:

1-1.5 hours before bedtime, pour 1 filter bag of herbal tea with a glass of boiling water, let it brew for 10-15 minutes and drink in small sips.

Milk with honey for children

It is useful for children suffering from insomnia to give a glass of warm milk with diluted honey (1-2 tsp) 15-20 minutes before bedtime. The procedure can be repeated daily. The product relieves anxiety and promotes rapid sleep.

Warming the body, arms and legs

A warm, warm bath will help you relax before bed. To do this, you need to pour 50 g of crushed valerian roots with 2-3 liters of boiling water, let it brew for 4 hours, then add the infusion to a warm bath of water. The duration of one session is 20 minutes. The course of treatment involves 10 procedures.

Dill remedies

The following remedies for insomnia can be prepared from dill:

Dried dill (1 tbsp) is poured into 300 ml of boiling water and left for an hour. The finished infusion is filtered and taken half a glass several times a day for a total course of 2 weeks.
Dill seeds (50 g) are poured into 0.5 liters of Cahors, brought to a boil and cooked over low heat for 25 minutes. The resulting product is cooled, filtered and taken 50 ml before bedtime.

General recommendations for prevention

To overcome insomnia and wake up refreshed and refreshed in the morning, you should follow just a few simple rules.

Follow a routine and lead a healthy lifestyle.
Be physically active and move more during the day.
Switch to small meals and do not overeat.
Avoid the consumption of strong alcoholic and tonic drinks, energy drinks.
Create comfortable sleeping conditions in your own bedroom.
Set aside half an hour in the evening for relaxation and ritual.
Do not resort to sleeping pills for the slightest sleep disturbance.
If necessary, give preference to herbal remedies.

Through breathing

Breathing exercises for insomnia include the following exercises:

Full breathing - lie on your back and exhale as completely as possible, and then begin to slowly draw in air through your nose, first inflating your stomach, then expanding your chest and finally lifting your collarbones. Next, you need to exhale slowly and smoothly. The exercise is repeated 5-7 times.
Calming breathing - during inhalation and exhalation, only the stomach rises and falls, and the chest remains motionless. The exercise must be repeated 5-7 times at a slow pace.

If you feel dizzy or feel nauseous during breathing techniques, you should stop practicing.

Causes and symptoms of the disease in men and women

Both women and men can suffer from insomnia.

This disorder can occur for the following reasons:

Hormonal imbalance.
Stressful situations. These include quarrels in the family, conflicts at work, and unsettled personal life.
Changes in life. This is a change of job, moving to a new place of residence.
The presence of external irritants, such as heat or cold in the room, extraneous noise.
Syndromes associated with difficulty breathing: Apnea, Pickwick.
Use of substances that excite the central nervous system. Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and coffee causes sleep disorders.
Time jumps, for example, changing time zones when flying, working different shifts, visiting nightlife establishments.
Diseases and disorders of a neurological nature: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis.
Overeating before bed. Heavy food does not contribute to falling asleep, since the body needs time to digest it, and not to sleep.
Discomfort due to an incorrectly selected mattress or pillow.
Pain caused by gastrointestinal disorders, excessive physical activity.

Among the reasons that are typical only for the female gender, one can note pregnancy or dieting, and for the male gender - an increased interest in gadgets (playing consoles and on the computer) and visiting gambling establishments.

Depending on the reasons, the following symptoms appear:

"Nightingale eyes." Feeling sleepy throughout the day.
Neutral mood. Indifference to everything that happens.
Muscle weakness.
Poor concentration.
Emotional instability, stress.
Swelling of the skin of the face.
Blueness under the eyes.
Decreased labor activity.
Slowing of motor functions.
Difficulty falling back asleep.
Lack of independent sleep, without taking any medications.

Sleep pillow

Sleeping pillows with herbal fillings are one of the most effective remedies in the fight against insomnia. Such pillows help relieve fatigue and anxiety, stabilize heart function, purify the air, and soften breathing in case of pulmonary diseases.

Herbs such as chamomile, calendula, lavender, violet, verbena, hops, meadow clover, lemon balm, cornflower, tea tree leaves, drops of eucalyptus oil, etc. are used as fillers. A sleeping pillow can be purchased ready-made or you can make it yourself.

Rice. 3 – pillow with filling

Basics of the development of insomnia

Human sleep consists of two phases, the characteristic difference of which is the speed of eye movement: fast or slow. Usually, when falling asleep, the first phase begins, and the second has three stages, during which brain activity, eye movements and skeletal muscle tone gradually decrease to enter the deep phase. Later, during the transition to dreaming (rapid eye movement stage), the electrical activity of neurons and blood flow to the brain increase due to an increase in heart rate. This is due to the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system in healthy people.

The condition is regulated by various chemicals - neurotransmitters. In the forebrain and hypothalamus, neurons release gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and histamine. They have the opposite effect on the sleep-wake cycle. Increased levels of GABA and decreased levels of histamine shut down the cortex and thalamus.

However, the sleep-wake cycle itself affects substances produced by the reticular formation of the brain, such as norepinephrine, acetylcholine and serotonin. These neurotransmitters maintain wakefulness and are significantly depleted during REM sleep. Orexin, which is produced in the hypothalamus, is important for wakefulness and is thought to influence the activity of brain substances. Melatonin forms the body's circadian rhythms, synchronizing them with the environment. It is synthesized in the dark.

Insomnia is defined as dissatisfaction with the quantity or quality of sleep, which leads to clinically significant stress and impairment of a person's social, occupational, or other functioning. Symptoms of insomnia include:

difficulty falling asleep;
problems with waking up;
early morning rise and weakness.

The disorder affects women more often (25% of cases) than men (18%). It appears in half of people in old age.

From a medical point of view, this is hyperexcitability resulting from chronic activation of the stress response of the neuroendocrine system. Studies have found high levels of free cortisol in urine in patients who sleep poorly. Therefore, it was noted that after severe stress, insomnia began. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, migraines, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic pain also affect night's rest.

Insomnia can be acute, primary and associated:

Acute – caused by the action of a causative factor, persists for no more than four months.
Primary – provoked by genetic and constitutional factors, for example, hyperactivity of stress mechanisms, depression, disruption of circadian rhythms.
Associated – mainly associated with mental illnesses such as depression, dysthymia, cyclothymia, bipolar disorder, anxiety or schizophrenia. It is provoked by bad habits, consumption of caffeine and alcohol.

Pharmacy products for adults and the elderly

Along with folk remedies, you can use pharmaceutical preparations in the form of drops, tablets and essential oils.

Drops to combat insomnia

The following types of drops are indicated for the treatment of insomnia:

Lily of the valley drops - they are used as aromatherapy (i.e. added to an aroma lamp or smeared on temples before bed). The product is absolutely safe and very effective.
Valerian tincture has a pronounced sedative effect, relaxes the nervous system and speeds up the process of falling asleep. The product is taken orally before bedtime, diluted in a small amount of water (20-30 drops per approximately 50 ml). Valerian tincture is effective and safe in old age.
Corvalol (drops for oral administration) is a sedative of plant origin, has a mild hypnotic effect. Directions for use: take 15-30 drops before bedtime.

The course of using drops is determined individually.

Non-addictive tablets that can be bought without a prescription

Below are safe pills for insomnia that you can buy without a prescription:

Melaxen is a sedative that normalizes biological rhythms and improves sleep. Active ingredient: melatonin. Directions for use: 1 tablet orally 30-40 minutes before bedtime. Approximate price: 650 rubles (24 pcs.).
Donormil is a sleeping pill that has a sedative effect, reduces the time it takes to fall asleep, and increases the duration and quality of sleep. Active ingredient: doxylamine succinate. It is recommended to take 1 tablet half an hour before bedtime for a total course of 2 weeks. Price: 300 rubles (30 pcs.).
Novo-Passit - has a calming and anti-anxiety effect, the drug contains herbal components (valerian roots, motherwort extract, lemon balm extract, etc.). The product is available in the form of tablets and solution for oral administration. Directions for use: 1 tablet or 1 tsp. solution diluted with a small amount of water (before bedtime). Price: 460 rubles (30 tablets).
Persen is a herbal medicine with a sedative effect, has a calming and antispasmodic effect, and contains valerian roots. Application: 2 tablets half an hour before bedtime. The course of treatment is 1.5-2 months.

Attention! It is advisable to take sleeping pills after prior consultation with a therapist.

Essential oils

For insomnia, you can use various essential oils (for example, using an aroma lamp). For this purpose, essential oils of lavender, rose, lemon balm, jasmine, bergamot, patchouli, hops, sandalwood, juniper, orange, etc. are used.

You can get rid of insomnia in different ways. Both folk remedies and pharmaceutical preparations will help with this. If sleep cannot be normalized on your own, you should turn to traditional medicine. The doctor will select a safe dosage and prescribe a course of treatment.

Treatment of sleep problems in women

How to overcome insomnia if it occurs in beautiful ladies? Unfortunately, such problems often arise in women, since they are the most sensitive and emotional. Affects sleep and hormonal changes during menstruation or pregnancy. Home remedies, infusions and mixtures are considered an excellent alternative to medications.

There are many ways to restore healthy sleep. You can take medications or use folk remedies. Herbal infusions, for example, help well if insomnia is caused by nervousness. Mint, angelica, sweet clover, and onion seeds are considered excellent natural remedies for women.

Experts recommend taking medicinal preparations that are sold in pharmacies or preparing infusions yourself.

Prepare the following decoction: sweet clover and mint (one spoon of the mixture), season with boiling water and leave overnight. Drink fifty milliliters daily in the morning before breakfast.
The angelica rhizome must be thoroughly washed, dried and crushed. Pour boiling water over one small spoon of root, let stand for thirty-five minutes, pass through a sieve and take three times a day. Drink the last part at night.
Season finely chopped elderberry root with boiling water and simmer for fifteen minutes over low heat. Let it brew for half an hour and strain. You need to drink the product before going to bed, one tablespoon at a time.
Grind peppermint leaves, valerian root and hop cones. Add a couple of spoons of this mixture with boiling water and let it sit in a warm place for thirty minutes. Strain the drink and take half a glass at night and in the morning.

You can defeat insomnia once and for all only in a comprehensive manner. Physical activity, proper nutrition, adherence to work and rest schedules - all this has a positive effect on the body. Maintaining healthy sleep is easy if you know what causes sleep disturbances.

How to deal with sleep disorders yourself

It's not difficult at all, you just need to pull yourself together.

Don't think about bad things

Probably, every person has encountered such a phenomenon when, despite all the desire, one cannot fall asleep for a long time. Having changed more than a dozen positions on the bed, counted more than one flock of sheep, sleep is still beyond your control.

The reason for this may be increased brain activity, which does not allow a person to go to the kingdom of Morpheus. Simply put, we may be visited by various thoughts that we repeat over and over again in our heads. These thoughts may concern some important matter, unresolved issues, family problems, etc.

Of course, with such turmoil in your head, it’s no wonder you can’t fall asleep.

What should be done in this case?

You need to try to drive away these thoughts and think about something more peaceful. For example, these could be memories of your carefree childhood or a vacation somewhere on the seaside. That is, you need to think about what will make your brain go into a calmer state.

Skip the pick-me-ups

If the cause of insomnia is not at all disturbing thoughts, then you need to pay attention to what you drink before bed. After all, healthy sleep is negatively affected by drinks such as strong tea (although there are varieties that, on the contrary, help you sleep), coffee or various energy cocktails.

If you can't do without drinking fluids before bed, replace the drinks listed above with various fruit juices, lemonade or plain water. It definitely won't give you insomnia.

Don't overeat before bed

You should also not eat too much before bed, even if dinner turned out to be very tasty. Fatty foods, for example, take a very long time to digest and will not allow you to fall asleep for some time. The most correct option is to eat 3 – 4 hours before bedtime.

Getting ready for bed is also very important

Perhaps the very atmosphere in the room is having a negative impact on your sleep. This, for example, could be extraneous noise inside or outside the window, high temperature in the room or too bright light.

Try to minimize these manifestations as much as possible: turn off the TV, close the curtains tightly, turn on the air conditioner or open the window.

There are times when you just need to replace an old mattress and pillow that have served their purpose. After all, a comfortable bed has a big impact on your sleep.

Some more tips to get rid of insomnia

Methods of getting rid of insomnia for different people, of course, also differ. The most universal method, undoubtedly, is taking sleeping pills. But it causes unpleasant side effects (addiction, dependence, etc.), so this method is best postponed as a last resort.

As many people know, a glass of warm milk (preferably with honey) is very good for insomnia. Instead of milk, you can drink a cup of green tea or just warm water.

You can also read a book before bed that doesn’t burden your thinking.

People whose work involves mostly mental activity need to take more walks. And if possible, you can go in for sports. Mild fatigue is good for sound sleep.

To relieve muscle tension, it is a good idea to take a hot bath before bed.
A good option is a relaxing massage.

It happens that aching pain in a certain part of the body, be it a toothache or a headache, prevents you from falling asleep. In this case, the most appropriate solution is to take a pain reliever before bed and visit your doctor the next day.

As you can see, there are many reasons for poor sleep. Sometimes people experience stress and depression, from which even pleasant memories of old times cannot save them. Some people have health problems.

In such situations, of course, you need to contact qualified specialists.

Why do sleep disorders occur?

In the heady times of the third millennium, insomnia has become an undesirable companion for humans. Lack of adequate sleep affects health and life expectancy. The situation can be aggravated by the use of medications for insomnia. Harmless natural methods will help you take care of your health.

During the daytime, the human brain is especially active. One thought gives way to another and, having reached the bed, it is not at all easy to turn off this endless stream. There are ways to reduce stress available to everyone. You just need to put in a little effort and they will prove their effectiveness.