Everyone has trouble sleeping now and again, but when the problem becomes frequent, your quality of life can be severely impacted. You may become irritable, anxious, depressed and have trouble concentrating; your body will suffer too, and you will just feel badly all around. Conventional treatments, like sleeping pills, have mixed results, and the risk of dependency is high. There are several natural approaches which may help. When using holistic approaches to wellness, it is important to be patient and diligent since results may take a bit longer to manifest.

Nutrition

Good nutrition is always a cornerstone of any natural approaches to our health problems; we often underestimate the power of eating right because it just seems too simple; we cannot fully realize the therapeutic value of making sure our body gets the nutrients it needs to function properly. First and foremost, if you are having trouble sleeping, make your best effort to cut caffeine from your diet Some people are more sensitive to it than others; my boyfriend, for example, will not be able to sleep all night if he drinks coffee at any time of day, no matter how early in the morning. Magnesium is important for promoting sleep and particularly good sources include halibut, almonds and cashews. Vitamin B is also important, and you will find it in foods such as leafy greens, nuts and legumes. Lean turkey, and other foods high in tryptophan, are great to eat closer to bedtime.

Lifestyle Modifications

Your lifestyle is comprised of a wide range of activities, habits and behaviors, and there are several modifications that may help you beat insomnia. One of the most helpful in my own battles with sleep problems was going to bed and getting up the same time every day, and, therefore it’s not surprising to me that this is one of the most frequently recommended techniques. Avoid television, the computer and other stimulating activities within an hour of going to sleep—you want to use this time to wind down. Read a good book instead. Adopt some relaxing routines before sleep, such as taking a steaming hot shower, meditating or mantram, which involves repeating a sound, word or phrase over and over again to instill a sense of calm. Exercising more during the day is associated with better sleep.

Natural Supplements

A host of natural supplements may help ease sleep troubles. Valerian is one of the most popular, followed by melatonin, the hormone that is involved in regulating our body clock. The latter is best used as a sublingual supplement that dissolves under the tongue. L-theanine, which is naturally found in green tea may also help fight insomnia, according to researchers in Japan. It appears to work by helping calm the mind, rather than inducing sleep in any way. A combination of taurine and tryptophan may also help; besides taking it before sleep, you can also use this combo if you wake up in the middle of the night and are having trouble getting back to bed.

About the Author:Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who blogs about a variety of natural health topics.A comfortable bed is an important part of the sleeping well equation, and she recommends learning more about the Sleep Number m9 bed.