Dealing with a sleep disorder can be very disturbing and may hurt your quality of life and health. Without a good night’s rest, it is hard to get through the day, you may have trouble focusing, feel infuriated and cranky, and not have the motivation to get things done during the day. It may also affect your safety, weight, and thinking. If you have ever experienced a sleep disorder, you’ll know that the mental fatigue that comes with it is not a joke. In addition to mental fatigue, lack of sleep can also affect your physical health and appearance. You need to sleep to rest your brain and for your body to rejuvenate.
There are many different issues that can lead to difficulty sleeping, including a number of sleep disorders. Here are some common sleep disorders, along with natural remedies that could help you overcome your sleep dysfunction. Consume daily till sleep comes and you’ll start feeling rested.
Insomnia -this is perhaps the most common sleep disorder and is characterized by the inability to obtain an adequate amount or quality of sleep. The inability can be in falling asleep, remaining asleep or both. People with insomnia do not feel refreshed when they wake up. Insomnia is probably one of man’s most common complaints that may be caused by many conditions, diseases or circumstances. The pressure of city living, increasing economic hardship, job anxieties and family tensions; not to mention the effects of environmental pollution-are making the condition more prevalent. Added to this stressed environment, the challenge of poor dietary habits and dreadful lifestyle, pains and systemic disorders may also be contributory factors to insomnia.
Leafy vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce, cabbage, as well as banana, watermelon, cashew nuts, almonds, kidney beans, pumpkin seeds and oats contain high content of magnesium. Magnesium is known to help relax muscles and calm nerves, which may help you, get to sleep. Including these magnesium-rich foods to your diet may help with symptoms associated with insomnia.
Try the juice of lettuce for its sleep-inducing potential. Lettuce contains ‘letucarium’ which has been likened in effect to the sedative action of opium without the accompanying excitement. A ¼ tumbler is taken preferably 30-60 minutes before bedtime. Also, the juice combo from – lettuce, spinach, cabbage and apple (to make it palatable) is a knock-out for those occasional sleep disturbances without the use of sleeping pills.
Passion flower- this will bring a sense of calm, relieve pains and muscular spasms. It is useful for the treatment of general insomnias. 1 teaspoon is to be infused in boiled water for 30 minutes and taken before bedtime and be sure not to exceed recommended dosage. The strength needed will vary from person to person.
Sleep apnea – is another fairly common sleep disorder. Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing for several seconds, as the result of blockage from the relaxing of the soft tissues in the back of your throat. This disruption in breathing can cause you to wake up.
Eating more food containing fiber could help reduce an overproduction of mucus. Increasing mucus production may increase the severity of your sleep apnea symptoms. Studies have found that people with sleep apnea had lower levels of magnesium in their bodies. Try to eat more broccolis, avocados, apples, pears, cucumbers and other magnesium-rich foods.
Magnesium has high anti-inflammatory properties, which help reduce inflammation and is highly therapeutic for people with sleep apnea.
Try juicing- celery, pears, carrots, lemon and a dash of ginger to reduce catarrh. Also drink basil, fenugreek and chamomile tea.
Restless legs syndrome, RLS –is a sleep disorder that causes an intense, often irresistible urge to move the legs while resting. You may experience an itching, aching, pulling, or throbbing sensation along your legs that increases with intensity until you move your legs. This can make it difficult to fall asleep, leading to a bad night.
This condition can be associated with problems with daytime sleepiness, irritability, concentration, sluggish circulation, cramps, the nervous system imbalance and even hormonal imbalances. Caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol may trigger symptoms. Often, people with RLS want to walk around and shake their legs to help relieve the uncomfortable sensation.
Use ginger or gingkoblloba to help the circulation; and club moss for cramps. To balance the nervous system, use passion flower or chamomile. Also, the plant vitex is highly beneficial for the treatment of RLS, probably acting by balancing the hormones.
Consuming more iron and magnesium may help reduce the occurrence of symptoms related to restless leg syndrome, allowing one to get a better night’s rest. A blend containing iron and magnesium-rich fruit and vegetables – broccoli florets, few ribs of celery; fennel, a handful of parsley, green apple and the juice of 1 lemon will help immensely. You can also get magnesium supplements from health stores.
Some of these recommendations can also be taken as teas.
Since caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco can trigger symptoms, avoiding all three substances could bring restless leg syndrome relief. Exercise may benefit restless leg syndrome victims as well, but remember that working out within a few hours of your bedtime may get in the way of a good night’s sleep. Also avoid taking sedating antihistamines as they may worsen restless leg symptoms.