Chapter Four

Natural Ways To Combat Insomnia

Insomnia affects its sufferer in ways that make them unable to sleep, causing many negative
effects that affect functionality in their day to day activities. While there are certain
medications and sleeping pills that could help them enjoy a good night’s rest, they come with
some serious side effects that could cause further complications. This doesn’t mean that all
hope is lost for insomniacs, as there are natural ways to help them overcome insomnia. The
best thing about these natural ways is that they don’t have any side effects, and with time and
dedication, insomnia and its various effects would be a thing of distant memory for
insomniacs.

These natural ways of overcoming insomnia are what we would be looking at in this chapter.

Workout Routines

Research has shown that if done well and religiously, certain workout routines can help cure
insomnia and help you sleep peacefully. These workout routines include:

 Aerobic Exercises: These types of exercises, also known as cardio exercises, are
those activities that are carried out to increase your heart rate. They include running,
jogging, brisk walking, swimming, and cycling. Studies carried out show that they are
pretty much effective in helping to battle insomnia and improve one’s sleep. It doesn’t
have to be done for an extended duration of time as according to studies, walking for
as little as ten minutes per day or in the night is enough to help improve sleep.
However, for aerobic exercises to be fully effective in battling insomnia, insomniacs
are asked to carry out 150 minutes of moderate intensity (jogging, brisk walking) or
75 minutes of high intensity (sprinting, cycling) weekly.
 Strength Building: Workout routines that help build one’s muscles have been said to
help improve the quality of sleep. They have also been said to help one sleep faster
and reduce the likelihood of them waking up later during the night. These workout
routines include push-ups, shoulder presses, lunges, squats, and sit-ups to name a few.
In addition to help you improve your sleep quality, they also make you stronger.
 Yoga: I once heard someone say “Yoga can cure anything.” Going through life and
judging by countless research and study, I can to an extent say that this is true. Yoga’s
stretches and poses are relaxing and calming, both important things for a good night’s
sleep. If the underlying cause of your insomnia is stress, then yoga is the perfect way
to ease that stress and get rid of insomnia. Regardless however, insomniacs are
advised to do yoga every day for 8 weeks for it to affect their sleep pattern and enable
them to sleep faster.
 Lifestyle Changes

Most of our problems in life are caused by certain lifestyle choices we make, sometimes not
aware of their negative effects on other parts of our life. Insomnia is no different and for most
people, can be cured if only they made certain lifestyle changes, some of which include:

 Reduce Stress: As pointed out in chapter 1, stress could be the main reason for your
insomnia. Stress could be as a result of many lifestyle choices or daily activities. By
noticing the constituents of your stress, you can work on them and reduce your stress
level, and thus combat insomnia.
 Have A Night Schedule: For some people insomnia comes about due to constant
going to bed at odd and irregular hours. When the body system gets accustomed to
this schedule, it becomes somewhat hard to sleep at normal hours. To take care of this
problem, one should draw up a night schedule that instructs them to go to bed at a
particular time every day. When done consistently, the body system becomes
accustomed to this instead, and it becomes much easier to have regular sleep.
 Avoid Substances That Induce Insomnia: Certain substances are responsible for the
inability of a person to sleep. These substances include caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.
Individuals who are used to taking these substances might want to reduce their intake
or stop taking them altogether if they wish to enjoy a good night’s rest.
 Take Care of Underlying Diseases: Some conditions such as back pain can cause so
much pain that it becomes difficult or impossible for them to sleep. Also, people
suffering from certain diseases might find themselves brooding and stressed and this
would make it difficult for them to sleep. Taking care of or treating these diseases
could help eradicate insomnia.
 Sleep-friendly Environment: One of the constituents of insomnia is the environment
in which one finds oneself. Sleeping in a dirty environment is definitely going to
make your sleep unenjoyable, thus making you wake up frequently in the night or not
being able to sleep at all. Ensuring one’s environment is suitable for an enjoyable
sleep can significantly help eradicate some cases of insomnia.

Helpful Diet Plans

At times the type of food we consume is a great determinant of how we behave or how our
body system reacts. Studies have shown that certain foods help enhance quality sleep and
could actually be key in curing insomnia in certain people. Some of these diet plans that help
fight insomnia are:

 Blood Sugar Level: To enhance sleep, one should make sure you balance your sugar
levels. What this means is that you have to significantly reduce your intake of all
forms of sugar. Abstain from refined carbohydrates and embrace protein and fibre.
Lots of it. Non-starchy vegetables and fruits are also recommended. In order for this
to be more effective in curbing insomnia, insomniacs are asked to adhere to a strict
diet plan of eating only 3 meals and 3 snacks a day.
  Yes To Tryptophan: Insomniacs are encouraged to consume more foods that are rich
in tryptophan. These foods include tuna, cheese, chicken, eggs, nuts, and milk. For
tryptophan to be effective, it needs the presence of insulin to act as an escort on its
pathway to the brain, in order to be converted to serotonin. Due to this, it is advised to
consume foods rich in tryptophan with some carbohydrates. It is however important
for the carbohydrate to be unrefined so as not to ruin all the work done in the point
above.
 Magnesium: Magnesium also helps to improve sleep and in extension, help combat
insomnia. Magnesium is found in foods such as spinach, pumpkin seeds, cabbage,
kale, and other forms of green leafy vegetables.
 No To Caffeine: Caffeine and sleep are two words that shouldn’t be put in the same
sentence. This is because caffeine is a substance well known to prevent one from
sleeping. This substance can be found in things we consume such as coffee and some
other beverages. Replacing foods and drinks that contain caffeine with those that are
leafy have been found to be more effective in improving sleep quality.

Supplement – The Crush Leaf Tea Flush System

I’m sure you have heard or seen somewhere that tea (provided it isn’t coffee) helps one enjoy
sleep better. In fact, tea is used to relax and ease stress in certain parts of the world such as
China. This is because tea contains so many ingredients that are used as the main ingredients
in the manufacturing of supplements.

Tea comes in various forms, and so many types of teas contain various ingredients such as
turmeric, cinnamon, and valerian root, all ingredients that are found to be quite potent in
enhancing relaxation and easing stress.

However, there is a technique that combines the benefits of tea along with other ingredients
and supplements to help insomniacs relax and enjoy quality sleep. This technique is known as
“The Crush Leaf Tea Flush System”

There is no particular way to make this tea as people have their preferences of herbal roots
and supplements. What you enjoy and works for you might not sit so well with another
person and make them feel unsettled.

Basically, the idea is to ‘crush’ herbal tea along with your preferred roots and supplements.
This could be lemon, garlic, ginger, turmeric, etc. Once crushed, you can then proceed to boil
them and drink afterwards.

Alternatively, you could place the concoction in a sieve placed over a cup and pour hot water
into the sieve such that the water, along with the ingredients, drip into the cup.

Studies have found this system to be quite effective in helping insomniacs relax and
experience quality sleep.
There we have it! Insomniacs who do not want to take medications and sleeping pills to
enable have a good night’s rest (perhaps they are scared of side effects, as they should be)
should try to adapt some or all of the natural solutions talked about in this chapter.