The best home remedies for better sleep
Those who sleep well have more energy, a steadier mood, a fresher appearance and a better chance of lasting health. By contrast, anyone who struggles to fall asleep in the evening or lies awake for hours during the night wakes up feeling wrecked and is not fit for the day’s tasks. When sleep disturbances become chronic, not only appearance and daytime performance suffer, but also health.
Fortunately, there is a lot you can do yourself to restore restorative sleep — and you can do it with simple, natural home remedies.
A sensible lifestyle improves sleep quality
Whether we can sleep well depends largely on how we spend the day. It is worth reviewing your habits and lifestyle and changing them if necessary.
The right food at the right time
Some foods negatively affect sleep quality, others promote it.
For a better night’s rest you should avoid caffeine in the evening and steer clear of meals that are hard to digest or heavily spiced. Instead, choose foods that help you fall asleep. These include, for example, nuts and figs, turkey and fish, red grapes and bitter lettuces such as radicchio or chicory, sweet potatoes and oats.
Timing also matters: those who eat dinner earlier sleep better. There should be at least four hours between the last meal and going to bed.
Exercise earlier rather than later
Exercise reduces stress and is therefore an effective measure against one of the main causes of sleep problems. Endurance sports in particular — jogging, walking, cycling or swimming — have a positive effect on sleep quality. But: physical exertion first triggers hormones that stimulate and keep us awake. Therefore, there should be at least two hours between intensive training and going to sleep.
Fresh air for a restorative night
Fresh air supplies the body with oxygen. The higher oxygen content in the blood improves breathing and allows us to sleep more deeply. The brain receives adequate oxygen and can better process the impressions of the day during the night.
The chances of a good night increase if you take a walk during the day or train outdoors to get fresh air. Also ensure fresh air in the bedroom: ideally, ventilate the sleeping area in the morning and evening for about 10 minutes by opening the window fully. If you also open a window opposite, a draft is created that produces a faster air exchange.
Sleep better in a cool room
In a cool room we sleep more peacefully than in a warm one. A room temperature between 16 and 19 degrees is recommended — both in summer and in winter. The reason: At cool temperatures the body produces more melatonin. Melatonin is one of the sleep hormones. It is produced when it is dark and signals that it is time to relax and fall asleep.
Digital media and their effect on sleep quality
Many sleep experts recommend keeping your hands off smartphones, notebooks and the like for at least one hour before going to bed and not bringing devices into the bedroom.
A new study from the University of Delaware puts the strict rule into perspective somewhat. The analysis of the study’s test results showed: Those who focused on only one medium in bed and did not spend more than an hour with it fell asleep easily. Only those who extended their media consumption beyond an hour or simultaneously, for example, watched a film and chatted with their girlfriend had problems falling asleep. Watching a favorite series or listening to music for an hour before going to bed therefore appears to be compatible with a restorative night’s sleep.
Herbs are natural sleep aids
Some herbs contain constituents that make you drowsy and help with falling and staying asleep. The following plants, for example, have sleep-promoting properties and can be used as sleeping teas or in the form of herbal pillows, essential oils and sprays to improve sleep.
Valerian
Valerian is known for its calming effect. The potent essential oils are constituents of the valerian root. Brewed as a sleep tea or filled into an herbal pillow, the valerian root contributes to a restorative night’s sleep.
Hops
Hops are best known as an ingredient of beer. A calming tea can also be made from the hop cones. Because hops taste quite bitter, they are often mixed with lemon balm, for example, to make a sleep tea.
Lemon balm
The leaves of lemon balm contain constituents with anxiolytic, relaxing and antispasmodic effects. Thanks to this property, the medicinal herb—used as herbal pillows, oils, scented sprays or tea—can facilitate falling asleep and produce a calmer sleep.
Lavender
Lavender flowers contain essential oils that have a calming effect in cases of stress or anxiety. Lavender pillows, lavender sprays, lavender oils or lavender tea can therefore help with falling asleep.
St. John’s wort
The calming effect of St John’s wort is well researched. St John’s wort capsules are used for anxiety and depression. St John’s wort tea also calms and relaxes and can promote sleep.
Passionflower
Among indigenous peoples the passionflower has long been known as a medicinal plant. Here too people now rely on the sedative constituents of the passionflower blossom. The dried flowers are used as herbal pillows or brewed as herbal tea.
Warm milk as a bedtime drink
Warm milk with honey is the classic home remedy for easier falling asleep.
Scientists have examined whether warm milk actually makes you sleepy. They found that milk, like any protein-rich food, contains the amino acid tryptophan. The body first converts this into the feel-good hormone serotonin, then into the sleep hormone melatonin. However, milk contains tryptophan in quantities too small for it to function as an actual sleep medication.
Nevertheless, many people find that a glass of warm milk before going to bed helps them fall asleep. In fact, it is a pleasant ritual that—especially when linked to childhood memories—relaxes and can dissolve sleep blockages.
If you prefer something more exotic, you can try moon milk. According to an Ayurvedic recipe, in addition to honey the milk is spiced with ingredients such as nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla.
People who are lactose-intolerant or vegan can make their warm bedtime drink with almond milk.
Get comfortably warm to unwind
Heat helps the body relax. If you slip under the covers feeling comfortably warm after a hot shower or bath, you have a good chance of falling asleep quickly. A hot relaxing bath with a scented bath oil made from calming lavender can become a pleasant bedtime ritual.
Of course, you can also preheat the bed, for example by placing a hot-water bottle under the duvet before going to bed.
Warm feet help too: bed socks or a hot-water bottle at the feet are therefore good companions for a calm night on cold days.
Turning up the heating would be the wrong approach: after all, a cool room temperature promotes sleep.
How to get your sleep problems under control
Good sleep depends on many different factors: what and when you eat and drink, how you set the temperature and ventilate your bedroom, whether and when you exercise, and how you use your digital media. If your lifestyle habits are generally in order and you still have trouble sleeping, tried-and-tested home remedies may help: try a tea made from sleep-promoting herbs, a drop of scented lavender oil on the pillow, a valerian pillow in the bed, a glass of warm milk with honey, a hot shower or a cosy hot-water bottle. Find out what helps you so that nothing stands in the way of sweet dreams.