Updated: Oct 11, 2020
This is all part of anyone’s daily routine. And you spend one-third of your time doing it. Sleep is mandatory and is also done naturally without any thought.
This serves as a natural daily routine for anyone. Sleeping is an essential part of survival just like food and water.
Without sleeping, the body won’t be able to let the brain reset and form pathways that let you learn and create memories.
You can see this effect whenever you stay up late, this will then cause you difficulty concentrating and thinking.
This activity serves as an essential part for several brain functions. As a matter of fact, your brain as well as your body stay remarkably active even while you're sleeping.
Sleeping is vital for everyone because it greatly affects almost every organ and system in the body from the brain, lungs, heart, metabolism, immune system, and moods.
Various researches show that lack of sleep increases the chance of getting high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and many other conditions.
Sleep is very important because it also affects how you function on a daily basis. Sometimes, you won’t even know that you’re already asleep.
Based on sleep scientists, sleep is tied to characteristic patterns of the brain. Sleeping is controlled by nerve-signaling chemicals called neurotransmitters.
These neurotransmitters control whether you are awake or asleep via neurons in the brain.
Sleeping isn’t just plain sleeping, but is composed of several stages. During the first stages of sleep, you’re usually relatively awake and alert.
The brain produces beta waves at the beginning stage. As the brain relaxes and slows down, the brain will then produce alpha waves.
In this stage, you will experience hypnagogic hallucinations. One example for this is suddenly falling in your sleep.
There are actually two types of sleep: REM (rapid eye movement), and NREM (non-rapid eye movement).
Here are several stages of the sleep cycle:
NREM Stage 1
Stage 1 is simply the beginning of the sleep cycle. This stage only lasts for a few minutes. During this stage, your breathing, heartbeat, and eye movements slow down and make muscles relax.
This stage is considered to be a transition period from wakefulness to sleep.
NREM Stage 2
This stage is a transition period from light sleep to deep sleep. This only lasts for about 20 minutes and makes the brain produce rhythmic brain wave activity known as sleep spindles.
During this stage, you become less aware of your surroundings, decrease in body temperature, and slow down your heart rate. You spend approximately half of your total sleeping period in this stage.
NREM Stage 3
This stage is now a period of deep sleep that occurs in longer periods. During this stage, your heartbeat and breathing slows down to their lowest levels, as well as, decrease blood pressure rate.
This stage will make muscles relaxed and makes waking up very difficult. Some studies suggested that sleepwalking and bed-wetting were more likely to occur during this sleep stage.
REM Stage
REM sleep is also known as paradoxical sleep. In this stage, the body becomes more relaxed and immobilized, the brain on the other hand, becomes more active, rapid eye movement, and faster heart rate and blood pressure.
This is where dreams occur since the brain becomes more active in this stage. Your eyes will move rapidly from side to side. Your arm and leg muscles become immobilized.
These stages always occur during your sleep. But sleeping isn’t that easy especially for some people who experience chronic sleeping problems.
Since sleeping is very important for so many reasons as stated previously, if you lack sleep, then it can cause more problems.
Some people have trouble sleeping due to several factors, one of them is anxiety disorder. This condition makes sleeping and relaxing very difficult.
That’s why there are natural ways and remedies for sleeping. Sleep being a very essential part of your routine should be taken seriously.
Here are several natural remedies for sleep without having to take sleeping medication:
See Also:
6 Natural Home Remedies For Teething Babies
Aromatherapy
Some scents are said to aid in sleeping problems. One of the most popular scents for creating sleepiness is lavender.
English lavender aromatherapy oil has already been done as a folk remedy to help people fall asleep. There are also other aromatherapy oils for helping with sleep.
These are ylang-ylang, chamomile, and patchouli.
You can try this by either putting a lavender sachet under your pillow or placing one to two drops of lavender oil on a handkerchief.
Yoga
This activity is a system of breathing, relaxation, exercise, and healing. This goes way back in indian philosophy.
This has been known to help ease the mind, body, and also spirit.
It also focuses on the relaxation of your overall well-being namely: menatal, emotional, physical, and spiritual.
Acupuncture
Acupunctureis said to help with sleep and reduce symptoms that are keeping you up at night.
This treatment uses tiny needles to access distinct points on the body to alleviate pain, stress and anxiety, enhance sleep, and improve overall well-being.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile is an herb that was traditionally used to reduce anxiety, muscle tension, relieve digestion, and help induce sleep.
This has been said to help with sleep because of its properties.
Simple sip a cup of hot chamomile tea after dinner.
Passion Flower
This is a popular herbal remedy for insomnia and is native to north america. This helps relieve insomnia and anxiety.
This boosts the level of gamma-aminobutyric acid in your brain.
This compound lowers brain activity, and therefore may help you relax and sleep better.
Avoid Caffeine
Caffeinated drinks and nicotine can have a negative effect on sleep patterns that may cause restlessness and insomnia.
It is better to avoid or limit your intake of alcohol, tea, soft drinks, coffee, and cigarettes to promote sleep.
If you want to have proper sleep, simply avoiding caffeinated drinks can make a great change.
Valerian Root
This is an herb native to Asia and Europe. And is commonly used as a natural remedy for symptoms of anxiety, menopause, and depression.
Additionally, it is also used in herbal supplements that promote sleep. The intake of valerian root in short periods appears to be safe accompanied with only minor and infrequent side effects.