Insomnia
Natural Remedies

Natural Remedies for Insomnia: A Comprehensive Guide

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.

Elderberry Extract

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Samuel (Seattle, Wa) on 09/22/2009
★★★★★

I have discovered that elderberry extract is great for insomnia-2 tablespoons. Plus it really does get rid of flu or cold fast.


Electrical Devices

Posted by Ann (Brevard, N.c.) on 06/03/2014

Insomniacs need to try moving the head of their bed 1-2 ft. from the wall since electrical wiring in the walls emanate electrical fields that affect our brains/body. google: Electromagnetic Sensitivity for increasingly more info. The increase of cell phones, cell towers, computers, cordless phones, smart meters, etc. etc. is making our world population sick and sicker with time and most people aren't aware of the cause. a great site: ElectricSense (Lloyd Burrell in France) is loaded with knowledgeable blogs. This is nothing to ignore as I almost died from it 3 years ago before becoming aware. Let me know any questions out there. (Sweden so far is the only country that's determined ES (electric sensitivity) a disability , but all other countries are being controlled by the high tech and utility company big boys - it's all about money.)


Eliminate EMFs

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  100%

Posted by Michele (Los Angeles, California) on 07/15/2013
★★★★★

I read recently about the dangers of WIFI and we put a timer to turn it off automatically at night. In one night, I went from extremely poor sleep to very good sleep.

Replied by Mary
(Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada)
07/15/2013

Hi Michele: What type of timer did you use and exactly how did you connect it?

Thanks

Replied by Canadian Dave
(Canada)
11/26/2016
15 posts

I have to unplug some things to get a good night's sleep. I also sleep poorly if strong magnets are near the bed (like speakers) or, and even solar powered devices, and - I don't know if this is weird or not - if I have polyester in my pajamas or too much polyester in the room. I've found some success learning about the best feng shui direction to sleep in - its different for every birth year, and in herbal supplements too, the easiest being lettuce.


Eliminate EMFs
Posted by Juliana (Albuquerque, NM) on 01/15/2009
★★★★★

I have suffered from insomnia since childhood (I am now in my 30s), and it has been crippling to my life, to say the least. About a month ago, my husband and I decided to try turning off all breakers in our house at night, except for the one attached to the refrigerator. Since doing so, I have slept very well, even experiencing deep REM sleep. I have vivid dreams every night. My husband has experienced the same thing -- deep sleep, many dreams. It's worth a try if you have trouble sleeping. As I understand it, the EMFs interfere with hormones in the body. Some people are very sensitive to EMFs. I believe somebody else on this site suggested not using the computer or cell phone before bed, but my suggestion takes the idea a bit further.

Replied by Kaz
(Boston, Ma)
02/29/2012

I had same issue.. Really troubled sleep, trouble getting to sleep, waking up and trouble getting back to sleep, waking before dawn and just giving up. I actually bought myself an EMF reader like the ones the ghost hunters use in order to find EMF free place in bedroom. The ONLY high EMFs were from my clock radio that I had for years. I first moved it the length of the cord away from the head of my bed and for the first time in years slept all through the night. I got rid of it and bought battery alarm clock and have in past two months only had two bad nights sleep.. Both I believe from drinking sugary and chocolately martinis!


Eliminating Wheat

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Carrie (Livonia, Mi) on 12/31/2014
★★★★★

Since giving up wheat my insomnia has completely subsided. I'm not fully gluten free, just giving up wheat has made an incredible difference in my quality of sleep and life!


Flax Seeds

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Lily (Los Angeles) on 08/06/2015
★★★★★

Whenever I can't sleep, I take about 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds at night in rice or almond milk or cottage cheese and I instantly feel calm and can have the best night's sleep!


GABA

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by jake (Chicago) on 10/15/2022
★★★★★

Tracy: I used to have sleeping issues. I cured myself and now am regularly soundly asleep within minutes after taking a third of a teaspoon of GABA powder. It is tasteless. I am 78 years old and have among other issues, prostate issues. When I awaken every 2,3 or 4 hours to go to the bathroom, I just take another dose. Of the many people I have turned on to GABA, I've heard many rave reviews and no failures. The same goes for the people turned on to it from those my friends and family forwarded the remedy. I take high doses of melatonin and other herbs for health reasons, but the GABA works like a charm by itself. My son btw takes it in a capsule, and it works as well for him - his comment the first night he tried it the the next morning was - it is intense -LOL. Try it - I think it will change your life, maybe dramatically.


Gelatin

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Beryl M. (Nottingham UK) on 03/17/2019
★★★★★

I came across this remedy quite by accident. At the time I couldn't lose weight and wondered if it had anything to do with my thyroid (it didn't) but a particular website recommended taking a tablespoonful of gelatine in orange juice before going to bed. I tried this and discovered that it helped me sleep. I now get between seven to eight hours sleep a night, apart from one trip to the loo! The gelatine is readily available from your local superstore, and mine come in individual packets containing one tablespoonful. It does not dissolve easily, but keep stirring. I have mine mixed with a small amount of milk. Worth a try, and it certainly will not harm you.


Ginger Tea

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Famcoll (Tennessee) on 10/23/2017
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I discovered quite accidentally that a strong cup of ginger tea brewed from fresh ginger slices taken one hour before bedtime makes me sleep. After years of using medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, to induce sleep I found that ginger tea, for me, has a soporific effect. Since I couldn't find anything on the web explaining this phenomenon, I looked up information on some Chinese language websites. Only one explained the use of ginger as a sleep agent. Apparently, it works only for people who are "pa leng" or "afraid of cold." This means, if you have the tendency to have cold fingers and toes you may benefit from ginger tea as a sleep agent. Anyway, it works for me.

Replied by Jean H.
(Us)
04/14/2018

Ginger also lowers cortisol levels.


Gluten-Free Diet

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by BBHE (NYC) on 10/26/2019
★★★★★

I had insomnia for about 10 years and it nearly killed me.

I finally realized that whenever I had any gluten at all, even a micro dose, it would pop my eyes awake in the middle of the night, reliably. I think it's really weird. I always thought, yeah yeah cut back on gluten dairy etc. and try to eat healthy. But that's not what's going on. I can eat unhealthfully but as long as I don't get ANY gluten, I sleep like a baby. I don't know why it took me so long to figure it out, Maybe it was that I was sleep deprived. Also it seems like whey in whey protein shakes sometimes hurts my sleep and I've given that up as well. But gluten does seem to be the big culprit.


Herb Tea

Posted by Nicholas (Edison, Nj Usa) on 09/01/2011

I've not been getting good sleep for a couple of weeks. I had no problem falling asleep, but slept only a couple hour, on and off. Very dissatisfying... left me weary.

I checked this fabulous website and saw it recommended different teas to help sleep. I found I had two ... Yoga brand "Bedtime" tea and Sunrider brand Calli "night" tea. I boiled both of them separately... 3 cups of water each pot. I slowly sipped a full cup of the Yoga tea after my evening meal, and then slowly sipped a full cup of the Sunrider during the hour before sleep.

I had a good night's sleep, had great dreams and awoke in a positive mood. Tonight I will drink only one of them to see if it's sufficient to the task.

Replied by Jc
(Boston, Ma)
09/22/2011

I have and still use the Yogi Bed Time tea from time to time. I helps a little bit for me but not a significant difference. If you drink too much after 8pm it may wake you to urinate. This effect needs to be balanced with many herbal bed time teas.

I find the Nighty Night tea by Traditional Medicinals to be a biy more effective. But again, nothing dramatic, sublte and no urge to urinate at 4 AM.

Can anyone recomend any Chinese Herbs for sleep?


Honey

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Bwhiskered (ON) on 10/17/2021
★★★★★

A spoonful of Honey before bedtime. If you waken though the night a spoonful will usually get yo back to sleep,


Honey and Cinnamon

3 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  67%
1 star (1) 
  33%

Posted by Bonnie (Long Beach, US) on 12/13/2007
★★★★★

I was looking on your site a couple days ago and saw a remedy with honey to help lose weight. I tried it and found that i had more energy during the day, had less of an appetite, and fell asleep faster at night!! i love it! the remedy i found was every morning, a half hour before breakfast, as well as right before bed at night, drink a tablespoon of honey in one cup of boiling water with a teaspoon of cinnamon. It has only been four days, but man, what a difference!!!

Replied by T.Srikantharajah
(Wimbledon, England)
12/04/2007
★★★★★

Daily in the morning, 1/2 hour before breakfast on an empty stomach and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup water. If taken regularly it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also drinking of this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

Replied by Kimmi
(Park City, Ks)
06/14/2011
12 posts
★☆☆☆☆

i tried this last night for my insomnia.... And nothing... How disappointing... Sigh... But I may still try it for weight loss.. ;-)


Horlicks

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Beth (London, UK) on 06/01/2009
★★★★★

My mum is 65 years old and has been experiencing lack of sleep at night for about 3-4 years. She would drop off to sleep but never have any sound sleep as she would hear everything happening at night and had difficulty falling asleep after getting up at night. She now takes a drink of Horlicks every night and sleeps quite soundly that I have to wake her up in the morning. She gets up in the early hours of the morning to go to the toilet then drops back to sleep quite soundly that she can't hear my radio playing music in the morning. She started with 4 teaspoons of horlicks in a cup of milk as the label states but now sleeps even with taking one teaspoon. She also uses the light, medium and strong types and they all work the same. On the nights she doesn't take horlicks, she doesn't sleep. What I can't understand is that she used to take vitamin B complex tablets, which horlicks is mainly made of, every night but never slept. Does anybody know of any side effects for long term usage of horlicks?

EC: Horlicks is a malted milk hot drink: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horlicks

Replied by Lorayne
(Sun City, Az)
01/23/2012

I wouldn't use Horlicks, since it contains milk which means it probably contains rBGH (genetically modified bovine growth hormone). Go to www.mercola.com to read up on the dangers of GMOs. They are in dairy, soy, corn, canola, zucchini, yellow squash, Hawaiian papaya, cottonseed and alfalfa at present. Organic food cannot be GMO. So if you want to eat these things, choose organic. The Environmental Working Group has a petition of it's website to force labeling of products that contain these poisonous GMOs. Go to www.ewg.org to sign the petition.


Hot Milk

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Deirdre (Ct) on 08/26/2020
★★★★★

My mother, for her entire lifetime, would make herself a hot cup of milk if she got up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. (1 cup of milk contains 300 mg of calcium. ) She also added a touch of honey. She said it never failed to knock her out after 15 minutes. She also used to give this to us as children about 30 minutes before bedtime. I haven't done it in a long time, but perhaps I shall again. Great night-time ritual memory.



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