Insomnia is the medical term for the condition of sleeplessness. People suffering from insomnia are unable to sleep at night, when most of the world is asleep.

Insomnia is a lifestyle disease; i.e. it occurs due to the lifestyle one needs. It is generally seen that cheerful people with a broader outlook towards life and those who lead an active lifestyle are much less prone to insomnia those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Today, insomnia has become a great interferer in human productivity. People suffering from this condition are not able to achieve great successes in life, as their daytimes are spent feeling tired and groggy. Hence, it is very necessary to cure this condition as soon as possible.

Home Remedies for Insomnia

There are many ways in which insomnia – both incidental and chronic – can be treated by using several home remedies. The following is a list of some of the most effective traditionally employed remedies to combat sleeplessness.

Boil one liter of water thoroughly. Then remove it from the flame and put about fifty grams of onion in it, which has been previously shredded very finely. Let this remain for about five to minutes. When the water cools down completely, take one teaspoonful of this water and add five drops of honey to it. When this is drunk, it ensures good sleep at night. This remedy is particularly used in children who have sleeping problems.

Take some root of the pippali (Piper longum) plant and grind it in a crucible to a fine powder. Every night before retiring, take one teaspoonful of this powder to which some jaggery has been added. Wash down this powder with a glassful of warm milk. This is a very effective for insomnia in adults that is caused due to worry. It also provides a cheerful mindset when waking up in the morning. This is one of the useful home remedies for insomnia.

Take four nutmegs and grind it to a fine powder. Then make sixteen equal packets of this powder. Every night before going to sleep, consume one of these packets with water. This is again a very good remedy to induce sleep. This is one of the effective insomnia treatment.

Prepare a pickle of onions in the normal manner. Use a general amount of spices when making the pickle. The quantity of the pickle should be enough to last for fifteen days. Make new pickle when the fortnight is over. Eat this pickle with the meals. This will induce a very healthy and peaceful sleep at night. Along with that, this remedy has some other beneficial effects. Such as, it increases the appetite and reduces fatigue. It also solves digestive maladies, due to which the stools become clear.

Drinking a glassful of milk each night before going to sleep also induces very good sleep. This should become a habit, as a glassful of milk at bedtime also aids digestion and prevents constipation. The qualities of milk can be enhanced by adding half a teaspoonful of cardamom powder to the milk. This is one of the useful insomnia treatment.

There are some other unconventional remedies that can be tried out when not getting sleep. Try to exercise after dinner, or go for a walk. This will help in digesting the dinner, which in turn will ensure good sleep. Sometimes the heavy food getting digested in the stomach interferes with the healthy nightly sleep.

Insomnia remedy - Try listening to soothing music or reading a light novel when in bed and not getting sleep. Aromatherapy also helps. You can light a stick of incense in the bedroom. The sweet aroma of the burning incense is known to have qualities which can induce a state of wellbeing and promote good sleep.

Prepare a chutney of the kokum fruits (Garcinia indica). Then immerse this chutney in water. Filter the water after some time, add sugar to it and then prepare a sherbet of the same. Drink this sherbet of the kokum once every day, preferably after dinner. This is perhaps one of the best home remedies to cure insomnia.

The ash gourd can also be used to prepare a very effective remedy for the treatment of insomnia. Take a very ripe ash gourd and peel it. Discard the peels. Then cut it into halves and extricate its seeds and the inner pulp. Then make small pieces of the ash gourd, of the size of pennies, and boil them in water. When they become soft, remove them from the water and place them on a cloth. Let all the excess water drain off on the cloth. Then add double the measure of honey in the ash gourd pieces. Add some saffron and cardamom powder to the sweetened ash gourd and then make a soft paste of the entire thing. Consuming a little amount of this each day helps to bring about a permanent cure to insomnia.

Add a teaspoonful of aniseed to about 375 milliliters of water. Keep this for boiling. You can add some sugar for the taste. Now cover the vessel with a lid and keep the water for simmering. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes. After this, take the vessel off the gas, and strain it. Drink this freshly prepared aniseed tea when it is still warm. If you want to improve the taste, then you can also add some amount of honey and milk to the tea. The best time to sip on this aniseed tea is after dinner, when you are preparing to retire for the night. This is one of the effective natural remedy for insomnia.

Extract juice of some celery leaves. It should fill up about half a glass. Then fill the remaining space in the glass with water. Cold water will be more suitable in this remedy than hot water. Add a teaspoonful of honey to this. Drink this sherbet prepared from celery juice and honey before going to bed. It will ensure a peaceful sleep in the night and you will wake up feeling rejuvenated. This is one of the important insomnia home remedies.

Roast some cumin seeds. Mash a single ripe banana into a bowl. Then put the roasted cumin seeds into the mashed banana. With the help of a fork, blend the two things together. Have this after dinner as a dessert. It will induce good sleep. This is one of the good diet for insomnia.

Extract the juice of some leaves of the Indian sorrel and mix it with an equal volume of castor oil. Then heat it to remove the water portion present in the juice. You will understand when the liquids become thicker. When done, cool the mixture and store it in a glass bottle. Every night, before going to bed, use this oil to massage the scalp. This is not for oral administration; it is meant to be massaged on the scalp. Massage for about ten minutes before going to bed. It will surely induce good sleep. This is a good insomnia remedy.

Grind a single nutmeg to fine powder. Then mix some juice of the amalaki (Indian Gooseberry, Emblica officinalis) into it. This powder must be taken before retiring for the day. It is a good remedy for those who cannot get good sleep at night.

Another home remedy for insomnia is using nutmeg. Prepare a paste of the same nutmeg powder by mixing it with an adequate amount of honey. Consuming this paste also promotes good sleep. This remedy is also used in children who cry too much and do not fall asleep soon. However, heed a word of caution. Nutmeg is not good for children, so it must not be given to them too often. Use this remedy in children only when nothing else seems to work, or if it is very important to put the child to sleep soon.

Diet for insomnia - Extract about 30 grams of the milk from the poppy seeds (Papaver somniferum). Mix it with an adequate amount of sugar. This must be eaten once a day, preferably after dinner, when preparing to sleep. This remedy must not be used in children. Also, consumption of poppy seed products can lead to an addiction.

Poppy seed oil is also a beneficial remedy for treating insomnia. Take the oil of the poppy seeds in the quantity of one tablespoon every night before going to sleep. This is a very effective remedy, but it might become addictive. It must certainly not be used in children. This is one of the best home remedy for insomnia.

Serpagandha (Rauwolfia, Rauwolfia serpentina) is one of the most effective remedies for the treatment of insomnia which is being used since ancient times. Rauwolfia has sedative properties, and it is mild, so it can be also used in children. The remedy is used in this manner: Take about half to one gram of the powder of the serpagandha root and mix it with any kind of oil, such as mustard, sesame or linseed oil. Take this before going to sleep. The sleep will be sound and even without any disturbing dreams. If the condition of insomnia is chronic, then the same remedy must be taken twice a day – once in the morning after waking up, and once in the night before going to sleep. This is one of the successful insomnia cure.

How to get rid of Insomnia

Sleep is a state of rejuvenation of the entire body. However, a person cannot get sleep until and unless the body is completely relaxed. There are many things that can interfere in getting healthy sleep. A person must follow some guidelines in order to get good sleep. These are given below:-

(i) Do not take any stimulating drinks before going to bed. These include tea and coffee. Though in several European countries coffee is traditionally drunk after dinner, it must be avoided if the person begins to have sleep problems in the night. Instead desserts prepared with milk can be taken.

(ii) Smoking after dinner must be avoided.

(iii) Some people claim that consuming alcohol helps in getting good sleep at night. This is actually not true. Though a person does get sleep under the influence of alcohol, the sleep can hardly be described as restful. Furthermore, there will be grogginess when the person wakes up in the morning.

(iv) A person must lead a healthy lifestyle, full of physical activity. Work makes a person constructively tired, and this induces the best form of sleep at night. A lethargic lifestyle is the biggest deterrent to good sleep. Since a lazy person is resting all the time, nighttime is nothing special and hence, sleep just doesn’t come. If you have sleep problems, changing your lifestyle to a more active one surely helps.

(v) Most importantly, relax your mind completely before going to bed. This includes making your mind devoid of all worries and tensions. Therapies such as yoga can help in this to a great extent.