Safe and Effective Sleep Aids to Improve the Quality of Your Sleep

There are many safe and effective sleep aids to help you get a good night’s sleep and to improve the quality of your sleep. Begin by taking an inventory of your sleep surroundings and optimizing your sleep sanctuary (e.g. by limiting light by using a sleep mask), making the falling asleep process pleasant and easy (e.g. using an aromatherapy diffuser and a guided meditation CD), and making the waking-up process as natural as possible (e.g. by using a ‘sun alarm’ that simulates dawning light).

One of the most well-known circadian rhythms that exist in all of us is the human sleep/wake cycle. The word ‘circadian’ comes from the Latin ‘circa’ meaning ‘around, about, or approximately’, and ‘diem’ meaning ‘day’. It describes the regular changes that occur in the body during a day, and is controlled by our biological ‘clock’ (a part of our brain located in the hypothalamus and close to the optic nerves), which is in turn affected by both external (environmental) and internal (hormonal) factors. Environmental factors include variables such as temperature and light, while internal factors include hormones and neurotransmitters like melatonin and serotonin.

Our sleep/wake cycle can be disrupted by travel across time zones (jet lag), shift work, and by the changing of the seasons (SAD-Seasonal Affective Disorder) when the length of day decreases from summer to winter. Even bright lights at night or lack of it during the day can disrupt our normal sleep/wake cycle by affecting the levels of melatonin produced by our body. Since melatonin levels peak during darkness, making us drowsy and ready for sleep, too much artificial light near bedtime can make it difficult for us to fall asleep. Conversely, therapeutic use of melatonin as a short-term measure can help reset our biological clocks, e.g. in cases of jet-lag. Light therapy (exposure to special lights for several hours a day) has been proven to help people suffering from SAD.

Sleep Masks

If you have little control over your sleep environment, a sleep mask is the easiest and cheapest way to limit the amount of light getting into your eyes. Excellent for travel on a plane or in hotels where the drapes may not close properly, or in a dorm setting where your roommate may keep quite different hours from you.

The best sleep masks are soft to the skin, feather-light, yet are designed to block out light completely. Some even contain additional benefits by incorporating dried herbs or flowers like lavender or hobs or aromatherapeutic essential oils.

Sun Alarms

Most of us have a hate-hate relationship with our alarm clocks. It can’t be healthy for our systems to be shocked awake every morning by annoying beeps, ear-splitting rings, or clashing music. Do away with all those rude awakenings by investing in a ‘sun-alarm’. Many models now exist that simulate a natural, gradual, sunrise. Some even have added features like white noise or the calming sounds of nature like running water or singing birds. All of them usher you gently from slumber to wakefulness, making the transition as smooth and pleasant as possible.

Aromatherapy

In aromatherapy, essential oils are used topically and not taken internally. They are thought to stimulate the limbic system of the brain, affecting mood and emotion. They can be used in diffusers, singly or in combination. In massage oils, bath oils, and bath salts, they are usually combined with a carrier oil (e.g. almond or grapeseed). Or simply add a few drops to bath water, or spritz onto a table lamp lightbulb.

Aromatherapy can be combined with herbal therapy, as in a pot-pourri sachet insert in a pillow containing sedative herbs enhanced with essential oils. Essential oils with a sedative effect include chamomile, lavender, juniper, marjoram, neroli, rose and sandalwood. They are believed to ease tension, promote relaxation, thereby gently inducing sleep.

Herbal Remedies

Many herbal teas or tisanes are believed to induce sleep by promoting a state of calm and relaxation. The best ones include chamomile, lavender, lime blossom, lemon verbena, passion flower and valerian. Some are available in tablet form.

Guided Meditation CDs

We already know that meditation is good for us, but most of us don’t have a clue how to do it properly. With guided meditation, we get advice and instructions along the way. Basically, a soothing voice tells us to relax our body, one muscle group at a time. While staying focused on relaxing physically, we may also be prompted to visualize or imagine ideal places where we feel the most calm and relaxed, and to project ourselves to that imaginary place, thereby enhancing our relaxing experience, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a sleep hormone whose normal production by our bodies can be disrupted by external factors as discussed above. Deemed safe for adults except for pregnant or breast-feeding women, melatonin supplementation is meant for short-term use only and in dosage of no more than 3g per night. Day-time drowsiness can be a risk factor for people who drive or operate heavy machinery. It is also contra-indicated in migraine sufferers, those who suffer from eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, and those with a family history of depression. Natural melatonin may pose a risk to humans because it can be contaminated with animal viruses. Synthetic melatonin is safer to use because it is free from biological contaminants. The sublingual spray version by-passes the digestive tract and is therefore faster-acting.

So there you have it, a list of safe and effective sleep aids to help you get the best quality sleep possible. Getting a good night's sleep is of the utmost importance to your health, so be sure to address all the various causes of insomnia, and if in doubt, seek medical help and attention from your healthcare provider. Always remember that alternative or complementary medicine is often just as effective and causes far fewer side-effects than prescription drugs. Holistic health care, which takes into account your body, mind, and spirit, often works wonders if given time.