11 Natural Insomnia Aids That Will Give You Sweet Dreams Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Insomnia 11 Natural Insomnia Aids That Will Give You Sweet Dreams Here are 11 simple, inexpensive sleep solutions that you may already have at home. By Amy CapettaMedically Reviewed by Justin Laube, MDReviewed: January 8, 2018Medically ReviewedMasterfileOn the rare night when you actually crawl into bed at a decent hour, you stare at the ceiling, eyes wide open, mind racing, with a good night's sleep feeling more like a distant dream with every passing second. You’re not alone. According to the National Sleep Foundation, a third of all American adults report experiencing one insomnia symptom a night. And about 10 percent of people suffer from chronic insomnia, which means they find it difficult to get enough shut-eye at least three nights a week, for at least three months. Although some medications and health issues such as depression and hyperthyroidism can cause insomnia, a person's anxiety, stress, diet, and age are also factors. If you experience frequent insomnia, you’ve probably already tried the basics, like cutting back on caffeine and alcohol. Maybe you’ve also turned to the medications, luxury mattresses and pillows, white-noise machines, and other remedies that make up the $41 billion Americans spent on sleep aids and remedies in 2015, according to a report from BCC Research. But you might be wary, understandably, of relying on drugs. Sleep medications, which are most useful for short-term sleeplessness, do require some caution, because they can result in hangovers the next day, or, even worse, lead you to eat, amble about, and even drive while asleep, with no memory of having eaten, ambled about, or driven. The FDA suggests that if you take Ambien, in particular, and at certain dosages, you shouldn’t drive the next day, or take part in other activities that necessitate your being completely awake, because the drug can remain in your system at levels that may affect your functioning. But there are natural sleep remedies — such as lifestyle changes — you can turn to that are safe and effective. And experts say that behavior modifications are the better strategy, even if they may take time to have lasting effects. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, research has shown that mindfulness-based stress reduction, and other relaxation techniques, such as music-assisted relaxation, can be beneficial. Cognitive behavioral therapy (or CBT) has also been shown to help — a study published in November 2017 in the journal Sleep that followed more than 500 women with insomnia found that CBT was significantly more effective than other treatments, including drugs or even yoga. Looking for more home remedies? Read on to discover 11 tips that experts recommend for sounder sleep. Editor' s Picks Consumer s Guide to Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonists for InsomniaEverything you need to know about the newest form of treatment for insomnia.…Learn More878 Tune In to Soothing Music for Deep SleepKarl Tapales/Getty ImagesIf you're having trouble falling asleep, listening to calming, soft music as you doze off could be a solution. A report published in August 2015 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found that listening to music before going to bed may help improve sleep quality. Just make sure you're picking something soothing, and that you set it to turn off after a while, preferably when you're already deep in dreamland.879 Relax in a Rocking Chair and Doze Off Faster AlamyIt’s well known that babies fall fast asleep when they’re rocked gently back and forth in a carriage or a mother’s arms. Surprisingly, the same trick works with adults. According to a small preliminary study published in Current Biology, when study participants napped in a hammock-like bed, they fell asleep faster and slept more soundly than when they slept in a regular bed. It seems that the gentle swinging sensation primes brain activity that fosters deep sleep. While you can’t exactly doze off in a hammock every night, try chilling out in a rocking chair before hitting the sheets to mimic the motion and help your body feel sleepy.880 Make Powering Down an Hour Before Sleep Your New Bedtime Ritual Maxime Caron/Unsplash“Sleep is not an on-and-off switch,” says the sleep expert and clinical psychologist Michael Breus, PhD, the author of The Power of When. “Your body needs time to unwind and ready itself for shut-eye.” That’s why Dr. Breus recommends practicing a three-part routine called the “Power-Down Hour.” During the first 20 minutes, complete any tasks that absolutely must get done before bedtime. Wash your face, brush your teeth, and get dressed for bed during the next 20 minutes. For the last 20 minutes, lie in bed quietly and meditate. Focus on the rhythm of your breathing and shoo away any negative thoughts during this time.881 Count Sheep — Backward — and You' ll Fall Asleep Pablo Heimplatz/UnsplashIf your mind tends to race as soon as your head hits the pillow, put the brakes on this sleep-stealing habit by distracting yourself from rehashing the day’s events. One tip Breus offers his patients: Count down from 300 in multiples of three. “Because this task is mathematically complicated to do in your head,” he explains, “it forces your brain to focus on something else besides your worries.”882 Practice Some Gentle Yoga Before Bedtime StocksyPractice 15 minutes of simple, yoga-like poses (such as neck rolls, shoulder rolls, and arm and back stretches) to help your muscles unwind before hitting the sheets, says Helene A. Emsellem, MD, the medical director of the Center for Sleep and Wake Disorders in Chevy Chase, Maryland. But go slowly. “The goal is to loosen your muscles to prepare your body for a good night’s sleep, not increase your heart rate,” she explains.883 Exercise Regularly and You Could Sleep Soundly AlamyExercise has long been associated with higher quality sleep. While the research has mainly been done on those who don’t have insomnia, studies are suggesting that staying committed to a regular exercise routine can indeed improve the quality and duration of your sleep if you do. A study published in October 2015 in the Journal of Sleep Research showed that after six months of exercising 150 minutes a week, participants reported significantly reduced insomnia symptoms. They also had significantly reduced depression and anxiety scores.884 But the Benefits of Morning Workout May Be Greater StocksyExercising in the morning may help you sleep better than working out in the afternoon or evening. In an unpublished study presented at the 58th meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, researchers at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, found that people spent 85 percent more time in light sleep and 75 percent more time in deep sleep when they worked out at 7 a.m. compared with working out later in the day. The authors aren’t sure why, but they believe early-bird workouts affect levels of stress hormones in a way that leads to better sleep quality later on. More research is needed to confirm these finding.885 Sip Tart Cherry Juice for a Tranquil Nightcap Getty ImagesAlcohol is a known sleep saboteur — it may make you fall asleep, but it disrupts normal sleep cycles, causing you to wake up in the middle of the night. Cherry juice, on the other hand, may help ensure restful slumber, because it’s thought to be naturally high in melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate your body’s sleep-wake cycles. A small study of 11 subjects published in March 2017 in the American Journal of Therapeutics found that participants with insomnia who drank tart cherry juice for two weeks increased the amount they slept. Cherry juice is presumably low risk, but if you have a tendency toward elevated sugar it's best to discuss with your doctor before you start.886 Remember the Importance of a Regular Bedtime ThinkstockEven if you’re exhausted, try to stick to within 30 minutes of your normal bedtime. Going to bed hours earlier than usual may throw your body’s normal rhythm out of whack, says Dr. Emsellem. “Sticking to a routine is key to keeping insomnia at bay. While you may hate being locked into a schedule, your brain likes following a pattern.” Likewise, daytime napping, even if you slept poorly the night before, is also a no-no if you’re prone to insomnia.887 Resist Sleeping In on the Weekends if You Can Kelli Kim/StocksyContrary to all our wishes, you can’t really compensate for weekday sleep debt by sleeping in on the weekends, according to the National Sleep Foundation. That's because you need to sleep one hour for every hour missed, which means that if you miss four hours during the week you'd need to sleep extra hours on Saturday and Sunday. Instead, pick a more reasonable weekday bedtime to stick to. Nudge your bedtime back 15 minutes at a time to help you adjust, says the NSF. If you normally hit the hay at 11:30 p.m., for example, go to bed at 11:15 for a few nights, then 11, then 10:45 — until you reach your ideal bedtime, which for most people is about 7 to 9 hours before you need to wake up.888 Keep Your Room at the Ideal Temperature for Sleeping ThinkstockAccording to the National Sleep Foundation, the optimal room temperature for sleep is between 60 to 67 degrees. In one study, University of Pittsburgh researchers found that when insomniacs wore a special cap designed to lower the temperature of the brain, they fell asleep about as quickly, and slept for about as long, as other study participants without sleep issues. Why this works: The cooling cap helped reduce brain metabolic activity, setting in motion a normal sleep cycle. But you don't need a special device to get better sleep. Keeping your bedroom cool and wearing breathable clothing (or even nothing at all!) can help welcome the sandman. 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