Sleeping Problems Help

Many people suffer with sleeping problems or a lack of sleep and most don't realize the negative health consequences that not getting enough sleep can have on their bodies and their lives. Feeling tired or fatigued is the most common symptom of a lack of sleep, but if this condition continues on for long enough, the impact on your health can be detrimental. Conditions such as hormonal problems and blood sugar problems can emerge and you could find that your eating habits change with these unwanted conditions with cravings for the wrong kinds of foods. Cravings for sugars and refined and fast burning carbohydrates are very common when not getting enough sleep and this often leads to obesity.

So How Much Sleep is Enough?
It is recommended to get between 7 and 8 hours sleep per night, any less or any more than this can have a negative impact on your health and the more you go over or under this amount, the higher the chance that you could develop a health problem. It is also recommended to sleep when it's dark and wake up when it's light, as we really are not nocturnal and staying up all night and sleeping during the day is completely unnatural.

If you have to work night shift and this can't be avoided, then sleeping in a very dark room during the day is ideal and if you can't get your room dark enough, then wearing some eye covers will definitely help with sleeping as it blocks out the light which can keep you awake.

Is There Anything That Can Help With Getting Better Sleep?
Most people who are suffering from sleeping problems will go to the doctor who will prescribe sleeping pills. Sleeping pills do work in the short term, but lose their effectiveness after a short period of time and coming off them can make your sleeping problems even worse. Then there is the problem of tolerance and addiction as your body depends on the medicine to get to sleep and the dosage needs to be increased in an attempt to get the same effect. There are also nasty side effects from taking medicine to get to sleep, such as grogginess the next day and throwing out the balance of your brain chemicals.

So what to do? Well, there are many natural ways to get a better nights sleep which wont cause the nasty side effects of drugs.

Lets start with the simple steps first:

: Going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time everyday will help your body get into a routine and this can help you to sleep better.

: Having a dark room to sleep in will help your body to produce more of the sleep hormone - melatonin which will help you to get to sleep and stay asleep longer.

: Noise can keep you awake of a night, so try to make sure that your sleeping environment is as quiet as possible. If you can't avoid the noise, then having a white noise generator can help to mask the surrounding noise and block it out.

: Eating spicy foods or having caffeine before bed can keep you awake at night and these are not recommended after lunch time if you are having problems sleeping.

: Try eating some foods that are high in l-tryptophan such as - bananas, potatoes, turkey, chicken, rice, milk, cheese, nuts and soy.

: Sleeping in cooler temperatures are better than sleeping in warmer temperatures, as our bodies cool down slightly when we are sleeping. It is well known that it is hard to get to sleep on hot nights, so steps taken to make your sleeping environment cooler are best.

: Sleeping in on weekends can throw out your sleep patterns for the coming days, so if you are having sleeping problems, it is better for you to keep the same sleep routine that you have during the week.

If you are doing the things mentioned above and are still having trouble getting proper sleep, then there are herbs and supplements that can be very helpful.

L-Tryptophan: This is an essential amino acid which your body requires to produce serotonin and melatonin which are 2 of the most important chemicals needed for proper sleep. Supplementing with this amino acid is known to help some with sleeping with minimal to no side effects, when taken at normal dosage.

5-HTP: This supplement is chemically related to l-tryptophan and actually causes serotonin to be produced at a much greater level, so smaller dosages are needed to get proper sleep.
5-HTP is known as 5-hydroxytryptophan and can be more effective with some people than taking l-tryptophan.

Soy Protein Isolate: Taking soy protein in it's isolate form can provide a good amount of l-tryptophan and the good thing about this supplement is it has the benefit of the other amino acids which are the building blocks of life in the human body. Soy protein isolate is a very underrated and overlooked supplement.

Melatonin: Some report great benefits from taking melatonin as a supplement for sleeping. A very small dosage is needed for sleeping problems and it is generally a very cheap supplement.

Valerian: This herb has a mild sedating effect on the body and can be used in conjunction with other sleep herbs and supplements to help with better sleep. It can also help with easing nervous tension and anxiety.

Magnesium: Taking magnesium as a supplement can be good with helping relax the muscles and help with nervous tension. A lack in magnesium can cause sleeping problems.

Lemon Balm: Another good calming herb which can be useful to help ease nervous tension and help the body to relax. The calming action of this herb can help promote a better nights sleep.

Vitamin B6: This vitamin is needed in the production of serotonin, so if you are taking other supplements that are known to produce serotonin, you would want to be getting the full benefit of these supplements by making sure you are getting enough of this vitamin if you are lacking in it.

You don't have to suffer with Sleeping problems anymore, as there are many natural ways to get a better nights sleep without the use of harmful drugs. There are no guarantees that what is mentioned above will work for everyone, but what is mentioned are some of the best ways to help with sleep, that have the least side effects.