Recipes To Prevent And Treat Insomnia

“To sleep, perchance to dream.” Hamlet’s reflection was for him, and for millions of Americans, wishful thinking. At any one time, up to a quarter of the population has insomnia, defined as an inability to fall and/or stay asleep. Nearly everyone has had at least one fretful night. Unfortunately, 10 percent of adults have chronic insomnia. For a variety of reasons, women are more often troubled with insomnia than are men.

Chronic insomnia erodes quality of life. Compared to their rested peers, people who don’t get enough sleep are at risk for accidents (including car crashes and falls), infections, depression, weight problems, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. Poor concentration and thinking skills erode productivity. Tired people miss more work and decline social engagements. The personal and societal impact is enormous.

Ideally, treatment resolves the underlying problem that keeps the person awake: psychological stress, anxiety, depression, heartburn, chronic cough, night sweats associated with menopause, frequent urination in older men with enlarged prostates, sleep disorders, and more. Sometimes all that’s needed is to improve what’s called “sleep hygiene.” That means you use your bed only for sleep and sex. In addition:
• Don’t do any of the following in bed: pay bills, argue, do homework, or watch television. It’s also a good idea not to do mentally stimulating things just before bed, either.
• Create soothing bedtime rituals.
• Find time for physical activity each day, but avoid vigorous exercise just before bed. Stretching is fine.
• Go to bed and arise at more or less the same time every day. Most people need about 8 hours of sleep a night. (And your brain keeps track of any accumulating debt.) Give yourself a cushion of 30 minutes for falling asleep.
• Make your bedroom a warm, dark, inviting place. Even low light can disrupt melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep and other rhythms. Cover glowing LED lights with a cloth. Turn your alarm clock to face the wall.
• Banish self-defeating thoughts. The problem with chronic insomnia is a dread of bedtime. Welcome it. Each night is a fresh start.

If you wake up in the middle of the night, stay calm. Don’t look at the clock. Get out of bed. Do something relaxing. When you’re sleepy, slip between the sheets. Researchers have begun to unveil historical documents suggesting that humans have long had two sleeps separated by a period of wakefulness. If so, waking in the night is normal.

Recipes To Prevent And Treat Insomnia

Lavender Foot Massage
1 ounce (28 g) carrier oil (e.g., almond, apricot, grape seed, jojoba, or olive oil) 12 drops lavender essential oil (half as much for pregnant women and children) pRepARATIon AnD USe: Pour the oil and lavender essential oil into a clean jar. Cap and shake. Wash and dry your feet. Sitting comfortably, draw a foot into your lap. Pour a palmful (about 1 tablespoon [15 ml]) of scented oil into your palm and massage into your foot. Take your time. Switch feet. If it’s a chilly night, put on clean socks. Crawl into bed.
Yield: 1 application
How it works:
Lavender is calming. The essential oil crosses the skin to enter the blood. It also enters via the lungs when you inhale the aroma. Massaging your feet literally takes you out of your busy head to help you settle down for the night. A 2013 study found inhalation of a blend of calming essential oils (lavender, Roman chamomile, and neroli) lowered anxiety and improved sleep quality in cardiac patients in the intensive care unit (a place notorious for disrupting sleep). You don’t have to be sick to get the benefits. A study in healthy Japanese students showed that nighttime inhalation of lavender made them feel more refreshed come morning. Variation: Ask a friend or partner to rub your feet (or back) for you. Feel free to experiment with other calming essential oils, such as Roman chamomile, bergamot, rose geranium, melissa (lemon balm), neroli, jasmine, ylang ylang, and sandalwood. What’s important is whether you find the aroma relaxing.

Scented Sleep Pillow
2 to 3 drops lavender essential oil
Preparation and use:
Cover your pillow with a fresh pillowcase. Rub a couple of drops of lavender essential oil into your palms. Run your palms over the pillowcase to transfer the soothing scent.
Yield: 1 application
How it works:
Studies show that lavender essential oil has a calming effect on the nervous system. In a study of women going through menopause (a change that often disrupts sleep), smelling of lavender improved sleep quality. Sleep-Promoting Salt Bath 2 cups (480 g) Epsom salts 10 drops lavender essential oil pRepARATIon AnD USe: Blend the salts and lavender drops in a clean bowl. Draw a warm bath. Pour in the ingredients and disperse with your fingertips. Turn off the electric lights. Light a candle. Slip into the warm, aromatic water. Relax. After you emerge and towel off, crawl into bed. YIeLD: 1 appLIcaTIon How it works: Warmth helps you relax and sleep. So does lavender. Another theory is that the bath raises your body temperature slightly. Afterward, your temperature falls to normal. That downward shift simulates a decline in body temperature that normally occurs with sleep. Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate. Unpublished research suggests that soaking in an Epsom salt bath can increase blood levels of magnesium, which has a relaxant effect on tense muscles.

Lavender Bath Bomb
1 cup (221 g) baking soda ½ cup (65 g) cornstarch ½ cup (120 g) Epsom salts ½ cup (197 g) powdered citric acid (see note) 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water 2 teaspoons (10 ml) lavender essential oil 1 tablespoon (15 ml) melted coconut oil or vegetable oil
Preparation and use:
In a large glass bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth. In a separate small glass bowl, mix together the liquids (they will not blend perfectly). While continuing to whisk the dry ingredients, slowly add the liquid, about 1 teaspoon (5 ml) at a time—do not add too quickly or the ingredients will react. The final consistency should be like damp (not wet) sand and should hold together in a clump. If too dry, add another teaspoon (5 ml) of oil mixed with a teaspoon (5 ml) of water. If too wet, add small amounts of cornstarch. Press into muffin tins, filling halfway. Once dry, pop out the bombs and store in a tightly capped jar. Add one bomb to a warm bath and soothe away.
Yield: 8 to 12 bombs, depending on the size of your mold
How it works:
The warmth of the bath soothes and relaxes. The Epsom salts relax the muscles. The lavender is calming. Note: You can buy powdered citric acid in a natural food store, grocery store, or crafts store.

When simple doesn’t Work
Herbal remedies can quiet the mind. Valerian (valeriana officinalis) is the best researched. A 2010 analysis of eighteen published human studies concluded that the majority resulted in subjective improvements in insomnia without significant side effects. Herbalists report that a small proportion of people find that valerian stimulates rather than diminishes mental activity. One study found that a combination of valerian and hops (Humulus lupulus—an ingredient in beer) reduced insomnia. Another study showed that the combination of valerian and lemon balm (melissa officinalis) helped children with restlessness and poor sleep. Other subtly sedative herbs include California poppy (eschscholzia californica), skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora), passion- flower (passiflora incarnate), and German chamomile (matricaria recutita). You can find combination products that contain several sleep-enhancing herbs.

When to call the doctor 
Insomnia is underrecognized and undertreated. Because doctors often don’t inquire about sleep quality, you will likely need to bring up the fact that yours isn’t good. Let your doctor know when:
• It takes more than 30 minutes to fall asleep.
• You awaken during the night.
• You feel unrefreshed when you arise and/ or sleepy during the day—despite attempts to allow yourself enough time in bed.
• You have symptoms or signs of a sleep disorder (snoring and breath-holding during the night, unpleasant sensations or movements in limbs that keep you awake, etc.).