Get Better Sleep with Sleep Aids
It's Monday morning; I assume you're lying in bed and procrastinating before heading to work. How'd you sleep?
If you're trying to improve your overall health, consider sleep a top priority along with proper nutrition and regular physical activity. If you're not getting the recommended 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night, sleep deprivation could be jeopardizing your health.
Without getting too heavily involved in the science (and putting you to sleep), a few symptoms of sleep deprivation include:
weight gain
mood swings
memory and concentration loss
weakened immune system
low sex drive
high blood pressure
Type sleep aid into a search engine and be prepared to get bombarded with medicinal fixes, all of which should be discussed with your doctor. This may be necessary if you have a serious sleep disorder such as insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea or sleepwalking. Otherwise, because I advocate natural remedies over anything with side effects or the ability to create dependence or addictions, here are my top suggestions for general nighttime nuisances:
The first is a white noise machine. These work by repeatedly playing sounds at the same frequency which reduces the attention paid to background noise. This is great for those of us living in apartments or near busy streets where you have no control over outside variables. Some people like sleeping with a fan or tv on in order to add noise but these can actually do more harm than good. Personally, I don't like being cold, plus having a fan blow on you throughout the night can result in dry skin and activated allergies. Sleeping with the tv on is even worse as exposure to light can effect your biological clock and quality of sleep. Health risks aside, for me, attempting to sleep with the tv on results in the opposite, no sleep at all. I've seen way too many episodes of Unsolved Mysteries this way. White noise machines are a great way to fill the silence of night while providing a calming sound to drift off to.
The second and third products I purchased are a little more holistic: an aromatherapy oil diffuser and essential oils. I basically just enjoy the clean and refreshing scents they provide while also being much safer than burning candles in your home. The diffuser helps to moisturize and deodorize the air while providing various health benefits from the wide variety of oils. Some of benefits of essential oils are believed to include relaxation and better sleep, anti-inflammatory and microbial properties, boosting your immune system, and relieving stress and pain, along with the added bonus of repelling insects. Whether or not you need help sleeping, oil diffusers are actually great any time of day. I sometimes turn it on during yoga or while cleaning just to heighten the senses.
Re-evaluate what you consider important if sleep is not a current priority in your life. I can't think of anything that ranks higher than one's health; not social media and definitely not a tv show. The benefits gained from averaging 8 hours of sleep each night will go a long way towards improving your physical and psychological health.
Again, if you have a sleep disorder, I encourage you to seek professional help to get to the root of the issue and find a sustainable solution to getting better sleep. If like me, you're just looking for something to aid in a more relaxed nighttime routine, then I highly recommend investing in either a white noise machine and/or an aromatherapy oil diffuser. For those interested, I purchased the following highly rated sleep aids from Amazon as a small price to pay for improved quality of sleep:
-Mallory Herb
