Sleeping pills are often one of the first choices when it comes to bringing our sleep back.

Unfortunately, sleeping pills have a ton of possible side effects. Furthermore, our body tends to get used to them quickly bringing in the need to increase the dosage after a certain period of time. Even worse the sleep that we get using sleeping pills is mostly not that resting as our natural sleep would be.

Looking at these drawbacks we want to have a look at alternatives. In this regard, a look into nature makes perfect sense.

Setting our expectations right

Natural sleep aids are often put down as a ‘weak’ solution. In my regards, this is the result of a misunderstanding combined with the need to speed up processes at any cost.

Instead of taking a hammer and literally knocking you down into sleep, natural sleep aids are more like the good night song your mummy used to sing for you before you fall asleep.

Taking the hammer may seem more effective in the beginning, but getting that good night song from mum will let you

• live healthier
• get back your sleep
• improve your overall well being

And in the long haul, it is also more effective.

Great, give me the tips!

Let’s get real now. The 7 natural sleep aids that we are going to walk through are not set up in any coherent order. Also, it is not necessary to put all of them into action. The Idea is to give you guidance on what you can or should try to improve your sleep quality. They support our hormone production, anxiety reduction, calming stress and simply our overall sleep health.

#1 Magnesium

Magnesium is also known as the salt of inner calmness. As such it is not only important for our muscles and bones but also for our nerves. Subsequently, our sleep quality is also hooked to a good supply of magnesium.

Natural sources for magnesium are almonds, fish and much more. Best ask google to find something that you find pleasurable to eat.

There are also tons of supplements out there. If you believe you are lacking Magnesium it might be a good idea to start off with a supplement for 4 weeks. Meanwhile, you can get your diet right to ensure getting enough magnesium from natural sources.

#2 Melatonin

Melatonin is known as the sleep hormone. To get the production started in an optimal way we want to avoid so-called blue light. Beyond blue light is being a part of sunlight it can also be found in light bulbs and the screens of our TVs, smartphones, computer screens, and tablets.

As a consequence, try to use blue light reduced night lamps and avoid screen usage the last hour before you go to bed.

#3 Valerian Root

This is classic and long known for its calming and sleep-promoting capabilities. A couple of months ago I did a prime time drink test walking through a couple of sleep-promoting drinks. The valerian root tea was the winner here.

#4 Lavender

This is a famous one. It is known to bring in calmness only through it’s pleasant smell. I’ve got two simple ideas on how you can test if this one is helpful for you.

1. Buy a so-called Diffuser. These are simple little and good looking machines that let you mix water with essential oils to let your room smell as if you were sitting near a Lavender plant in a matter of only seconds.

2. Get good Lavender Oil. Then simply put a couple of drops on a piece of cotton near your bed and enjoy the relaxing smell.

#5 Tryptophan/

The next natural sleep aid we are going to talk about is Tryptophan. To have enough of this in your body is important as it is not only a foundation for Serotonin (good mood) but also essential for our Melatonin production. As a rule of thumb, you will find it in most protein sources like turkey, chicken, eggs, peanuts, milk, and many many more.

Try to bake these foods into your regular diet and you will be fine.

#6 St. John’s Wort

This herb is known as a medicine for hundreds of years to reduce stress, lift moods, lighten depression, and to let you fall asleep better. Furthermore, it has been clinically proven to do so.

This is a powerful one and you should really take care of the right dose. As a consequence, I would ask you to think about taking the exact dose and usage through with your doctor before you get started.

#7 Cold Shower

I can literally see your eyes going back to the heading. Especially because a cold shower would rather let you think of waking up.

In short, you are going to put your body under a natural stressor. This process is called hormesis and is widely known and used by athletes, doctors, the pharma industry and more.

In our case, we will put our bodies into the environment of a cold shower for about 3 minutes. During this shower, you will focus on breathing deep and steady and let all parts of your body get exposed to the cold water.
It will give you a huge edge for feeling great at daytime and sleepy at nighttime. Warning: Especially during winter water can get really really cold.

How should I get started?

After all that information, I suggest that you take a pragmatic approach to getting started.

Set yourself up with a bit of patience. Give these things a couple of weeks to fully enfold. It is simply how nature works.

Start measuring where you are, what you are doing, and get aware of what really works today.
Implement 1-3 of the above. At the beginning take those that related most to your personal situation/needs.

Implement good sleeping habits. E.g. replacing your evening TV show through a good book with a mug of valerian tea would be a good example. Also replacing sweets on your living room table through almonds or other nutrients rich foods would be a great start. Make it foolproof and enjoyable for you!

Lastly, I want to thank you for reading this article. Feel free to contact me over social media (@sleeptrust) with any questions.

Have a superb sleep.

Michael Hildebrandt